Why can't people just ASK where the patches go?

[ScoutNut]

The silver knot on purple background can be worn by any youth OR adult who has earned the religious award of their faith AS A YOUTH. The BSA does not specify program, only that it must have been earned while a youth. This also goes for adult Scouters, weather they are male OR female.

 

The purple knot on silver background is worn by an adult who earned his religious award as an adult.

 

Check your current issue of the BSA Insignia Guide.

[LauraT7]

ok - here's a new one -

 

when my son and I joined our troop we were given by the troop the following patches for our uniforms (and all the boys/leaders are given same)-

*Red City and State arches (shown on the uniform sheet above the council patch)

*Troop numbers

*a black 80 yr patch.

(we had council patches from our cub days)

 

After wearing these for 2 yrs, (along with the rest of the troop)I was just told by our COR / Unit commissioner that wearing both the city and state patches WITH the council patch is wrong - it was a habit started by an old SM that dis-associated the troop from the district and ran it independantly. She said that showing both on the uniform guide was just for placemnet, not that they were both to be worn.

 

It's kind of a shame, as going places, many people have commented on how cool it was to show the city and state our troop was from - as councils cover huge areas. I have never before heard that wearing BOTH city/state and council patches was wrong, and can't find it in any literature I have.

 

anybody ever see /hear of this anywhere?

 

 

[k9gold-scout]

You can include the city and state in your # patch as long as everyone in your troop wears the same patch. You can order these from www.classb.com

[scoutldr]

The "red and white" community strip and state strips are obsolete...they were replaced in the early 70s by the Council Shoulder Patch (CSP) and should not be worn together. We also have some "die-hards" in our council who refuse to admit that they are part of our council, so they wear the strips instead of the CSP since they are actually in another state. Also, the unit numerals with city and state from classb.com are not official, and technically should not be worn on the uniform. A good rule of thumb is that "if it's not sold by BSA, it's not official and can't be worn", except of course for temporary event patches that may be worn only on the right pocket.

[KoreaScouter]

Every troop should have a copy of the Insignia Guide...answers all these and includes language from the Congressional Charter that addresses the "Why can't we wear military BDUs" complaint...

 

They're about $5 at your Scout Store...

 

KS

[ScoutNut]

"*Red City and State arches (shown on the uniform sheet above the council patch)"

 

 

What uniform sheet are you refering to? I have never seen these on any uniform sheet. Here is a link to an excerpt from the Insignia Guide for Boy Scout Insigna:

 

http://ftp.ev1.net/~mwatson/unit/files/insignia/insignia_bs.pdf

 

This is the Boy Scout uniform inspection sheet from the BSA National website:

 

http://www.scoutstuff.org/misc/isheets/34283.pdf

 

These show what BSA offically allows on the Boy Scout uniform. Any other patches, including city/state patches, are unofficial and should be worn as temporary insignia or worn on a patch jacket/blanket/etc, and not on the uniform.

 

[Twocubdad]

Are the red & white community and state strips not covered under the "once official, always official" policy? Or are they considered "District Insignia", thus prohibited in the Insignia Guide? If they are allowed under the "once/always" policy, is a new, reproduction patch allowed or do they have to be original BSA issue from they '70s or before?

 

Hmmmmm..... Where are all our Scout lawyers, taking an early Christmas/winter solstice break?

[SR540Beaver]

Twodads,

 

What "once official, always official" policy are you speaking of? BSA has changed uniforming policy periodically throughout the years. The city and state patches were replaced with council patches years and years ago. I quit in Webelos back around 1967 or '68 when we still wore the blue uniform exclusively and the city state patches. Of course, today Webelos can wear blue or tan officially and BSA does not supply or endorse the city state patches anymore. Every insignia guide I've seen shows the Council patch as official with no reference whatsoever to city, state patches.

 

As an earlier poster said, the area they are in split off from their council and runs independent (didn't know you could do that) and I suspect they are having patches made for their uniforms.

[Twocubdad]

While I can't cite chapter and verse from the Insignia Guide, it has been often stated here and elsewhere that once a uniform part is issued, it is always considered official, even if it is no longer offered for sale by the supply division. Thus, the red barets, field or "envelop" caps, even the canvas leggings are still considered official BSA uniform elements.(This message has been edited by Twocubdad)

[ScoutNut]

I believe that refers to uniforms only. Not to obsolete patches that have been recreated and passed off as current and official. If you happen to still have an old uniform around (like the collarless one pictured in this months Scouting mag) and wish to wear it you would still be considered to be in official uniform, old patches and all. But if you decided that you liked the look better with no collar so you went out and had your own shirt made the way you wanted it, you could call it a reproduction but it would NOT be official.

 

The "once official uniform, always official uniform" policy is mainly for those times when the uniform changes. This enables the scouts and scouters to still be considered in official uniform without having to run out to the nearest scout shop and purchase a brand new uniform or uniform part.