OregonScouter

Ok, here's another uniform question that's bothered me for years. Why are Eagle Scout palms colored bronze, gold, and silver, rather than bronze, silver and gold (as in traditional medal colors for the Olympics). The same question applies to old Senior Patrol leader and Asst. Senior Patrol leader patch border colors. From what I remember, SPL borders were silver and ASPL borders were gold (I think now all troop leader patch borders are gold). Does silver represent wisdom perhaps? I guess the Silver Beaver Award could be thrown in here too. Why isn't it the "Gold Beaver." I've never been able to find anyone who knows the answer to these questions. Any insight would be appreciated. We have several scouts who have recently earned Eagle Palms and no one seems to know why they're colored as they are.

Yes, the World Conservation Award (WCA) is illustrated and described in my well-worn 1976 edition of the Scout Handbook. The award is not illustrated in my 1975 Scout Handbook, so I suspect its appearance coincided with the American Bicentennial. There was one additional requirement for the award back then; you also had to earn the Conservation and Environmet skill award. Skill awards (metal badges worn on your web belt) are no longer part of the Boy Scout program. The panda bear, illustrated on the WCA, is the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund.

If that's true, then can a Scouter wear other temporary uniform patches they earned as a youth Scout, like summercamp patches, OA conclaves, Camporees, etc.? A scouter can't wear a World Conservation Award path they earned as a scout can they? (since there is no option for adults to also earn that award). It's been 25 years since I've been in scouting, so I'm a little rusty.

Is a scouter allowed to wear a Philmont arrowhead patch on their uniform that they earned as a scout?