New den leader

[Jillian]

I just signed up to be a den leader for a cub scout den and I am new to being an adult leader I had a quite involved history in venturing as a youth and young adult just 7 years ago. My question is for my adult uniform should I wear the knots I received in venturing which include silver award, venturing leadership award and ranger? Should venturing awards be worn on tan shirts? Is it pretentious to wear them. I worked very hard to earn them and didn't really wear them as knots back then I just WORE the metals for ceremonies

[desertrat77]

Welcome Jillian!

Wearing the knots is your decision, but you are certainly authorized to do so if you wish. 

I don't think it's pretentious...you earned them and it shows others that you have experience on the Scouting Trail.

Good luck with your new adventure!

Edited July 16, 2018 by desertrat77

[shortridge]

It’s not at all pretentious! Be proud of your achievements and accomplishments. As a curious Scout, I had many conversations with leaders asking what their knots represented. If you spark the interest of even one Scout to continue past Cubs so she or he can earn Silver, for example, then that’s a great accomplishment.

If you don’t have kids of your own in the program, knots are another way of quickly establishing to the parents in your den that you know what you’re doing and have experience.

Congratulations, thanks for volunteering, and welcome to the forums!

[malraux]

I’ll even say that you should wear service stars with the venturing backing to show your time as a youth. 

[The Latin Scot]

Go ahead and wear them! Venturing awards are ABSOLUTELY acceptable on the tan uniform, since Venturing is after all an official program of the BSA. And you worked hard for them, so you should talk to your boys about what you did to earn the awards and the wonderful experiences you had in Scouting! Wear them to honor your achievements.

Square knots are only as pretentious as the person wearing them. Just keep to the officially recommended limit of 9 knots (three rows of three) and you'll never come off as pretentious. Go beyond that, and well, it's likely that you legitimately are already. 

[JasonG172]

Thank You for stepping up and Leading !

[NJCubScouter]

First of all Jillian, welcome to the forum!

I agree with what the others have said.  This is what the knots are for.  You may be one of very few leaders in your pack wearing multiple Venturing knots, but that's because you earned them and the others didn't!

@The Latin Scot, I never heard that "official recommendation" of no more than 9 knots.  I am fairly certain that our CC has never heard of it either.     But I am so grateful to him for stepping up to be CC (in a difficult situation), and for the job he is doing, that as far as I am concerned he could plaster his entire shirt with knots if he wanted to.

 

Edited July 17, 2018 by NJCubScouter

[malraux]

24 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

 

@The Latin Scot, I never heard that "official recommendation" of no more than 9 knots.  I am fairly certain that our CC has never heard of it either.     But I am so grateful to him for stepping up to be CC (in a difficult situation), and for the job he is doing, that as far as I am concerned he could plaster his entire shirt with knots if he wanted to.

 

From the Guide to awards and insignia, pg 61

Quote

Knots are worn above the left pocket in rows of three. It is recommended that the number of knots be limited to three rows of three (a total of nine knots). 

Now, by the time one gets to 10 knots they've either worked rather hard to get there, built up a fair amount of political capital to get there, and like some combination of both. Either way, I figure if you are too the point of needing your pocket dropped down to accommodate your knots, who am I to say anything.

[NJCubScouter]

1 hour ago, malraux said:

Now, by the time one gets to 10 knots they've either worked rather hard to get there, built up a fair amount of political capital to get there, and like some combination of both. Either way, I figure if you are too the point of needing your pocket dropped down to accommodate your knots, who am I to say anything.

Well, the guy I am talking about has been a member of the BSA continuously since he joined the Cub Scouts at age 8, and I believe he is now 66 or 67, so he has had time to earn his 12 or whatever knots, and I am sure he earned them.  As for me, I have three:  Arrow of Light, Cub Scout Leader Award and Boy Scout Leader Award, and technically that would now be considered two knots, because the last two have been combined into one.

And more to the point, since I did not start this thread, it sounds like Jillian has three as well, so it isn't an issue.   

Edited July 17, 2018 by NJCubScouter

[scoutldr]

Wear the knots proudly!

[Eagle94-A1]

On 7/15/2018 at 11:31 PM, Jillian said:

I just signed up to be a den leader for a cub scout den and I am new to being an adult leader I had a quite involved history in venturing as a youth and young adult just 7 years ago. My question is for my adult uniform should I wear the knots I received in venturing which include silver award, venturing leadership award and ranger? Should venturing awards be worn on tan shirts? Is it pretentious to wear them. I worked very hard to earn them and didn't really wear them as knots back then I just WORE the metals for ceremonies

CONGRATULATIONS!

Yes the Venturing Silver, which is now called the Summit, and Leadership Award knots can be worn on the tan uniform. While the Ranger Medal can be worn on the uniform on special occasions, the Ranger Bar is currently not authorized for uniform wear. The only Ranger Knot I know of comes form the 1940s or 50s, and they no longer make them. Plus if memory serves, it had different requirements, and was the then highest award in Exploring.

You can also wear your GOLD and Bronze medals on special occasions, but the ribbons on the ribbon bar form that time are not authorized.