Multiple shoulder loops

[Marcotrailavich]

Hello out there! Just curious about something. Has anyone seen or heard of a scouter who is registered in both a Pack and a Troop wear BOTH red and blue shoulder loops. I had a good friend of mine who was both a Cubmaster and and ASM. He wore both shoulder loops. I am registered in both as weel as an ACM and a committee member in the troop. Our pack and troop have different numbers so is a little confusing for people I dont knwow at my OA lodge. Not REALLY that important, jsut curious, have not seen it in a whiole, wonderd if anyone does it anymore.

[ScoutNut]

"Our pack and troop have different numbers so is a little confusing for people I dont knwow at my OA lodge."

 

Why would anyone be confused? Are you wearing all of your patches at the same time too? Pack numbers and Troop numbers, ACM position patch and Troop Committee Member position patch, both red and blue shoulder loops?

 

That is not an appropriate way to wear your uniform. Even only wearing 1 red and 1 blue shoulder loop is not appropriate. As a matter of fact, I find it down right tacky.

 

You wear the uniform for the position/unit you are representing. If you are working with your Pack, or on a Cub Scout outing, you wear your Cub Scout insignia and loops.

 

If you are representing your Troop or Boy Scouts you wear your Boy Scout insignia and loops.

 

When at an OA meeting, the Boy Scout version is acceptable because OA is a part of the Boy Scout program, not the Cub Scout program.

 

Two shirts would be easiest (1 for CS - 1 for BS), but if that is not practical then I have heard that velcro works very well for patches.

 

 

[insanescouter]

As far as I know BSA does not allow wearing two shoulder loops (cubs and scouts) at the same time. However I have seen people do it, and not be told other wise... but this does not make it right..

 

I see two options...

 

1) as scoutnut said have two shirts

 

2) I know many who do this have velcro so that you can just change the necessary patches...

 

hope my 2 cents was of help....

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

[Jeffrey H]

I agree with ScoutNut. Wear the loops for the unit that you are working with.

 

Even if the multiple loops were allowed, that would look very silly and geeky. Further, the insignia/uniform guide advises us to keep our uniforms neat in appearance and free from too much display.

 

It''s not important that people know that you work with both the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts - they will figure that out eventually. It''s only important that you know and are doing your best for both programs.

 

Best wishes to you in Scouting.

[scoutldr]

I have also seen an adult wearing ALL of his medals (Eagle, Religious, training, etc) ALL of the time. I think to myself, in the words of the inimitable Bugs Bunny, "what an ultramaroon!" and move on.

[emb021]

"Has anyone seen or heard of a scouter who is registered in both a Pack and a Troop wear BOTH red and blue shoulder loops."

 

I''ve seen this on occasion, and it looks stupid. I wish people would stop this, along with wearing patches/pins on the loops or making their own unique loops (mainly see this with Venturing people who think they are allowed to. they aren''t).

 

What Scoutnut says is the correct answer.

[Eamonn]

I have never taken the time to look it up in any of the good books.

But as a rule I wear the loops that go with the patch that shows what position I''m supposed to be in.

(Right now I don''t wear any loops, as they don''t go on the Sea Scout uniform)

Still when I was serving as Commissioner or on the District Committee I wore the silver loops.

When I wore the shirt with Area Committee I wore the gold loops. If that shirt wasn''t clean, I wore the silver loops on the District Shirt.

For Wood Badge when I was wearing a Scoutmaster patch I wore red loops.

I''ll admit that even though I''m no longer a Boy Scouter, when I go up to attend an OA weekend I wear a field uniform with red loops.

While of course these little tweaks to uniforming are not hanging offenses, there is a lot to be said for a uniform, uniform.

We have one Troop in the District that for some reason has started wearing the orange loops on the shirts of the older Scouts. I''m not sure what that''s all about?

Eamonn.

[ScoutNut]

"We have one Troop in the District that for some reason has started wearing the orange loops on the shirts of the older Scouts. I''''m not sure what that''''s all about?"

 

 

I suppose it is possible that their CO chartered a Varsity Team, but more likely the Troop formed a Venture Patrol for their older Scouts and decided the Varsity loops would look good and set the boys apart.

 

Don''t you just love it!

 

 

[Beavah]

Yah, wow. I thought I was old enough to see everything. But I ain''t never seen multiple loops around here. Gee, there''s been times where I could have worn blue, red, green, silver, and gold all together. A regular Joseph and his Technicolor Shoulder Tabs" Never did earn an orange Varsity tab, though. Pity.

 

I''d encourage scouters the same as the others have said. One set of loops (and knots, and position patch) to match the activity or position they''re serving in at the time. If you''re wearin'' lots of hats get a few different shirts to go with them hats! If yeh only have one shirt, I recommend velcro patches and a pocket full of hot-swappable loops!

 

But for youth, I''d never do anything but smile at any permutation that the youth dream up on their own and that they''re proud to wear. Yammerin'' about proper uniforming is the wrong way to respond to a lad who is proud of both his troop and his crew and wants to show it on his uniform in some way.

 

Beavah

 

[Marcotrailavich]

I agree, wearing both loops is ''geeky''. I never liked it myself. For some reason, I thought of this friend the other day and that I am doing pretty much what he did. I did not like the look of both loops. I had never seen anyone but him do it, jsut wondered if anyone else has ever seen it. I have both red and blue and I wear them pending th activity. I currently do not have and office badge as I am sorta in limbo as to what I am needed for as of yet. I do prefer the idea of two shirts though. I dont like haveing a cluttered uniform. No reason to get tacky.

thanks for the replies

[CNYScouter]

I had never seen this until this weekend as one of the Wood Badge staffers had them.

 

They had both silver and red shoulder loops.

 

I also saw that they had a unit number with the position patch of District Roundtable commissioner. The Commissioners arrow actually hung off below the shirt sleeve and partially covered the trained patch.

All of their knots were for Cub Leader''s.

On the right sleeve they had a Den Number and a patrol patch.

The quality unit award was for a cub pack.

 

Both collars had pins in them, one was an AOL for their son, I dont know what the other was for.

They had temporary patches on the left pocket, the left pocket flap (not OA) and above the left pocket.

They also wore the National Camp School patch on the right pocket.

 

I have no idea what position this person held in Scouting.

 

I thought it was way over the top.

IMHO if you are going to be a staffer for any training you should wear the uniform correctly.

 

[ASM857]

I serve in Booth Troop ASM & Pack Committee

 

I have 2 uniforms 1 for each I just think it looks better, and thier is no confusion at meetings.

thats my 2 cents

YIS

Doug Buth

[BrentAllen]

CNYScouter,

Was this WB staffer wearing this as an example of how NOT to wear the uniform? The uniforming requirements down here for WB staff are pretty strict. I''m pretty sure a Scouter wearing the uniform you describe wouldn''t be invited to staff in our council. We have the attitude you describe - staff should demonstrate uniforming properly.

 

I keep 4 shirts up to date - 1 for Pack, 1 for District, 2 for SM (one for camping, one for ceremony). Keeps me from forgetting to change things like shoulder loops.

[Gold Winger]

I was at some special functions where the staff had custom loops, half silver and the other half blue, red or green. It identified the staff and also their part of the program. But they didn't wear them normally.

 

I'm always amazed by how people can't get the idea that a uniform isn't to be decorated anyway that you like.

 

Ive lost count of the people, youth and adult, that I've seen with position patches on the wrong sleeve, even on the pocket. Trained patches everywhere you can imagine. Commissioner arrowhead with a SM patch. Unit Commissioners with unit numbers.

 

Not long ago I pointed out to a Scouter that most of his knots were on upside down. His response? "I don't give a s**t."

 

Why wear it if you aren't going to wear it properly?

 

These are the same people who buy a harley and wear harley everything including underwear when they ride. Or spend hundreds of dollars so they can look like their favorite football player.

[OldGreyEagle]

We had a scouter in the District who was a Cub Commissioner, a Boy Scout ASM and a Committee CHair for a Venture Crew, he routinely wore all three colors at District Meetings as he said he was representing portions of all three programs. When questioned on the "accuracy" of what he was doing, he said show me in printing where it says I cant wear all three. His Crew dropped so now he only wears two tabs, maybe we should go to neckers only