Here’s how Cub Scouts will earn Nova Awards under the new program

expertlogo1How will Cub Scouts earn Nova Awards once the Academics and Sports belt loops go away?

Richard Stone, the education and training leader of the STEM/Nova Committee who has contributed to other STEM posts on my blog, has the answer in this Ask the Expert.

Effective June 1, 2015, the rank requirements for Cub Scouts are changing. (See the new Cub Scout rank requirements here.) Cub Scouts currently working on any of the Nova awards or one of the Supernova awards have two options:

  1. Complete the award not later than Dec. 31, 2015, using the requirements as published in the current Cub Scout Nova Awards Guidebook (No. 34032). These “old” requirements include the earning of the soon-to-be retired activity pins and belt loops. Cub Scouts may still earn those awards after their retirement from the advancement requirements on June 1 and may receive the pin or belt loop while they are still in stock at your local Scout Shop. The retired awards may not be applied to the new Cub Scout advancement requirements, of course.
  2. Or complete the award using the requirements published in the new Cub Scout Nova Awards Guidebook. Look for the updated Cub Scout Nova award and Supernova Award requirements at this page on scouting.org and in the updated guidebooks available at your Scout Shop this summer.

UPDATE: To be clear, this is the link to the new Cub Scout Nova Award requirements.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.