Patches or Bling?

[Scoutfish]

I just bought a new uniform shirt today. Had to. My Basset ate my old one a few weeks ago the day after attending a Pow-Wow and doing a bunch of outdoor cooking.

 

So, I decided that this time, I was going to sew on the quality unit award and veteran bar this time.

 

To be honest, I have no idea why nobody else in the pack wears those patches, but nobody has since I have been at the pack.

 

Honestly, I believe that most of our leaders are not even aware. No, I do not think badly of them for it, just the result of a pack that had too many adults wearing too many hats and without a committee for too long a time.

 

Basically, I do not think that the Den Leaders even know we have been earning the Quality Unit award the past few years.

 

And in case that doesn't make sense - let me explain: The pack is doing the stuff to earn quality Unit, but all paper work and communication was handled by one very busy person who also was way over worked. That person may not have always passed on this sort of info to the pack..Or had bigger worries since they wore 3 or 4 hats at one time. Now, it's no longer an issue as we have a nearly full working committee.( 7 people)

 

So back in the present day, I will be sewing those patches on my shirt as well as my council, unit number, Position of office, my trained patch, world crest with 100 year ring around it and wearing my service star.

 

 

So here's where the spin off starts: If wearing too many knots may be considered tooting your own horn or just wearing bling....

 

what about patches?

 

I am proud we are a quality unit award. I am proud to wear the 25 year veteran bar ( our pack is 28 years old). They show we are doing a great job, dedicated and that we are not a fly by night pack.

 

Proud of my trained patch too: shows I take the time to be schooled and trained and not just showing up to meetings when I feel like it. I am wearing my BALOO temp patch to to show I learned cool stuff to do with the kids when camping.

 

I will pin my service star on my shirt too, because well, I've been here doing it, why not wear it.

 

 

So, am I just "blinging it" or am I wearing stuff that I am officially allowed ( and expected) to wear?

 

No, not really a question to determine what I should wear, but a question about what YOU would wear.

 

Why?

[SSScout]

As a commisher, when I talk about the uniform whether at a CSDC or Troop meeeting, I always point out that with a little experience, you can read alot of a Scout's history from his uniform. Where he's been, some of what he's accomplished, where he's from, that it's kind of like a wearing your school diploma. You might be able to tell who to ask a question of. And who to welcome , offer a handshake to. The uniform does more than tell the world you're a Scout. It tells what kind of Scout you are.

[Eagle92]

Well if your pack has been running like mine has, then you have adults who are doing 2-4 jobs and focusing on essentials like advancement and meetings, and leaving other stuff out of the picture. Then again some pack leaders just don't know about the extras. And Still some packs just dont' have the budget.

 

IMHO here's the key to wearing whaat you have: when YOU start feeling uncomfortable wearing everything that you have earned or are entitled to wear, then don't wear it. Also if it becomes more of a hassel to wear it.

 

For example I can wear service stars. But I have found that they go missing fairly easily, and you can only buy the program color backings in packs of 12 if memory serves. It adds us costs wise fast.

 

Knot devices are the similar: hard to put on and keep on, and go missing fairly easily. Heck at one point I was using erasers instead of the pin backings.

 

My only advice is to a) follow the insignia guide and uniform inspection sheet and b) don't wear the "extras" i.e. arrowhead necklaces, feather dodads, multicolored shoulder loop, etc that I have seen some folks wear.

 

EDITED: there is a speech out there that BP refers to it all as "swank"(This message has been edited by Eagle92)

[ScoutNut]

Service stars irritate the heck out of me - literally. The pin back is scratchy, irritating, and has a bad habit of getting stripped and falling off. If BSA could get a decent pin back, I would probably wear them.

 

I wear the 60 year Veteran Bar. Folks in our unit who did not get one when they got their uniform usually do not want to go to the trouble to take off their patches and sew them on again. I make sure new boys know that it is available if their parents want to purchase it. Some do, some don't.

 

Scouting is a worldwide movement. I wear the World Scout Crest, with the Centennial Ring, to commemorate that fact, and to remind the Scouts of it when they ask about the patch.

 

I wear a Trained patch. I AM trained. In a number of different things, and have a number of trained patches to show for it in my dresser.

 

When I attend, or staff, a council event where I am given a participation patch, I will wear it in the temporary patch position for a while. If it is from staffing Cub Day, or Summer Camp, I will make sure to wear the patch when it is time to talk up registrations for the coming Summer. It gives the Scouts and their parents something to see, and ask about.

 

Then there is the Quality Unit Award. Personally, I am not a big fan of this award. The criteria for it has always been a bit off. The way it has been administered has DEFINITELY always been a LOT off. I do not think that it means a whole heck of a lot. That said, we know we run a quality program, and every year we jump thru the paperwork hoops to "earn" the award, so every year we purchase the patches for the boys.

 

[Scoutfish]

Yeah, I admit ,the qualifications for the quality award were not exactly set to a regular high standard. A pack could easily decide to better themselves by increasing their membership by 3 scouts a year...and easily meet that goal.

 

WEll, we did set high standards for ourselves. We maintained a high atriition rate and recruited 20 % more scouts at roundup for a pack of 120 kids.

 

But of course, it's really maintaining the membership number instead of adding a bunch because we lose about 15- 17 Webelos each year at crossover.

 

That is one reason I like the Journey to Excellence awards. Atleast there is a set standard with an across the board meaning to each level of the award.

 

Right now, the biggest advantage of wearing the quality unit award is that prospective scout's parents see that patch at roundup and it helps them decide to sign up their kids.

[UCEagle72]

As an adult leader, you do have the option to wear one or two service stars, with the blue background for your total years of service, instead of individual stars for each group.

 

(From the Insignia Guide: "Or, leaders may combine youth and adult tenure into one or two stars with blue background." - http://scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/10D.aspx)

 

That does make it much simpler - and pencil erasers make dandy (and comfortable) pin backs (or you can purchase the rubber ones which seem to stay on better)

 

[VigilEagle04]

When it comes to service stars and knot devices, I have them in my uniform box. I keep an old tool box around that has various uniform pieces. It's great for CoHs, when a Scout shows up without a necker, or someone breaks a slide or something. I always have extras.

 

Anyway, in my box are three sets of all the knot devices that go on my uniform, as well as a nice hodge podge of service stars and backings. I only ever wear stuff like that for CoHs and banquets and such, but I've learned over the years that having extras on hand is a good thing, and my Scouts appreciate it too when something goes wrong on their uniform.

[UCEagle72]

'04 -

 

When I was a ASM & SM I did the same thing ... great minds ;-)

 

[Twocubdad]

Our troop and pack always provides each member with the QU patch for the year. We also have custom unit numerals with integral veteran unit bars give everyone. A lot of the guys just add the patches to their collection, but most wear them.

 

When I was Cubmaster we gave the boys service stars every year when they would move up a level. With Cubs the pins rarely made it more than a few months, so we just dropped it.

[Beavah]

Yah, da service stars and knot devices just annoy me, eh? They poke me and I'm always losin' the things. So I tend to leave 'em off for that reason as much as anything. I see less and less folks with quality unit these days; either they just don't like to sew 'em on (hear a lot of that, actually) or we've made the paperwork such a burden for so little real "quality" that nobody cares.

 

I think the units that do the custom sets get more folks to wear 'em just because the sewing is easier

 

Beavah

 

 

[Basementdweller]

I refuse to do the quality unit award. let me see 60 members x $1.5 each. too expensive, especially since you change them annually.

 

Veteran bars, temp patches by all means. Service stars are a waste as well. 60 x $2 annually too expensive

 

 

Scoutfish, with as active as you are your shirt will be full before you know it.