Tenure Awards include service stars, Veteran Pins, Attendance Pins, Veteran Unit Bars.
Service Stars BSA
Tenure Awards recognizes registered Scouts and Scouters for their tenure of at least 1 year in Scouting
Service stars are worn centered above the left pocket, about three-eighths of an inch above the seam of the flap.
Tenure Award Star Backings:
Gold backs for Stars, No. 63. Green backs for Stars, No. 66. Brown backs for Stars, No. 67. Red backs for Stars, No. 65. Blue backs for Stars, No. 64. Felt 1946 – 1951. Plastic 1951 – Current.
For adults, the same backings are used regardless of program, registered adults may combine youth and adult service to come up with one number of total tenure in Scouting.
Blue backs (No. 64) are for adult Scouter service.
1-year service star, No. 71. 2-year service star, No. 72. 3-year service star, No. 73. 4-year service star, No. 74. 5-year service star, No. 75. 6-year service star, No. 76. 7-year service star, No. 77. 8-year service star, No. 78. 9-year service star, No, 79. 10-year service star, No. 80. 20-year service star, No. 68. 30-year service star, No. 69. 40-year service star, No. 70. 50-year service star, No. 81. 60-year service star, No. 82. 70-year service star, No. 83. 75-year service star, No. 1182. 80-year service star, No. 1183. 85-year service star, No. 1184. 90-year service star, No. 1185.
Service stars with backing are worn centered above the left pocket, about three-eighths of an inch above the seam of the flap.
Backing represents the program the Scouts and Scouters are registered.
Gold backs (No. 63) are for youth Cub Scouting (Tigers, Cub Scouts. Webelos Scouts). Green backs (No. 66) are for youth Boy Scout. Brown backs (No. 67) are for youth Varsity Scout. Red backs (No. 65) are for youth Venturing.
For adults, the same backings are used regardless of program, registered adults may combine youth and adult service to come up with one number of total tenure in Scouting.
Blue backs (No. 64) are for adult Scouter service.
VETERAN PINS
Veteran Pin 40 Year was first created in the 1930s for service years in Scouting. These were for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 75 and 100 year pins. Tenure earned as a youth was included in the total number of years registered.
Today Veteran pins are available in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 and 85 Year pins.
The recognition is “Veteran” and it is awarded by the Boy Scouts of America to volunteers and professionals who has served the BSA for at least five years. Youth members can not earn this Veteran Pin.
In the early days, the BSA created a special insignia patch was to be worn on the sleeve of the Scouter, The patch does not exist today.
The lapel pin is not worn on any of the official uniforms of the Boy Scouts of America. It is considered as a “civilian lapel pin” and was only worn on civilian clothes. The Tie Bar could have been worn with the official uniform with the tie.
Included with, Veteran recognitions include a pocket certificate; the 50, 75 and 100 year Veteran recognition includes a wall certificate and a letter of congratulations from the Chief Scout Executive.
ATTENDANCE PINS
Perfect Attendance Pin with 1 year bar were worn by all youth as a recognition as a reward for regular attendance by the Unit Leader.
Perfect Attendance Pins were worn above the left pocket of the uniform shirt.
The pin has bars the show the number of years on regular attendance in increments of 1 to 10 years.
VETERAN UNIT BARS
Veteran Unit Bar; the BSA created cloth bars to recognize Veteran Units. Bars are created for 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 90 and 100 years. The color of the numerals are green or black on a gold background. The exception s are the 75 year bar created in 1985 with silver numbers on a red background. And the 100 year bar created in 2010 with gold numbers on a red background.
The bar is sewn on above the unit numerals and are worn by all members of the unit beginning on the specific Unit anniversary.
