Merit Badge Sash

[JimmyD]

Yep all the boys in my troop don't sew their uniforms their mother do. I use to sew all of my stuff but I could never sew my gettysburg segment patch together. (too tricky for me so I made my dad do it the last time lol) I'm proud to say besides that I've sewed all of my patches on with no problems.

[hops_scout]

Buffalo2,

I know what you mean, sort of......

and I'm guilty of this...

I have sewed before, but very little. I do webdesign on the time. Which is easier and which is harder?? That cant be answered because what's easy for me is hard for a lot of people and something some can do easily I struggle with.

Also, it helps to have an interest;)

[inctrl]

My nephew's Troop uses three across, with the Eagle Required down the middle and Electives down both sides. We're going to do the same with my son's sash. It looks nice and makes it easy to see what's what.

 

One other thing we did with my son's sash, to keep it from falling off... take a bit of old black dress shoe-lace [the round kind], make it into a small loop that will fit over a Scout uniform button, sew it on underneath the top of the sash where the epaulet buttons [that thing that the red-colored loop is on]. Then you just slide the shoe-string loop over the epaulet button and the sash stays in place.

[Stosh]

And what amazes me the most is why don't the sashes just come with a button hole at the top of the sash to button it to the epilet button to begin with? I would think it would be just as easy to put a button hole at the top of the sash as it would a shoestring loop. With a uniform without epilets the button could still be there with the collar or neckerchief covering it.

 

Also, is the "back" of the merit badge sash the "inside" of the sash where it can't be seen normally or down the outside of the back of the sash as it is worn? Don't ya just love it when it is explicity stated in words that don't make any sense? The back of any patch is of course the opposite side. Just wondering... :^)

 

And as far as threads are concerned, any color works if one sews it on correctly. All the threads can be easily hidden in the border wrap of the badge. I teach all my scouts how to sew on badges and although they are sometime a little eskew, it's a skill that is necessary for the boys to know. After all BSA used to sell sewing kits for the boys. Like a first aid kit, a sewing kit is something that is in my pack on every trip...including Philmont which I used twice on my last trek.

 

Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

[Vigil-Hiker]

Once I reached a certain proficiency in sewing, I stitched on all my patches on my uniform shirt and even made a couple of cloth backings for temp patches that were odd shaped, like my Gettysburg one. Mom used the sewing machine for the button hole to keep the fabric from ripping and fraying around the hole.

 

As for my sash, I handed that over to mom sew on the merit badges using the sewing machine. We only wore the merit badge sashes at board of review and COH. Less to lose, less to get dirty and need to wash.

[Boris Badenov]

Proper spacing? No idea, but I do know personally for a fact that you can fit 46 merit badges on each side if you squeeze them close enough. (I have a number of Eagle Palms.)

 

[Note - As far as sewing them on...that's another matter, but I will agree that a stapler works great for keeping 'em in place in a pinch or while you are sewing 'em on. My mom did not sew, so I learned early that if I wanted my patches on...I had to do it.]

[emb021]

"but I will agree that a stapler works great for keeping 'em in place in a pinch or while you are sewing 'em on. "

 

Actually, that's what I do with patches before I sew them on. I've found using a straight pin isn't as useful.

 

"We only wore the merit badge sashes at board of review and COH. Less to lose, less to get dirty and need to wash."

 

Well, that's really the only time you should be wearing it. Its for special events like that. I just don't understand the mindset of the kids who wear them at: camporees, service projects, jamboree, OA events, etc.

 

 

[Hint]

What does a scout do when he run outs of space on the front of hi sash due to the number of MBs? He bought the xl sash when he crossed that I did hem about 8" so I wouldn't have to rip out and reattach badges. I have let it out twice but it is not to its full size yet as the scout is still only about 5' tall so far (he's 14). In any case, he has 49 badges and is due to get about 5 more at the next COH. If he buys a second sash, how do we attach the sashes together? Is there an official guideline from BSA? I remember that boy who made the national news last year for earning all 122 and he was pictured wearing 3 oddly-attached sashes but I think we could get away with 2.

[Boris Badenov]

As a scout...I just kept sewing them on the back. Granted you can't see 'em from the front, but neither can you if you have a 2nd one over the top of the 1st. Not sure what the insignia guide says about that, but that's what I did. I must have had the shorter sash as I could only get 46 to a side.

 

BB

[Hint]

The Scout from last year didn't sew the sashes on top of one another,rather edge to edge. There is a pic in this article

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/02/AR2007040201570.html

[bdhsnake]

"Real men sew all their own patches"

no

 

just got a leaders shirt today($2.97) the unit number have at least half a inch between each of them and about a inch from the csp it look like crap i can not keep any patches that came with it they are all out of place

 

 

real men pay a few bucks they get a seamstress to sew them on because they want to look uniform and presentable

(This message has been edited by bdhsnake)

[jimr17]

I've read that 3 is the traditional or customary number of Merit Badges on each row.

However, are there any rules on how to display them on the sash. i.e

* Are 2 MB on each row ok?

* How about 3 on one row, 2 on the next, 3 on the next, etc.

I can't find any official rules on this, and my son put 2 MB across on his sash. The Scoutmaster told him he wasn't sure if that was ok or not because he has only seen 3 across. I'm looking for something definitive I can point to for my son if he needs to change them or to help the Scoutmaster have the support he needs if others complain to him.TIA

[emb021]

There are no rules on how to wear the merit badges on the sash.

 

If you look in the Insignia Guide, its pretty clear that the recommended way is in rows of 3.

 

 

[croushorn]

Nothing in my dated 2004 version insignia guide.

2 per row is no biggie, but that means he'll need 11 rows, can get kind of low on the sash. 3 per row means he only needs 7 rows. Not a big deal, either way.

[knepp72]

Ok figure this one out ..... right or left shoulder. I know what we all see and what is normal, but what is the real rule? Also good idea to sew a button loop to attacj to the epaulette button to keep on the shoulder.