Silver loops for Venturer

[kahits]

If a Venturing youth officer steps up to organize a District or Council VOA, do they wear silver loops for that activity only. What would they wear for regular crew meetings? I see district level adults wearing silver loops all the time, even when at unit meetings.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Any venturers who are part of (elected officers) a VOA should wear silver loops at activities in which they are acting as members of the VOA, not for Crew meetings.

 

The only adults who should wear their Silver loops a troop meeting are Unit Commissioners (with very few other exceptions), ie they are attending the meeting as a member/representative of the district, not as a unit leader.

[emb021]

Adding to what Buffalo Skipper says.

 

For me, if the person is an elected officer of a district or council VOA, and has a uniform for that postion (ie, they aren't wearing unit numbers), then sure they can wear silver loops. If they are just a member of the VOA (ie, they are their crew's rep to the VOA), I'd say no. There ARE office patches for both District Venturing President and Council Venturing President. (sadly, if they hold another office position on the VOA- say VP or Secretary or such, their SOL).

 

I'll be giving my VOA President 3 items for her uniform: a Council Venturing President patch (once I can get one ), a VOA patch, and silver loops. Should she choose to put together a uniform shirt to wear as the VOA President, I'll support her doing so.

 

Keep in mind that not all district/council venturing people have unit positions. I do agree that IF they hold a position in their unit (whatever it may be) they really should wear a uniform that reflects that and NOT their district/council position. Sounds like they 'showing off' by doing this...

[Eagle92]

I've also seen Venturers wear silver for the following reasons

 

1) Part of Council Executive Board. Our OA Lodge Chief is part of the CEB and does wear silver when doing OA duties

 

2) Part of the district committee. Ditto our CC being part of the committee

 

3) Summer camp staff. not only are they their own crew, but they are also employees, so they wear the silver.

[kahits]

While we are on this subject, what about male, venturing youth, under the age of 18, wearing AOL and Eagle knots above their left pocket, on their venturing uniform?

[Buffalo Skipper]

As for wearing adult knots (representations of youth awards) on a Venturing uniform, I have no objection to that. Just as Boy Scouts wear a religious award (purple adult square knot) on a uniform, I have heard of Venturers doing this with Eagle and AOL. AOL does not have a recognized as a place on the Venturing uniform. Likewise Eagle, whether earned as a Venturer or not, is a Boy Scout rank; I know the oval patch can be worn on the uniform, but I understand a venturers desire to be more subtle.

[emb021]

"1) Part of Council Executive Board. Our OA Lodge Chief is part of the CEB and does wear silver when doing OA duties."

 

Council Venturing Presidents (ie, the youth leader of your VOA, or whatever you call it), should also be part of the CEB.

 

Am working on making that happen in my council.

 

 

As to the Eagle/AOL knots, I agree with BS on that.

 

[scoutldr]

From the Insignia Guide: Shoulder Loops Colored shoulder loops identify the area of Scouting: blue, Cub Scouting; red, Boy Scouting; blaze, Varsity Scouting; green, Venturing; silver, council and district; gold, national and regional. Wear the color for the primary registered position in which you are functioning.

 

I guess if in doubt, look at your membership card.

[Eagle92]

Yep the VOA folks have their own patches unlike the OA folks While I understand the importance of the OA folks serving their units, the OA does take a lot of responsibility. i have no problem with the repros i've seen, or having a 14 YO OA CC wearing a DisCom Por

 

Sctldr,

Sometimes folks are in multiple positions, sometimes registered and have a card like the district committee and exec board, and sometimes are de facto members because of their POR, like our OA folks and VOA president. LC is a full fledge voting member of the CEB and the CC is a full fledge member of the DisCom. We don't have a VOA pres atthe moment, but I beleive that is something they are workign on.

 

Now as for that venturing crew I told you about. I'ld rather them wear the silver loops saying they are council employees, which they are during the summer, than the old tradition of choosing ribbon to make their own loops. Also liek the fact that the council now makes a POR patch for them depending upon their role at camp: Camp Bonner Staff or Camp Bonner Director. Would love to haevmy hands on one of those as well as the all in one CSP/unit number combo with Camp Bonner Staff added to the CSP portion. LOOKS SPIFF!

 

 

[BadenP]

Scoutldr hit the mark in his post you wear the loops for the PRIMARY position you are registered,period. OA lodge chief and VOA, etc. are elected TEMPORARY positions and do not entitle you to wear silver or have special seperate uniforms for each position, that even holds true with summer camp staff. Those are the facts what you would like to see or what a particular council may do has no relevance to or changes those regulations.

[shortridge]

BadenP,

 

Like almost every bit of Scouting verbiage I've encountered, the wording in that statement is hazy.

 

You ignore the final clause: "... in which you are functioning," which seems to conflict with the "primary registered position" element. Lodge chiefs function as a member of the council executive board. Members of a summer camp staff function as district/council staffers. All are reasonably entitled to wear silver loops, IMHO.

 

Besides, realistically, ALL Scouting positions are temporary, especially district ones where you might have a chair turn over from year to year. A two-term lodge chief might have more time in service than a district chairman.

[BadenP]

shortridge,

It really isn't that difficult to understand, when I was a DE I wore a DE uniform with the DE insignia and silver loops because that was my primary position even though I was also a webelos leader, OA staff advisor, and JLT advisor. I did not have seperate uniforms for these positions because they were not my primary registered positions. The same is true for Venturing or OA the youth are members of a crew or troop and that is their primary registered position, if elected to VOA or OA lodge officer their primary position does not change. Wishful thinking or desires by volunteers does not change these facts.

 

Case in point a good friend of mine and long time scouter was selected to help out at National office on a 3-4 month project, while there he bought some gold loops and a National staff badge, the first day he wore them the National people told him that he was not a National staff person and not entitled to wear that patch and gold loops, rather he was a temporary consultant. So you see just because it may walk like a duck and quack like a duck doesn't make it a duck.

[kahits]

So, since my primary registration is SM for my son's troop, but I am also the Adviser for our OA chapter, as well as Assoc. Advisor for my daughter's Crew, I'm supposed to wear my SM uniform for all 3?

[emb021]

I bet none of the National/Regional OA officers or Venturing officers are REGISTERED primarily as national people. (I wonder if they are even registered at all as a national volunteer or the like)

 

Yet they all wear gold loops and appropriate office patches when performing their positions.

 

 

Using kahits example, if he got 3 separate uniforms with the appropriate insignia and loops, and worn them when he is doing those jobs, no one would bat and eye.

 

But if he mixed things (red loops while wearing an OA Chapter Officer patch or silver loops while wearing a SM patch) THEN people might comment and wonder. (I saw female OA advisor at NOAC, don't recall what level, wearing the tan centennial uniform with spruce venturing loops and her OA office patch. what a combo!)

 

I know of a DE who is also a Crew Associate advisor. When doing her job as a pro, she wears her pro uniform. When being a crew adult, she wears that uniform. If this was an issue, am sure one of the pros (including her boss) would have said something...

 

 

[Eagle92]

BadenP,

You do have some folks with multiple uniforms. I know the summer camp staff are encouraged to have a venturing uniform, are given an employee discount to purchase it, and are told by the council to wear silver. The OA folks I know do have multiple uniforms and wear them according to the position they are serving in at the moment. Also as someone else pointed out, the national venturing president and national chief, section chiefs, etc do wear gold loops when they are serving in the position.

 

One thing I've learned is that while scouting is an international movement, it is truly done on the local level. And things do vary from place to place. In my old council, the LC and CCs were not part of the CED or DisCom respectively. here they are.