Service Stars: Yea Or Nay?

[davemetrano]

Maybe I'm old fashion;BUT, I'm kind of proud of my 50 year service star! I wear it with pride.

 

 

 

[Gone]

Nope...too much hassle to track and award.

[vumbi]

I agree with the person who was banned (wonder what THAT was all about). I couldn't care less about service stars. What counts is what we're doing right now.

[gumbymaster]

We don't do them in the Pack - the rank level is usually enough to distinguish scouting experience.

 

My Son's troop does not appear to use them.  Again this generally makes sense to me, but maybe in a unit that is successful in recruiting older new scouts, maybe it might help couch expectations - although a rank should be more effective for that purpose.

 

For myself, I proudly wear all six of mine.  3 cub, 7 scout, 2, 3, and 5 explorers, and now 8 (agrigate) adult - I took too many years off and in retrospect regret it.  (And yes you really do/can wear multiple pins for multiple units, even if simultaneous registrations).  I don't wear them camping, they are too fragile, but at meetings and roundtables, like the knots, they are an icebreaker, something to get you talking with other parents; and for them, it is a comfort level (again like the knots) that the leader(s) of their Son's unit has experience in Scouting.

[Twocubdad]

I wear them -- 3, 7, 1 (explorer) and 10+8.  I put them on my uniform and forget them, wash and all.  Every once in a while one goes missing.  No biggie.  Like square knots, I find them to be good conversation starters especially with curious younger boys.  It's a good opportunity to talk about different levels of Scouting and the opportunities which lie ahead. 

[Tampa Turtle]

I'd have a whole bunch but the transition from a blingy Pack to a non-bling Troop changed all that. I keep my stuff and devices to a minimum but then again I only have 1 shirt. I keep my OA pocket patch because I feel I earned it and as a Sue Nunn training alumnus I keep my Scoutmaster Training MB patch and my cute little dangling train device (as in 'trained') because I really got a lot out of it.