Youth Leadership In America Award
The Youth Leadership in America Award medal is the second of a series of awards made available through a national grant to the Boy Scouts of America from the Readers' Digest - Wallace Foundation Fund. The first series were tied to a public speaking contest for Boy Scouts and Explorers conducted from 1972 to 1979.
Only youth leaders currently serving in those roles could earn the medal. It was in no way retroactive. The Award could be earned only once while serving in each program role, but a Senior Patrol Leader, for instance, later serving as a Post President, can re-earn the Medal by meeting the Exploring-specific requirements. Several youth have done so.
The Award, a silver torch symbolizing leadership suspended from
a red, white and green ribbon topped with a silver bar with the
lettering "Leadership", 
was awarded to Boy Scout Senior Patrol
Leaders, Varsity Scout Team Captains, and Explorer Post Presidents
and (Sea Exploring) Boatswains based on the following criteria:
- Exercising leadership in creating and carrying out, with his
or her unit, a service project. The project must be a community,
conservation, or handicapped awareness project. The project must
be approved in advance by the unit's Committee and cannot be used
as part of any advancement requirement.
- Give leadership to the unit's youth leadership organization by
assisting with and maintaining the unit's yearly program. The plan
must be written and must include monthly conferences between adult
leader (Scoutmaster, Coach, Advisor, Skipper) and youth leader.
- Help organize or participate in a unit/District/Council training
program for unit youth leaders.
- Give leadership to and participate in a long-term camping
experience or Explorer Superactivity.
- Organize and lead the unit in events and activities that involve the entire unit. Such events may include District or Council events, unit events or campouts, or community events. Give leadership to at least two of those events over the year.
The application for the basic medal is approved by the unit, and is submitted to the local Council for approval. The unit purchased the medal and arranged for the presentation to the leader at the conclusion of his or her term of office. A program device - the same ones used for the various Training Awards and keys - is attached to the white part of the medal's ribbon to signify the program in which the medal was earned: the Boy Scout device for Senior Patrol Leaders; the Varsity Scout device for Team Captains; and either the Exploring or the Sea Exploring device for Presidents and Boatswains.
The Award also had another component-- the opportunity for a Senior Patrol Leader, Team Captain, and an Exploring youth leader to receive a college scholarship of $5000.00. In order to compete for the scholarship, the candidate must continue to be registered as a youth member of the BSA. He or she must document what they have done in meeting the requirements above and submit it along with a 3-minute (maximum) cassette tape of his or her own narration telling what this leadership experience has meant to them. A group of volunteers at the local Council, Regional Area, Regional and National levels evaluates the packets and select a winner and alternate. The six regional winners in each category, along with their alternatives, are invited to attend the BSA's National Meeting whereby announcement is made of the winner in each program category.
Winners at the Council level, in addition to receiving a special certificate and a flag streamer for the unit's flag, receive also a star pin to attached to the red part of the medal. If they win at the Regional level, they receive a special certificate and another unit flag streamer, and a second star to attach to green part of the medal.
The BSA's National Uniform and Insignia Committee for many years
has affirmed that holders of this medal, if they choose to, may
wear the silver "Leadership" bar 
on the uniform in the same manner
as holders of the William T. Hornaday Award used to wear the top
bar of it's medal on the field uniform. In 1998, a group of
Scouters petitioned the Committee to create a special square knot
insignia for those adults whom have earned the Award as a youth
member because of it's national significance. There are different
numbers, but one set of figures state that more than 74,000 Senior
Patrol Leaders, Varsity Team Captains and Exploring youth leaders
have earned the basic medal in the eight years (from 1979 to 1987).
The program was over officially with the end of the 1988 program
year.
In the meantime, an UNOFFICIAL square knot 
was developed by Mike
Walton and was made available upon request for a fee. Those who have
received the Award may attach the small Boy Scout, Varsity Scout,
and/or Exploring device(s) to the knot emblem along with the star
pin symbolic of winners at the Council and Regional levels. Or they
may choose to wear the silver "Leadership" bar in the same location
with other "knot emblems" on the field uniform.
Please note that the program IS OVER and NO MORE MEDALS are available from the BSA's Supply Division or the Boy Scout Program Division. While there may be some medals available from Scouting memorabilia organizations or firms, the BSA considers the Youth Leadership in America program OVER and DONE WITH and no more awards will be provided to Councils or individuals units.
Likewise, Mike Walton no longer has any of the knot emblems for sale or trade and he along with others are waiting on the BSA's National Uniform and Insignia Committee to make their recommendations for the knot emblem to the Program Group Director. Until a decision is made, no more of the emblems would be available through him.
Settummanque!
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