Which position patch should I wear?

[baggsjr]

Ok, I am in a dilemma as I am sure most other leaders are in as well, but mine might be a little bit more challenging. I recently took a position within the Heart of America Council (Kansas City, Mo) for the position of Program Aide for several Districts. I will primarily be dealing with Cub Scouts and acting as their Cub Master. Now since I will be switching or visiting units often (similar to a Unit Commissioner), do I wear the Cub Master Position Patch, or since I am an actual employee of the HOAC, do I wear the Employee Patch with just the Council Strip above it? I know if I was the Cub Master for only 1 pack, I would have my uniform set up with those pack numbers and Cub Master Patch, but since I switch units depending on what day of the week it is, I don't know what to do? Also, what about the epilutes, what color do I go with, and what else should I wear on my uniform if I set it up as an Employee??

 

Please help me out as I am wanting to / needing to purchase an entire new Centennial Uniform next week.

[Eagle92]

If memory serves, you are a PARAPROFESSIONAL, and wear the silver loops and and the paraprofessional POR.

 

Now if you are not considered a parapro, you wear the employee patch and the silver loops, again if memory serves.

 

best bet is to look at your contract and/or talk to your boss for more direction.

 

Good luck in your post.

[wolfmama500]

I know of a leader in our area who serves in different positions in a few units from Cubs to Boy Scouts at the unit and district level, and what he did was set velcro on the uniform and the patches (like the military does this days), that way he peel and adhere the patch he needs acording to where he is and on what basis he's there. Check into that option because it can be less expensive.

[ghermanno]

baggsjr,

 

You are going to CM for multiple units in multiple Districts? How did the Unit register if it did not have a CM? I could possibly see the position being a "Para-Pro" or Council Program Committee Chair but that is not what you are describing.

 

Are you talking Program Director for Cub Camp? You would be responsible for staff and the Program for the kids, be thier top leader at camp, but still not a CM.

 

I guess, I could be wrong but I have never heard of a person assigned by Council to be CM for multiple Packs in multiple Districts.

 

Let me know wht it turns out to be.

 

YiS,

 

Rick

[Eagle92]

Rick,

I've been in councils where a ScoutReach parapro was assigned the job of CM and/or SM to 3-5 units. The job entails not only doing the CM/SM job, but also training the parents and/or interested parties to do their respective jobs, i.e. committee mebers, DLs, ASMs etc. The goal was to get the troop going and trained in a 12-18 month period, and then have local adults take over while the parapro moves on to the next unit.

[BDPT00]

Wearing an "employee" patch sounds way off-base to me. That's what Scout Shop folks wear, along with gold loops. That's certainly not what you're describing.

Yours sounds like a council position, and if nobody can come up with the appropriate patch, then maybe you could suggest "program director" or just "council committee."

Don't go making something up (and skip the velcro).

BDPT00

[Eagle92]

BDPT,

An employee patch would be OK for a council employee, or national employee for thast matter, to wear on a field uniform. But it really sounds as if the OP is a parapro as the parapros I've encountered have done just as he describes. Again Best thing to do hsi talk to his boss.

 

Council committee is for volunteers only, and as far as i know the Program Director patches I've seen are usually locally done for camp staff. There is a ' Council Executive Staff" but if memory serves, that's for commissioned professionals, i.e. FiDs, DFSs, etc.

[Basementdweller]

I would wear the Cub Master Patch. That is who you need to be for the boys. They don't care about anything else.

[Eagle92]

One other thing about the employee patch, summercamp staff are also authorized to wear it, however some councils create their own camp POR patch, and soem council won't seell the employee patch to them.

 

Basement,

The only problem with the CM patch is, what unit numbers to wear with it, as he will be with multiple units? Then again, he could sew that one on, and velcro the unit numbers

[Basementdweller]

I would leave the pack numbers off. He needs to be their cub master.

[acco40]

I was once a Webelos den leader, a Scoutmaster and a Unit Commissioner. I wore different shirts - each appropriately "patched." By the way, the epaulets are all the same - its the shoulder loops that change color.

 

Are your trained for any of the positions you state? If so, you may wear the "trained" patch only with the position patch for which you are trained.

[Eagle92]

Actually employees do not wear trained strips. Don't ask me why, but it's policy in some manual I read.

[Eagle92]

I need to amend that last statement, that's a policy I read in a BSA employee manual, can't remember if it was while I was in supply or being a DE. That's why you won't see TRAINED strips on DEs, camp rangers, SEs, national scout shop staff, etc. You may see WB beads, several rows of knots, and the Professional Training Knot (Black knot on white background)but no trained strip for employees of all ranks.

[Hal_Crawford]

I guess they are thinking that professionals are by definition trained and if they aren't they would rather you didn't know it. ;-)