National Outdoor Challenge Unit Award

Hello, My Unit completed the requirements for the National Outdoor Challenge Unit Award, and the council seems to be having trouble identifying how to proceed with actually awarding it. Apparently, this is a newer award, and they cant identify how to submit it. Has anyone else had this problem and can you tell me what the correct procedure is? Thx, LS

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Lowell - You complete the application form, take it your council Scout Shop, and buy the ribbon.  The award is at least 3 years old.

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Can someone explain requirement #2 to me please? Does this mean 10 camps/activities with 50% attendance on EACH camp/activity? We have a larger troop with excellent participation throughout the year, but 50% at each camp/activity is pushing it for us. Thanks in advance. Peter

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@Peter - Well, it's the "Challenge" award.  I see that requirement as having at least 50% of the scouts in the troop on each of 10 outings.   It doesn't seem to me that a troop with less than 50% participation should be receiving a flag ribbon.

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@David - I would expect each scout to earn at least one of the listed merit badges.  But, the application form makes no distinction so a few ambitious scouts could carry the unit, I suppose.

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May I resurrect this old thread? it asks exactly the same questions I have.  

50% participation at every outing times ten outings is beyond challenging for a large troop.  We have 55 scouts ranging from our ten-year old crossovers to scouts about to "age out" this month and next.  We're doing good when we have 15- 25 come out on any given trip.  While I can see how the requirement could be interpreted as a participation rate for all ten outings, I believe it means, "offer at least ten opportunities and get at least half of the scouts to enjoy the outdoors."  I know many troops that would be challenged to do ten outings at all, let alone having a majority of their scouts attend any.

I also seek clarity on the MB requirement.  I read it as an average count of one per scout, not a requirement that every scout has at least one. My question is what's the time frame for the MBs?   Within the past twelve months?  During a specific timeframe? Or throughout the careers of the scouts registered?

Since earning this award is a requirement for the Scoutmaster Key, I'm surprised there's not been more discussion and clarification on this award.   At least not that I can find with my Google machine...

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@Dave - You may be correct that some troops don't have ten outings in a year, and that troop wouldn't be deserving of an "Outdoor Challenge" award.  The same would go for a troop that has just 27% to 45% of their scouts attending outings - that doesn't seem deserving of a Unit-level award.  Any unit, regardless of the size, can meet these requirements with a little commitment from the scouts.  If the scouts aren't interested in earning it, then it won't happen.

If your statement about "offering opportunities" was correct, a troop of 55 scouts having just 3 scouts attending each of 10 outings, and each scout attending only that one outing for the year, would fulfill the requirement because 30 scouts got outdoors at least once.  Doesn't sound correct to me.

There is currently no specific wording saying that the merit badges need be earned in a certain time frame.  If a scout earned Archery two years ago, he has still earned it.

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Thanks for the feedback Scouter Paul.  Your point on 3 scouts per trip is a good one.

In the end, "challenge" is the key; 50% or 10 outings are both pretty arbitrary.  Is it a challenge to get three scouts to go on all ten outings if your troop only has three members?

We have several scouts that go on every trip, some scouts that hardly ever go on any, and most scouts are somewhere in between.   I'll consider it an improvement if every scout attends at least two or three outings in a season.  We do plan for ten in a year, so my own arbitrary numbers should achieve the award's goals.

I plan to raise this question at my district's Roundtable, but I was curious what other people's thoughts were.

This weekend I'll be at Waywayanda State Park in New Jersey with 15 scouts and three other scouters.  We'll be doing orienteering.  Wish me luck on getting back to the campfire!

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The way I interpreted #5 is that the MB has to have been earned during the 12 months you are counting the outdoor activities.

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@Tom, That particular requirement does not say within the past year as the other req's do. There are several of our scouts that have earned every single one of those MBs in past years. Obviously, the unit should not be punished for them not earning those particular ones in the past 12 months.
@Paul, just like you say there is no specific wording requiring the mbs be earned in a certain time frame...there is also No specific wording saying that 50% of the scouts have to attend each outing offered.

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@Dave, I hope you found your answer at roundtable. 3 different scouts attending 10 different outings would never ever happen. It you have 10-45 at 10 camp outs or more a year that is great! That is a challenge and should be rewarded.

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@Lia - Requirement 2 does say that at least 50% of the registered youth need to attend the 10 outings.  If you don't interpret that to mean "each" of 10 outings, then how do you interpret it?
If Dave's troop of 55 scouts has 28 or more scouts at 10 or more outdoor trips in a year, then it has fulfilled requirement 2 of this award.  If the troop also fulfilled the other 5 requirements, then it should be rewarded with this award.

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Here is another angle on it:
We have a high adventure opportunity - only 7 can go.

Our Troop is 82 Scouts. 50% of 82 is 41.

So we now need 34 more unique Scouts to attend an event we host through the Troop.

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I'm not sure if its been addressed related to the number of outdoor activities. 2B gives the option of increasing number of activities from previous year without mention of the 50% participation.

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@Kurt - I've not heard specific direction on that point, but since the official application has a spot to check off 2B and does not mention 50% participation, I don't think you need to have that participation percentage.
Since the goal is to increase outdoors opportunities, once a troop is doing 10 they don't really need to add more but can work on participation.  At some point, a troop just won't be able to add more whether that's 10, 15, or 365, so increasing participation helps there.   I guess a troop could plan to earn this every other year by having Z outings one year and Z-1 the next - every Z year meets the requirement.

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Just a little follow-up from me.  We never did discuss this at Roundtable last spring, but I've requested it as a topic next month (hence my returning to this thread to see what else as been said).  However, scouters that I have discussed this with tend to agree with Scouter Paul in that each outing should be 50%. (...and I still disagree.)
I was ready to rely on 2b, increase the number of outings from last year. That too is a challenge for us because we normally have an outing per month (give or take).  Sadly, we had to cancel one due to logistics (site availability) and we will be cancelling another this weekend due to low participation (3 scouts including the SPL).
As Scoutmaster, I'm conflicted.  I am proud of our scout- led program and the trips (now cancelled) were the PLC's plan.   I will do a reflection and help them to see where they are missing the mark on overall interest within the troop and let them learn from all this.  But that also means no Scoutmaster Key for me this year, and maybe never if that's not where their interests lie.

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Hi Dave,
Hopefully, you will have increased outings for 2017 since 2 did not happen in 2016. You earn the challenge once in the 3 year period if I remember correctly. Good Luck.
btw. I also think that a troop offering 12-14 camp outs a year with at least 15 to 50 on every single camp out has EARNED the award! The requirements do not EACH camp out, but 50% overall. I guess out council agrees, but I have turned in those kinds of numbers year after year, and the award has been approved. The High adventure trips we offer each year alone blocks the 50% at each rule because half of them are not old enough. Good Luck!

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How do your fill out the tracking form. It has roster check then date - do the dates continue across or do the events?

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@Elena - The dates of the events should be listed on the same row as the "Date" label.  The column under "Date" really should not be there.   "Date" is the X axis.

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What constitutes "conducting" a Leave No Trace "program" in req #6 of this award? I feel like that is vague and I can't seem to find any guidance on that when I search the web. Thoughts? My troop spent time reclaiming an overgrown hiking trail with a LNT/Outdoor Ethics leader. I'm just not sure if that counts as conducting a LNT program.

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@K - An LNT program could be any educational presentation, project, or activity where the concepts or principles of LNT are incorporated.  So, a trail clearing project could count. Did the OE leader give any talk to the scouts about how their work on the trail fit in with LNT?  Was LNT any part of the planning or reasoning for clearing the trail?  If it was, then it's an LNT program.   If LNT was not part of the planning, program, or experience, then I wouldn't use it towards this recognition.

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