Skip to main content

Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing at Scouts. Read more

Discover what this means

Fast track, posthumous and retired member awards

Posthumous awards

Good Service as well as Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry posthumous award requests can move through the awards process if the nomination has been supported/approved by the first level before the member passed away, except in the case of a Gallantry award, where the individual concerned dies as a consequence of the incident.

The submission of a posthumous award nomination form/decision to the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team should be timely, but certainly within 12 months of the members death.

Please get in touch with the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team or a National Awards Advisory Group Member if you wish to discuss this topic further.

Retired members

Good Service award requests for Retired members can only move through the awards process if the nomination has been supported/approved by the first level before the members was classified on the membership system as a 'Retired member'.

Please get in touch with the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team or a National Awards Advisory Group Member if you wish to discuss this topic further.

Fast track awards

Normally Wood Badges, Length of Service Awards and Good Service Awards are dispatched on a quarterly basis (whilst Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry awards as well as the Cornwell Scout Badge and the Chief Scout’s Personal Award are sent out on a bimonthly basis. But in exceptional circumstances, a request can be made for the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team to fast track any of these awards and get them sent out sooner.

Every situation is taken on a case-by-case basis but in the past, awards have been fast tracked due:

  • Unexpected terminal illness
  • Unexpected retirement
  • Unexpected special occasions
  • Unexpected location move

 

If you’re requesting an award to be fast tracked, you must first follow the normal process for that award.

For lower Good Service awards:

For higher Good Service awards, Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry awards as well as the Cornwell Scout Badge and the Chief Scout’s Personal Award (where the award decisions are made by the National Awards Advisory Group)

  • The relevant nomination form must be completed and supported locally
  • Then email the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team* with the nomination form and request it to be fast tracked

For Length of Service awards:

  • Check Compass to ensure the member has the correct Length of Service for the award being requested
  • And then email the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team* to request the fast track

For Wood Badges:

  • Check Compass to ensure the Wood Badge has been recommended
  • And then email the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team* to request the fast track

 

*When emailing the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team with a fast track request, make sure you:

  • Start the subject of the email with ‘URGENT’
  • Provide a detailed explanation as to why you’re requesting the fast track
  • Confirm if there is a specific date the award is required for
  • Confirm who you want the awards items sent to if everything is approved

Every situation is taken on a case-by-case basis, but it will generally be declined if:

  • You just forgot to submit it in time for the normal deadline.
  • The nominee doesn’t meet the criteria of the award.
  • The award doesn’t have the correct local support/approval.
  • The Wood Badge hasn’t been recommended on Compass.
  • If the situation isn’t deemed to be exceptional enough to warrant a fast track

Generally, if everything is okay with the submission, the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team aim for award items to be delivered locally* within one week of a fast track request being received by email however, this will also depend on:

  • How urgent the request is
  • The current workload of the Awards Team
  • How often the Awards Team is in the office that week
  • If a decision needs to be made by the National Awards Advisory Group or not
  • If there are any queries raised concerning the nomination

(*If required however, a digital version of the certificate can be emailed out if the postal delivery will not arrive in time.)

Please get in touch with the UK Headquarters Scout Awards Team or a National Awards Advisory Group Member if you wish to discuss this topic further.

To watch in full screen, double click the video