How many of those "knot things" do you have and have you earned them all? Why are you wearing EVERYTHING you've earned on your shirt? Are you trying to show off or make a point?


I have earned several awards for my own personal achievement, for completing training sequences in various roles I've held as a volunteer, and for service to various parts of the Scouting program.

I earned the Arrow of Light, Cub Scouting's highest award, but when I was younger, the square knot representing that award was not even thought of.

The first award in which I was entitled to wear a "knot emblem" (which did not exist when I was a Scout; I asked every other year for more than seven years before the BSA created a knot to represent the award) was the William T. Hornaday gold medal for service to conservation.

I am also an Eagle Scout, and have been fortunate to be one of the first holders of the Explorer Achievement Award.

I also have earned several training awards as a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Explorer and Sea Explorer leader as well as a Commissioner at the District and Council as well as the unit levels; I also wear the Scouters' Key Award which represents training accomplishments as a Scoutmaster, Explorer Advisor, and Commissioner. I was blessed to also receive a Certificate of Heroism, which was later converted to a Heroism Medal (which also came with a square knot to wear on the uniform), and service awards for leadership to Exploring and programs in rural and urban areas.

I am the holder of the God and Country youth religious medal and several adult religious service emblems, to which I wear the two "square knots" which represent those awards.

Finally, I have been honored with service awards from the Exploring division of several Councils and two Regions, along with service awards from two units.

I proudly wear 16 of the 19 awards that have an associated "knot emblem" to it; and this is half of the total number of 36 official awards and 43 total awards associated with a "knot emblem" of some sort, which the BSA has.

I have chosen to wear only those few awards that truly express my Scouting history, background and service on a field uniform shirt. There is NO WAY POSSIBLE for me to wear EVERYTHING I have received on any field uniform shirt, either the current "khaki-tan" version or the old "khaki-green" cotton or wool shirts. On several shirts I own, I wear only a few of those "knot emblems". I don't wear any shirt to 'show off' but rather to inspire and demonstrate how such items are to be worn correctly and properly on the uniform.


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