Chief Scout’s Silver Award Explained

The Chief Scout’s Silver Award is the highest award a Cub can earn.

It recognises the skills, experiences and challenges a young person has completed during their time in the Cub section.

Rather than being one single activity, the Silver Award is built up gradually through the Cub programme.

To earn it, Cubs need to complete all seven Challenge Awards and six Activity or Staged Activity Badges of their choice.

For many Cubs, working towards the Silver Award becomes a journey through their whole time in Cubs.

What Does a Cub Need to Complete?

There are two main parts to the Chief Scout’s Silver Award.

Cubs must complete:

All seven Challenge Awards

and

Six Activity or Staged Activity Badges of their choice.

This combination gives Cubs a broad programme while also allowing them to choose activities that interest them.

The Seven Challenge Awards

The seven Cubs Challenge Awards are:

Our World Challenge Award

Our Skills Challenge Award

Our Outdoors Challenge Award

Our Adventure Challenge Award

Teamwork Challenge Award

Team Leader Challenge Award

Personal Challenge Award

Each one focuses on a different aspect of personal development.

Our World Challenge Award

This award encourages Cubs to learn about their community and the wider world.

They explore different cultures, communities and environmental issues while taking part in activities that help them understand the world around them.

Our Skills Challenge Award

This is about developing new skills.

Cubs can explore practical, creative, physical and everyday skills while discovering new interests.

Our Outdoors Challenge Award

This focuses on outdoor experiences and camping.

Cubs develop their confidence outdoors through activities such as camping, cooking, shelter building, pioneering and other outdoor challenges.

Our Adventure Challenge Award

This encourages Cubs to try new adventures and participate in activities outside their normal routine.

The emphasis is on experiencing different forms of adventure and developing confidence.

Teamwork Challenge Award

This award develops cooperation and communication.

Cubs take part in team games and challenges while learning how to contribute positively to a group.

Team Leader Challenge Award

Cubs get opportunities to develop leadership skills.

They can lead activities, support other Cubs and take responsibility for helping their team.

Personal Challenge Award

This focuses on individual development.

Each Cub takes on personal challenges that are meaningful to them.

The aim is progress rather than competition.

What Are Activity Badges?

The second part of the Silver Award is completing six Activity or Staged Activity Badges.

Cubs can choose which badges they want to work towards.

This gives young people the opportunity to follow their own interests.

One Cub might choose badges related to outdoor skills.

Another might prefer science, cooking, hobbies, sports or creative activities.

The choice helps make the Silver Award individual to each Cub.

Can Staged Activity Badges Count?

Yes.

The official requirements allow Activity or Staged Activity Badges to count towards the Silver Award.

This is useful because some staged badges can continue developing as young people progress through Scouting.

Do Cubs Have to Complete Everything in Order?

No.

There is no need to complete the seven Challenge Awards in a particular order.

Leaders can incorporate the requirements into the normal Cub programme.

For example, a camping weekend can contribute towards Our Outdoors, while a team game might contribute towards Teamwork.

A community project can support Our World, while a new practical activity could help with Our Skills.

This makes the award much easier to manage over time.

How Long Does the Silver Award Take?

There isn’t a single timetable that every Cub follows.

The award is designed to be worked towards throughout a young person’s time in Cubs.

Some Cubs may complete requirements quickly, while others may need longer.

That’s perfectly normal.

The important thing is that they have opportunities to participate and progress.

What If a Cub Moves to Scouts Before Finishing?

Scouts provides a transition period for young people who haven’t completed everything before moving section.

A Cub who has not completed the Silver Award can finish the outstanding requirements during their first term as a Scout, subject to the award’s current rules.

This means a young person shouldn’t feel that they have failed simply because they moved sections before finishing their final requirement.

What Happens When They Earn It?

The Chief Scout’s Silver Award is a significant achievement.

It represents everything the Cub has experienced and accomplished during their time in the section.

The award also provides an important stepping stone towards the Chief Scout’s Gold Award, which is the highest award in Scouts.

As they move into Scouts, they’ll encounter more advanced activities, greater independence and new challenges.

Why Is the Silver Award Important?

The Silver Award encourages Cubs to develop in several different ways.

They can:

Explore the outdoors.

Develop practical skills.

Try new adventures.

Work as part of a team.

Develop leadership skills.

Learn about their community and the wider world.

Take on personal challenges.

It’s therefore much more than a badge.

It’s a record of the experiences a Cub has had during an important stage of their development.

Don’t Leave It Until the End

One of the biggest mistakes a Pack can make is leaving the Silver Award until the final few months before Cubs move to Scouts.

The seven Challenge Awards cover a lot of ground.

Instead, build them naturally into the programme throughout the Cub years.

Keep track of progress so leaders and Cubs know what has already been completed and what still needs attention.

Give Cubs Ownership

Cubs are old enough to start taking more responsibility for their own progress.

Show them what they need to complete.

Let them choose Activity Badges that interest them.

Ask what skills they’d like to learn.

Give them opportunities to suggest activities that could help them complete requirements.

This can make the Silver Award feel like their achievement, rather than something being completed for them by the leaders.

Celebrate the Journey

Don’t wait for the final Silver Award presentation to recognise achievements.

Celebrate individual Challenge Awards.

Celebrate Activity Badges.

Celebrate personal challenges.

Celebrate the first camping trip, a new skill or a leadership achievement.

By the time the Silver Award is presented, the Cub should be able to look back and see how much they’ve accomplished.

Final Thoughts

The Chief Scout’s Silver Award gives Cubs a clear goal while encouraging them to experience a wide variety of activities.

With seven Challenge Awards and six Activity or Staged Activity Badges, there is plenty of room for Cubs to explore their interests while developing skills, confidence and independence.

The best way to approach the award is to make it part of an enjoyable Cub programme.

The badge should be the result of the adventure, not the reason for it.

🐺 THE BIG IDEA

The Silver Award is about everything a Cub experiences along the way.

Try something new.
Learn something useful.
Help your team.
Take responsibility.
Challenge yourself.

By the time a Cub earns their Silver Award, they should have plenty of experiences to look back on — and be ready for the bigger challenges waiting in Scouts.