Epalettes on Uniforms

[Centreville Scout]

Can anyone tell me what all the blue and red and green and silver and gold epalettes mean? It's causing me confusion.

[purcelce]

blue = Cub Scots

red = Boy Scouts

orange = Varsity Scouts

green = Venturing

silver = District/Council

gold = Regional/National

[Centreville Scout]

Thanks

[Trevorum]

Interestingly, all colors EXCEPT green may be worn on the tan shirt; ONLY gren may be worn on the green shirt, and ONLY blue may be worn on a yellow blouse.

[acco40]

Trevorum,

 

I trust your judgement but could a female district committee/commissioner volunteer wear silver if she was in a Cub Scout only type position (Unit Commissioner to a Cub Scout Pack, Cub Scout Roundtable, Cub Scout Training, etc.). I know that most wear the tan but ...

[Trevorum]

Acco - good point! You are right.

[Centreville Scout]

What about sea scouts?

[Bob White]

Sea Scouts wear U.S.Navy work blues, work tans, and dress whites and dress blues (depending on whether you are a youth or adult member).. The placards worn on the adult dress whites are dark navy blue with the Sea Scout emblem and markings identifying the adult leadership position.

[FScouter]

A colored loop fits on the button down epaulet.

[acco40]

This gets a little off tangent but ...

 

My oldest son wears a strange combination of epaulets. He wears light blue epaulets with a gold embroidered wolf with a thin red epaulet around the right one. Now how did this occur?

 

Three years ago I attended the Dorchester International Brotherhood Camporee (near London Ontario). While there, I purchased two sets of epaulets - the ones used by the Beavers (yellow) and Wolf (light blue). These are part of the official Scouts Canada uniforms for their Scouts of younger ages (I was a WDL at the time and bought them to show my Webelos Scouts.)

 

Two years ago, my son attended the council JLT course (Top Knot - now NYLT) and was a member of the "red" patrol. Each patrol received a colored epaulet about 3/4 the width of the standard one.

 

A year and a half ago, he attended an OA conclave. The Lodge Chief asked to borrow a red epaulet for a Vigil ceremony (don't ask) and he volunteered his. He ended coming home with one with the promise of having the missing one returned.

 

So now, needing a pair of matching epaulets (and being almost 15 and wanting to be different), he "borrowed" my Scouts Canada light blue epaulets and on the right wears his red patrol "mini-epaulet."

 

Assuming he is the only Scout in the civilized world to do this, if you see him please confront him in your best uniform police voice and ask him what would your father think!

[Bob White]

As F scouter pointed out the epaulets are the flaps that button down on the uniform shirt. Shoulder loops are the colored fabric loops that cover the epaulet and signify the program.

 

The BSA insignia polices prohibit wearing foreign uniform pieces with the BSA uniform except for specific awards. There are some very colorful Scouting collectables that are great fun to have as a token of our world brotherhood. That does not make them appropriate for wear on ther BSA uniform.

 

It might be helpful in uniform discussion to remember what UNIFORM means.

 

1 : consistent in conduct or opinion

2 : having always the same form, manner, or degree

3 : of the same form with others : conforming to one rule or mode :

4 : presenting an unvaried appearance of surface, pattern, or color

 

 

[Trevorum]

At the National meetings last May, I was introduced to two Scouters wearing purple (or maybe maroon) epaulettes. They were with the Armenian committee on Scouting I believe, but I did not get a chance to speak to them personally. These were the only purple epulettes I've ever seen.

 

[John-in-KC]

One historic troop in my area wears purple tabs on the epaulets.

 

Our District awards red/white/blue tabs to those Scouts/Venturers who do 3 Flag Openings at District or Council events (RT, annual business meeting, district dinner, ad infinitum).

 

One of our two Council camps annually does special tabs for adult and youth staff.

[Torveaux]

Bob, using your definition, the offical uniform is no uniform at all. We live in a world of various shades, enjoy them.

 

I was wondering about the Red/White/Blue loops. I saw some Scouts with them in Scouting Magazine. I assumed, obviously incorrectly, that they were Eagles or something.

 

I guess if the offical Scout Magazine has pictures of them while touting the accomplishments of the unit, they must not be proscribed.

[FScouter]

Boys' Life and Scouter magazines have pictures of boys in real units, with whatever uniforming anomalies they may have.