wearing vintage SPL patches

[kahits]

Our small troop is in a process of commemorating the 75th anniversary of the troops last recharter (it was originally chartered 15 years before that), and I have a question. With the new uniforms coming out, next month, our SPL is trying to create a more formal, yet historic, homage to the troop, with my encouragement. A part of that is him wearing a campaign hat, with a 1930's era SPL hat pin, for flag ceremonies. He was given a mint, inissued SPL patch of the same design and age, that could be worn on the new uniform, sleeve pocket. I'm impressed with the quality that went into the patch. This will probably be a one time effort that will depart when he steps down as SPL, next year, but I thought I would throw this out for comment. He is also going to wear the older council patch that goes back, nowhere near that far, but few of the older unit scouters wear these on their sleeves, mostly from their youth days as a scout.

[Gold Winger]

Rather than have a mix and match uniform, why not get one of the old green uniforms on ebay and set it up right?

[kahits]

Interesting idea, but then do you go the rest of the way and use only vintage rank patches, along with the lodge flap. Our current lodge flap is too big for the current uniform pocket flap, but that is what they want us to wear. I guess since the color seems to be green in the uniform change, this would tie in better with the new uniforms. Knowing things are going to be a mixed bag for the next year, or even two, this didn't seem like all that large of an infraction. Some of our boys will probably not change uniforms until they outgrow them, which, could be 3 or more years from now. I see what the vintage uniforms look like, with and without a collar, and we had an ASM who still fit and wore his youth scout uniform (quite a feat!), but they look even more uncomfortable then the current shirts. I guess I see a few of the older positions patches being worn at camp, but realize the SPL is responsible for wearing the uniform properly, which I would assume means he can not wear the campaign hat, even for flag ceremonies.(This message has been edited by kahits)

[Gold Winger]

" but realize the SPL is responsible for wearing the uniform properly, which I would assume means he can not wear the campaign hat, even for flag ceremonies."

 

Why not? The campaign hat is still a valid BSA hat as is the red beret and the garrison cap.

 

I don't know if I'd go with the idea that the old uniforms were more uncomfortable than the current. Two things are important for comfort when wearing clothes. Proper fit and what you wear under it. I've always held that a snug fitting cotton undershirt works wonders when wearing a shirt in hot weather.

 

I wore my old heavy cotton long sleeved Cub Scout uniform in southern Arizona. If we survived that, you can survive anything.

 

 

[shortridge]

Why can't the SPL wear a campaign hat - from "back in the day" or the modern-day version?

[kahits]

I can only imagine, GW.. I wore the blue in the early 60's, before we moved off the rez (North Dakota).. but missed out on Boy Scouts because of it. Up there, we needed long sleeves and long underwear for alot of our activites, which is different from your experience.

 

So, I think the campaign hat is appropriate, and knowing these new Class A's are yet another pocket to try and sew a patch on, he might consider going with velcro and use both patches, for different ceremonies and reasons, but use the current patch for most activities involving the uniform. As nice as this very old, green SPL patch is, I would rather not start running it thru the wash. It's really a collectible artifact, and the hat really can stand alone, absolutely.(This message has been edited by kahits)

[Stosh]

In my former troop the honor patrol boys wore the BSA expedition hat with the 1" First Class pin on it instead of the adult pin. The SPL and the ASPL wore the old 1930's pins. Looked really nice.

 

Stosh

[Eagledad]

This is a really cool idea. I remember wearing my dads Scout Hat from 1940 and the adults really liked that. I wore my dads shirts as well and GW is right, they were uncomfortable compared even with the shirts in the 70s.

 

I don't know how far you can push it because the limitation on the supply. We once saw a whole troop wear the campiagn hats. They were a big troop, so it look really sharp. Everything that troop did looked sharp. You could tell they took a lot of pride in their program. Our troop check into the idea but somehow it didn't go. I wished it had.

 

I think this is a fantastic idea and hope you can work out a way for all the scouts to get in to it some way or another.

 

Barry

[CalicoPenn]

What a great idea! One thing, though - consider going on e-bay and finding a non-mint SPL badge of the same design, rather than a mint SPL badge. Leave the mint badge in a protected place, and wear the non-mint badge. That mint badge has some value to it - even if its value is as a donation to a Scouting Museum at some point in the future.

 

While on e-bay, see if you can find the same era position patches for all of the Scouts who have positions - PL, ASPL, APL, etc. etc. etc. That way, everyone gets in on the celebration - then as the positions lapse (hopefully around the time of a court of honor) have the lads turn in their old badges to the troop, get them framed, along with the latest style position patch, with a Troop XXX - 75 Years kind of motif, and present them back to the youth leaders as a memento.

 

Calico

[captainron14]

I agree with CalicoPenn, save the mint patch.

You can find a more recent version of the SPL patch (2 1/2 bar w/First Class)on eBay very easily.

They where used through the early 70s.

After your Son is finished using the Hat Pin, have it framed with the Mint Patch.

Those pins are more hard to come by then the patches. They stopped issuing them in the late 40s.

What color is the FDL (First Class) emblem on the pin and are the bars enamled or painted?

Both items could get quite valuable with time. Best safe guard them.

Good Luck!

[LCScouter]

Good idea about wearing vintage SPL badge of office. I concure that you should not wear the mint version, but try and get some of the older SPL. Instead of ebay, try Chris Jensen at www.SteamWood.com or Mitch Reis at www.mitchreis.com.

 

Not trying to promote commerce here, but I have both to be reliable sources for insignia.

 

LCScouter

www.longcanescouting.org