Nomination of Someone for District Award of Merit

[riverwalk]

Yeah, it's frustrating that people don't nominate. Part of it is education and awareness I think. Some units don't know much about that stuff, or think it's just for a certain few folks. Heck, I've been trying to get my Troop to submit for the Scoutmaster Award of Merit for our past SM, for THREE years. They don't grasp the hoops to jump through I think.

Yes, you described the Community Organization Award, represented by the gold on purple square knot patch. The gold on black is the Spurgeon Award. That Community Award can be earned as you say, for the Outstanding volunteer medal. Kudos to you for all that service. It can also be awarded by a half dozen civic groups, with varying criteria.

[mhjacobson]

Not many earn the Military Volunteer award, then you have to also be a scouter, and then you have to know about it so getting it is rare.

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There are two slight errors in the posting: 1) participating in scouting is not a requirement for this award -- it is active participation on a meritoriuos basis in any of the recognized civilian organizations, and 2) having the award (and its name is not the Military Volunteer Award) does not automatically entitle one to the BSA knot -- one needs a statement from command that it was awarded for services to the BSA.

[mt_goodrich]

Forgot to add a folow up to this.

The person I nominated did receive the District Award of Merit.

I was awarded District Scouter of the Year (no knot with that, but I got a nice plaque). I also was awarded my Wood Badge beads, etc. that evening.

[riverwalk]

Kudos Mike. It's nice that Districts have some local awards to offset their limit on official ones.

[mhjacobson]

The DOM is designed for a person who works on the district level. There are various recognitions for the unit level. Sometimes we find it difficult to believe that there are awards that are designed for the various levels of scouting and that it is not just a method of making sure that some are always recognized.

[milominderbinder2]

The DOM is designed for a person who works on the district level...

Too often people just don't get that. A person could be the best Scoutmaster ever and not qualify for the DOM.

- Craig