Which Knots are important to you, and why?

[lee1989_2007]

Hey everyone,

Im just a young scouter (18) who is enter the world of the adults. Right now i wear three knots on my shirt: Arrow of light, Eagle Scout, and my Religious Award. I have heard that i might be up for our District Award of Merit and if i am bestowed with that honor it would be my first Adult Knot for my shirt. Now i have heard many people say that they wont wear knots because this program are for the youth and there is no need for them. i have also heard of people just wearing the knot they earned from their youth i.e.: AoL, Eagle, and Religious award. i was wondering what people think about wearing knots and if they wear knots what one(s) are the most important to you?

Lee Shelton

[scottteng]

Wear em proudly show us old guys up sometimes we need it.

[Beavah]

Yah, Lee1989. Welcome to da adult scoutin' world.

 

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

 

If knots and other awards for your uniform is where your treasure is, then yeh haven't left the youth program yet. You can read LongHaul's documentary about the odd beast known as the Man Scout.

 

As an adult, your treasure should be in helpin' the kids achieve. In seein' them grow and build their program and earn things for their uniform. Take trainin' and work hard not for an award you wear, but for the reward you get by seein' young people grow. That's the only reason to stay in Scoutin' as an adult.

 

Ain't a thing on my uniform that's important to me. It's what I do in my uniform that counts.

 

Beavah

 

[eolesen]

The really important ones to me are the bowline, taut line hitch, two half hitch, clove hitch, and timber hitch. They're all required for First Class. Lashings come in handy too...

 

The only one I wear on my uniform is the Turks Head.

[dan]

lee

I am not big on knots, BUT if I could I would wear the 3 you are wearing now. Unfortunately I can not. To me those are the 3 mostest bestest ones!

For any other ones you will need to decide for yourself.

 

Bevah

Are you an eagle scout?

[Gold Winger]

The knots aren't important, what they represent is important.

 

I read the Man Scout thing and all of that has very little bearing on whether or knot (pun) you should wear your awards.

 

I wear mine. A friend who has been Scouting for nearly 50 years wears all that he has earned which is only about 12 or 13. He's the last that you'd call a "Man Scout."

 

Wear your knots. Be proud of what they represent. Then again, don't wear the knots and have the warm and fuzzy feeling because you accomplished what they represent. It is up to you.

 

I knew a Medal of Honor winner who carried his medal with him whenever he would be in a large group of people. Why? As he said, people liked to see it.

 

Wearing your awards isn't just for you. Like the mentor pin that someone else brought up in another thread, you wear them for others. The folks that put you up for the award like to see it.

 

What awards mean the most to me? One was a little thing that an ASM presented at our annual dinner. The Scouts gave me a standing ovation, only the second one that I know of for an adult. That ovation means a lot. What else means a lot to me? My Philmont patch and the crew chief shaking my hand atop Baldy saying, "You made it and I didn't that that you would." I can't wear the ovation or the handshake but I'll wear my knots.

 

I will say that I'm amazed that you're up for the DAM. Where I'm from the unwritten rule is that you have to be involved in district activities for three years before you'll even be considered.

[eolesen]

I've heard five years of service as the benchmark for the DAM, but it's not specified anywhere on the nomination form.

[eagle90]

I would say I am most proud of my Eagle Scout, Silver Beaver, and Adult Religious Award knots.

 

Dale

[Lisabob]

Lee, welcome and congratulations to you on all your past accomplishments. Not having been a cub or boy scout, I do not have any of the three knots representing the youth awards that you have earned, but I'll second dan's sentiment and say that if I (could have) earned them, I would wear those.

 

To me personally, the knots that would be meaningful are the ones that represent something I worked really, really hard at, and where I went "above and beyond" what was expected in the context of "just doing my job." That's why, if I had earned them, I would wear those youth-related knots; they indicate something special that the wearer (hopefully!) didn't just blunder into. And I'll differ with Beavah here by saying I don't think one necessarily has to set aside pride in past accomplishments just because some happened before the age of 18, and others after that birthday.

 

But that's also why I've not bothered to do the paperwork for, or wear, the knots I've "earned" as a Scouter thus far. They aren't that meaningful to me, because they represent just checking off some boxes for doing things I ought to have been doing anyway if I was doing my job reasonably well. Though my wood badge beads are meaningful to me and if there were a WB knot I might wear it I guess.

 

That's just my take on the topic though, and I hold no ill will toward those who think otherwise or who wear a chest full of knots for that matter - more power to them, if they've earned 'em all.

 

 

[emb021]

First off, I have to say I find it hard to believe an 18 year older scouter would be considered for a DAM. The DAM recognizes several years of adult service at the district level, usually by adults serving at the district level, but could go to a unit scouter. As you have yet to be an adult scouter for even a year, it seems inappropriate to present one to you.

 

Anyway. At to knots.

 

Myself I wasn't able to earn any youth awards that had knots, so all my knots have been for adult awards. Several of them are important to me, because they were awards that others have presented to me. One was the Venturing Leadership Award, which was a surprise to receive. The other was the Herbert Horton APO Service to Youth Award, which is a Community Organization Award. Having worked hard to help create this award, I was pleased to receive it myself in the second year it was presented.

 

[Ohio_Scouter]

Hello, young Lee, born in 1989. Welcome to the world of adults.

 

I'm pretty proud of my Arrow of Light knot. For whatever reasons, it's the only knot I ever earned in Scouting, and I wear it proudly on my uniform. My opinion is that you should wear the knots you earned during your years in Scouting proudly, too.

 

But beyond that, I'm mostly proud of my only son and his Arrow of Light and Eagle Scout knots (he was born in 1989, too). Why? Because, as Beavah says, I believe an adult should be helping the kids achieve, seeing them grow, building their program, and earning things for their uniform. That's why I stay in Scouting as an adult.

 

[willhi1979]

I wear the Arrow of Light, Eagle Scout, Youth Religious Award, and the Scouter's Training Award. The youth awards are the most important to me as they represented some hard work and youth achievement. I will be adding the District Committee Key in January after I have served 3 years on the Committee. I'm currently the Training Chair and past Boy Scout Training Chair. Typically in our Council, everyone wears all their knots. I understand why some don't, but in my experience, it makes it easy to show people what your background is in Scouting and it gives adults some recognition for our service. It's a Metro Area Council. As a Training Chair, it's also useful to have and see so I know what experience is in the room and it also shows the participants that the trainer's are experienced.

 

In regards to the DAM, it's typically presented after 5 years of service in my District, 3 are usually at the District level, but sometimes they recognize long serving unit leaders. It seems like the awarding of the DAM largely depends on the District presenting it. If the District Leadership is older and they all have it, I guess a newbie could get it. My District is a mix and there's usually a pecking order of potential DAM candidates. We do have a Distinguished Leadership Citation which is a certificate presented after a couple years of service to unit and District leaders. They are nominated much like the DAM, but there are a large number awarded each year. The District surprised me with one last year.

 

Will

 

[Gold Winger]

"If knots and other awards for your uniform is where your treasure is, then yeh haven't left the youth program yet. You can read LongHaul's documentary about the odd beast known as the Man Scout."

 

I suppose that can be said about all the Wood Badgers out there. They wear their beads, woggles and special neckerchiefs. At the drop of a hat they get up and sing about how they used to be a hamster and a good ol' hamster. I'm sure that the boys look at them and say, "Hey, those Man Scouts are stealing our thunder." Or maybe, just maybe, the boys say, "Hey look, those adults are enjoying themselves. Maybe we should have some fun too."

 

 

[Lisabob]

Hamster patrol??!???! Now *that's* funny! Just better not put them next to the Owls in the critter order.

[ScoutDadof5]

Lee,

 

Welcome aboard as an adult scouter. The knots that are most important to me ...are the ones that I have been able to give away or nominate folks for. I have a few myself. The one I like the most personally is my Eagle. I kept goimg and got 5 palms and a year or two ago found out that I sould wear the palms on my knot.

 

Some folks will say that seeking after knots is not true scouting or something like that. Others will say that they are there to motivate folks in an effort to further scouting efforts. I remember a quote that Napoleon Bonaparte is credited with..."A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon". This holds true in scouting too with the knots. It's still about personal motivation.

 

In regards to the DAM...if you don't have goals and aim high, then one doesn't really know where they are going. Timing? It varies. It could be 10 years, it could be 3. It really matters as to what you do and the quality of what you do. I nominated someone this year and they received it and they have about 3 1/2 years in between unit and district, but she has done a lot in a short time and has made a noticable impact!

 

Keep the motivation. Take the training. Offer to help out where you can, remember what folks did to help you with your scouting experiences, and above all - have fun.

 

Peace.