Rank pins - Eagle

[Eagle92]

NJ,

 

1) WELCOME TO DA FORUMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( And yes I am Shouting at ya )

 

2) In regards to the campaign cover, officially here is what is to be worn by adults: Leather hat band, leather chin strap, Adult Universal Emblem. So the Eagle Rank Pin that BSA now sells, and about time too IMHO, is not to be work on the hat. Plus it's tiny, 7/16 x 7/16"

 

Now I've seen things that are not offical BSA worn on the smokeys. both of mine have British leather bands that were branded at one of the scout camps I worked at. Prior to that, one of the smokes had a white with blue polka dots ribbon that served as the hat band as that was the official Staff ribbon for JLT and all the staff, both youth and adults, wore that ribbon on they smokeys.

 

I also wear plumes. One is a green British SM plume I got in the UK, the other is a 100th Anniversary plume. Originally in some Scout associations, the color of the plume told folks your position While it never made its way here. Somone on occasion sells them on ebay.

 

[njeagle92]

I didnt realize the Eagle Rank Pin was so small... that would just look silly on a hat, so I'm stuck with the Universal Hat Pin. Fine. I will somewhat begrudgingly pick mine up today at the local scout store. I'll pass on the leather hat band as I've never been one to stick by the uniform requirements entirely- I've yet to retire my Green Bar Bill-autographed OA Sash and I've worn it with the legend strip since day one. I'm sure that's a forum topic on here somewhere.

 

[Scouter99]

I didnt realize the Eagle Rank Pin was so small... that would just look silly on a hat, so I'm stuck with the Universal Hat Pin. Fine. I will somewhat begrudgingly pick mine up today at the local scout store. I'll pass on the leather hat band as I've never been one to stick by the uniform requirements entirely- I've yet to retire my Green Bar Bill-autographed OA Sash and I've worn it with the legend strip since day one. I'm sure that's a forum topic on here somewhere.

What's the difficulty of just wearing the thing the way you're supposed to.

[Basementdweller]

The people who matter most don't care if you got 24 square knots on your shirt or an eagle pin on your hat.

 

You know who they are right??????

 

So go a head and get over the knot envy and uniform nazi stuff and get to the good stuff.

[Eagle92]

NJ,

 

1) Please do me a favor, USE SOME TYPE OF CHEMICAL PROTECTION TO KEEP GBB'S SIGNATURE SAFE!!!!! (caps for emphasis, ok maybe a little shouting )

Long story short, I had a necker with his signature and the signature was erased when the necker was washed. At least Bill would be proud in why it got washed: I did first aid with it.

 

2) Wear the smokey with pride.

[qwazse]

NJE92, Agree with BD to a point. My boys do look for those silver knots, so wear that one proudly, but don't clutter up that field uniform pocket with so many other knots that it gets overlooked. You don't need any pins on your hat. Hats are not where anyone looks for your scouting history. They are for keeping the sun out of your eyes and the rain off your back. I've taught my boys to regard highly the fella with the weathered hat. Finally, keep in mind that the OA sash should only be worn when OA business is being conducted. I disagree with your opinion that the cubs need to know that their CM or any leader is an Eagle. What they need to know is that their leaders love them dearly.

[njeagle92]

NJE92, Agree with BD to a point. My boys do look for those silver knots, so wear that one proudly, but don't clutter up that field uniform pocket with so many other knots that it gets overlooked. You don't need any pins on your hat. Hats are not where anyone looks for your scouting history. They are for keeping the sun out of your eyes and the rain off your back. I've taught my boys to regard highly the fella with the weathered hat. Finally, keep in mind that the OA sash should only be worn when OA business is being conducted. I disagree with your opinion that the cubs need to know that their CM or any leader is an Eagle. What they need to know is that their leaders love them dearly.

qwazse, funny thing is, when I was a scout, I paid a little more attention to the guys with the silver knots, and that's the only knot that really matters to me. For those who proudly wear the knots in colors and combinations I never knew existed, I say they are fine exampes of the scouting spirit! I am impressed.

 

You are dead on with the hats to protect from the sun and the rain (and in my Pack, the occasional cream-pie!). In my day, we wore the red berets and/or the red and green ball caps. My everyday headgear now that I'm a Cubmaster is an olive drab boonie hat from the Army/Navy and I'm proud to say it is well-weathered and time-tested. I plan to wear my campaign hat for more formal or special occasions.

[njeagle92]

NJ,

 

1) Please do me a favor, USE SOME TYPE OF CHEMICAL PROTECTION TO KEEP GBB'S SIGNATURE SAFE!!!!! (caps for emphasis, ok maybe a little shouting )

Long story short, I had a necker with his signature and the signature was erased when the necker was washed. At least Bill would be proud in why it got washed: I did first aid with it.

 

2) Wear the smokey with pride.

Eagle92- Ouch! Sorry to hear that your GBB signature did not survive the wash. GBB signed my OA sash at the 1989 National Jamboree at Ft. AP Hill. Waited on line for more than two hours, and when I finally got to GBB, he signed "Bill" and an older scout sitting to his left carefully placed the two green bars over his name. I still smile at that memory. A very nice fellow, GBB noticed my Unami 1 lodge flap and added the triangle or delta symbol and "1" to commemorate Unami Lodge's place in the OA. I had completed my Ordeal at Treasure Island Scout Reservation only weeks before!

[Eagle92]

NJ,

 

Boonie hats are good, BSA even made one briefly. If my fat head could fit in it, the CS version would at the local distributor would be mine. But IMHO, the best all purpose hat is , and I may be committing sacrilege saying it, is the Expedition, aka Brimmed Hat. It's waterproof and crushable. I'm on #2 as the first one was stolen. I've gone through multiple storms, inlcuding hurricanes with them.

 

BUT, I love my SMOKEYS!

[Tim in NJ]

NJ,

 

Boonie hats are good, BSA even made one briefly. If my fat head could fit in it, the CS version would at the local distributor would be mine. But IMHO, the best all purpose hat is , and I may be committing sacrilege saying it, is the Expedition, aka Brimmed Hat. It's waterproof and crushable. I'm on #2 as the first one was stolen. I've gone through multiple storms, inlcuding hurricanes with them.

 

BUT, I love my SMOKEYS!

I agree with you on the Expedition Hat being a great all-arounder. Its the only Scout hat I wear these days, and I'm constantly wondering why I never got one back when I was a youth. Last year during the aftermath of Sandy and the snowstorm that hit New Jersey the following week, my Expedition Hat was my daily wear, even without any of the rest of the uniform. It just takes everything you can throw at it and is still ready to go.

[njeagle92]

NJ,

 

Boonie hats are good, BSA even made one briefly. If my fat head could fit in it, the CS version would at the local distributor would be mine. But IMHO, the best all purpose hat is , and I may be committing sacrilege saying it, is the Expedition, aka Brimmed Hat. It's waterproof and crushable. I'm on #2 as the first one was stolen. I've gone through multiple storms, inlcuding hurricanes with them.

 

BUT, I love my SMOKEYS!

I try to be a low key but effective leader. I attend most of my roundtable commitments. I could do better, but I can never find a backup volunteer to fill my seat. But I digress... Since putting on the adult uniform, I've done my best not to become "that guy". You know the type- others refer to him as the "Banana Republic South American Dictator". Well, in my District, that guy wears an Expedition hat. Yup, he's got that blinged out too. Hence my reluctance to go Expedition.

 

Tim, I hope all is well following Sandy. I happen to live in a Council that was rocked hard by the superstorm. We're on the rebound and going strong!

 

The scouters I've looked up to on my trail to Eagle have mostly worn the campaign hat. Plus its classic and very Norman Rockwell. Yes, I am biased, but grateful that we as scouters have headcover alternatives. Some of us still hold to the red beret with grim death. Mine was lost somewhere at the Jambo in '89. I went with the ball cap after that.

 

Eagle92, I wouldnt think to steal anyone's hat. That's disappointing to read. Maybe your scouts are holding it for ransome? :-)

[Stosh]

NJ,

 

Boonie hats are good, BSA even made one briefly. If my fat head could fit in it, the CS version would at the local distributor would be mine. But IMHO, the best all purpose hat is , and I may be committing sacrilege saying it, is the Expedition, aka Brimmed Hat. It's waterproof and crushable. I'm on #2 as the first one was stolen. I've gone through multiple storms, inlcuding hurricanes with them.

 

BUT, I love my SMOKEYS!

I've worn the expedition hat for over 15 years. It's faded and worn, but it's the most comfortable hat I've ever had. Holds out the rain, keeps off the sun. I put a SM pin on the front. It's got Philmont 2000 branding on the underside of the brim. It was old then.

 

My honor scouts wore them and they were easy to spot wherever in camp they were. No one else seems to want to wear them. My SPL had a yellow hat band and my ASPL a light blue hat band. The rest were plain with the large first class pin. The SPL and ASPL had old SPL/ASPL pins from the 30's and 40's pinned to the front.

 

The boys really liked them and wore them all the time. They were kinda pricy, but the boys were expected to go out and earn the money to buy them rather than just ask mom/dad. They all did and I think that also supported the fact that they took good care of them.

 

The surprising thing was when we were at summer camp, the honor patrol was chastized by the camp staff for not taking their expedition hats off because only official headgear was allowed at flag ceremonies. It shows how little most people know about the expedition hat. Best hat BSA has ever put out.

 

The second most appreciated hat in my collection is the campaign hat. I don't make any effort to keep it pristine and the brim now conforms and with the wide brim is great on sunny days. I wear it with my Sunday-go-to-meeting uniform.

 

Stosh

[njeagle92]

NJ,

 

Boonie hats are good, BSA even made one briefly. If my fat head could fit in it, the CS version would at the local distributor would be mine. But IMHO, the best all purpose hat is , and I may be committing sacrilege saying it, is the Expedition, aka Brimmed Hat. It's waterproof and crushable. I'm on #2 as the first one was stolen. I've gone through multiple storms, inlcuding hurricanes with them.

 

BUT, I love my SMOKEYS!

Stosh, can you tell me more about the honor scout program in your troop? As I understood (or came to believe), the OA comprised the honor scouts. You knew them by their pocket flaps- those were the guys I'd hang around when I was Tenderfoot and Second Class. I remember my scoutmaster explaining that the custom had been for the leadership patrol- SPLs, ASPLs and PLs to wear the campaign hat and the rest of the troop wore the garrison cap. That was the tradition a generation before me. I see photos from the 1940's and 1950's and those boys looked sharp!

 

I'd like to bring back to my troop the tradition of a leadership patrol or honor scout division. Whether that includes the campaign hat or expedition hat remains to be seen. Something to set those boys apart. The Expedition hat will probably stand up to the boys better than the campaign hat, so that might be the best option. BTW, I made my own hat press for my campaign hat with a 2x4 sheet of masonite and 8 wingnuts. If I’m going to wear a campaign, I want to keep it looking decent.

[Eagle92]

NJ, In regards to the stolen hat, it happened at a homeless shelter we were doing a Scouting for Food project for. If a scout stole it, shame on him. if one of the homeless stole it, I hope they really needed it.

 

JBlake,

 

That staff would not have liked my old troop's policy. ANY Scouting, and note I do not specify BSA, hats were approved for wear by the SM. Should have seen us when we went to summer camp when the Canadians were with us right after the twin city ceremonies, as we had guys wearing not only an assortment of BSA hats, but also from both Scouting associations in Canada.

 

And one of the leaders no longer had a BSA uniform after that ceremony, but he did have a French Canadian Association's uniform.

[Stosh]

NJ,

 

Boonie hats are good, BSA even made one briefly. If my fat head could fit in it, the CS version would at the local distributor would be mine. But IMHO, the best all purpose hat is , and I may be committing sacrilege saying it, is the Expedition, aka Brimmed Hat. It's waterproof and crushable. I'm on #2 as the first one was stolen. I've gone through multiple storms, inlcuding hurricanes with them.

 

BUT, I love my SMOKEYS!

The older boys were waning in their excitement for the troop. They always went back to the same old, same old camp every year and approached me about having boys that were FC+ form a patrol of their own. They limited it to 8 boys max, invite only. They wanted to do things a bit more on their own footing. My standard answer for any boy-led initiatives is: "Sure, why not". I was ASM at the time and approached the SM about it. He allowed it on a temporary basis. They went full uniform with expedition hat, aggressively avoided the SPL/ASPL, QM, etc. PORs. The PL mentored the SPL, APL, mentored the ASPL, etc. They, on their own terms, lead T-FC instructions for the younger boys, and at outings separated themselves from the rest of the adult-led troop and let the patrols work on their own as well. There were there when needed, but retained their own independence and responsibilities.

 

The bump came when they wanted to sign up for a patrol-method camp outside the council. The honor patrol had done a lot of things for the boys in developing the patrol method and they could have very easily gone to summer camp without the honor patrol. When the SM forbid them going on their own to a more challenging camp, they all "quit" and so did I. After I left, they all received their Eagle within 6 months and left the troop.

 

Stosh