Boy Scout temp. patch placement?

[Lisabob]

Now that my son isn't in cubs anymore he and I at a loss regarding what to do with all his "temporary" patches. No more red vest to put them on! I know he can wear one at a time on his right pocket but what do you do with the rest of them? Other parents/leaders in the troop have suggested storing them in a box but that's not much fun. I saw a post elsewhere suggesting they can go on the back of the MB sash but I'd think he would run out of room fairly quickly. Suggestions?

 

Lisa'bob

A good old bobwhite too!

[ScoutNut]

There are red vests that go up to adult sizes. Boy Scouts CAN wear them, although they seldom do.

 

You can put them on a sweatshirt or a patch blanket, or whatever you wish. The blanket is nice because they can hang it on their wall for display.

 

I would not take any of his patches off of his Cub Vest. Sometime down the road, when he is having a VERY special ceremony for attaining a VERY special rank (yep - Eagle!) he might just want to put out all of his old Cubbie gear. Around here, Cubbie Gear is part of their display at their celebration. It is pretty cool to be reminded of all the great things he did as he grew. Also, it is great fun to see how things have changed.

 

 

[kittle]

I am making my son a denim quilt. Each square has one patch on it. The squares are made out of his grandmother's jeans.

 

ScoutNut, I took all my son's patches off of his red vest. I made a large arrowhead out of black felt and hung it on an arrow that his grandmother had given him before she died. I also put all his rank badges on it. He likes it a lot better than the vest. He can hang it hang it on his wall.

 

Kittle

 

 

 

 

[gwd-scouter]

The blanket idea is a great one for patches. I made a quilt for my son when he graduated High School. The squares were all made from his school and scout T-shirts (from Tiger Cubs through Eagle).

 

I had no idea he would cherish it as he does. He said it was the best graduation gift he received.

 

So, don't throw away those dirty, torn or outgrown T-shirts.

[Lynda J]

For Christmas I made our boys Patch Holders. It is a long strip of fabric the color of the shirt. I sewed buttons on the stip that they can hang the temp patches on. This way they aren't simply laying in the bottom of a drawer getting lost. I fixed them so they could hang the holder

in their closet or it can be hung on the wall. This way they can see what patches they have and if they want to wear a special one they can.

 

 

[CaveEagle]

I ave a scrap book style method of keeping both my & my boys patches.

 

We place the patch next to any pictures or ribons that we have for the respective trip. This has been a really neat way to remember the events along with the patches. Even many of the "stock" BSA cub patches that aren't so impressive alone, have greater meaning with pictures of the activity.

 

CE

[madkins007]

Just FYI:

 

You can store patches in a way that keeps them flat, dry, and safe, and lets you file them away until you think of a use for them.

 

The easiest/cheapest way I think is to use those disposable baby bottle liners. Take a liner, drop a 3x5 card in it with the pertinent info writen on the card (ideally in pencil), drop the patch on the blank side of the card (so the inks or pencil don't touch the patch), then fold the flap over and tape it down.

 

Most liners have places on the outside to write stuff as well, which you can use instead of the card, but the card still helps keep things flat and manageable.

 

I've got a few plastic shoeboxes full of these- my old patches, my recent patches, my son's patches, my daughter's GSUSA patches, etc.

 

[fgoodwin]

I don't see a Reference for it in the Insignia Guide, but I've seen them worn on the back of the merit badge sash. Frankly, I think it cheapens the look of the sash and makes it look like crap.

 

But that's just my opinion.

[emb021]

"I don't see a Reference for it in the Insignia Guide, but I've seen them worn on the back of the merit badge sash. Frankly, I think it cheapens the look of the sash and makes it look like crap. "

 

Its in there. can't tell you where off the top of my head.

 

However, a fairly active scout will get a lot more patches then could be put on the sash. Plus you only wear the sash at formal events, so why bother in the first place?

 

 

[Herms]

How about a patch jacket? They have the red wool jackets in the catalog and at your local scout shop.

 

Growing up my father made my "Trail to Eagle" at an angle on the front of my jacket. When I earned my next rank he would sew my old rank on the front so that when I made Eagle I finished the trail.

 

Today I am doing the same with my son, as well as sewing all of our camping patches (i.e. summer camps, Camporee and Klondike derbies etc...) on the back of both our jackets. It is fun when you are out camping to remember, and get us talking about other camping experiences.

 

[Lisabob]

Wow, lots of great ideas here, thanks everyone. I'm going to print this out. I love the quilt idea.

 

Herms, I guess I didn't realize that the boys could wear those (expensive!) red jackets. I think I may wait until I'm pretty sure my son won't outgrow it in 2 months before buying one of those, but it would be neat to have a little ways down the road.

 

Thanks again for all the ideas.

 

Lisa'bob

A good old bobwhite too!

[emb021]

"Herms, I guess I didn't realize that the boys could wear those (expensive!) red jackets. I think I may wait until I'm pretty sure my son won't outgrow it in 2 months before buying one of those, but it would be neat to have a little ways down the road."

 

Yes. Look in the BSA catalog. You'll see pictures of the boys wearing the jackets.

 

There is also a red nylon jacket that is less expensive then the wool. You can also keep an eye on eBay to get a good deal on the wool jackets.

 

Be adviced that these red jackets should really NOT be turned into 'patch jackets'. You are really only supposed to put on a few patches on the official red jacket:

 

* generic red BSA jacket patch on left pocket (or in that location)

* ONE large 'jacket patch' centered on back of jacket (OA, Jamboree, high adventure base, etc)

* ONE of the special high adventure base patches above the left pocket (Philmont Bull, Sea Base Shell or Shark, Northern Tier Loon) IF 'earned'

* ONE high adventure or similiar patch on right pocket.

 

I recently obtained a red wool jacket off eBay, and that is all I put on it. (generic patch, philmont bull, OA jacket patch, florida sea base patch with segments)

 

I've seen people use the red nylon jacket for patch jackets. Most look pretty...ridiculous.

[FScouter]

Our unit bought inexpensive hooded sweatshirts from the Walmart. The boys sew their activity patches on the sweatshirts. Works well. As Emb021 mentioned, the red wool shirt-jac and the red nylon jackets are not sold to be used as patch-jackets. Details about the specific patches authorized and their placement can be found in the Insignia Guide.