Veteran Unit

[Cubmaster Pete]

Our unit (pack) was first chartered in 1945. I undersdtand that as far as the BSA is concerned, we are only as old as when the charted last lapsed and the unit was rechartered.

 

So my question is, can I get a veteran unit customized number patch for dating back to 1945, and just ignore any lapses in the charter?

[Eagle94-A1]

_{Officially no you cannot Unofficially I've seen it done. Me personally I would but something on the troop neckerchief "since 1945"}

[Wëlënakwsu]

Agree with Eagle94, with caveat that it's been same CO.

[Eagle94-A1]

Agree with Eagle94, with caveat that it's been same CO.

 

If it's been with the same CO since 1945, MOST DEFINATELY! (emphasis)

 

If there has been a change in COs, MAYBE. (again emphasis)

 

If the change in COs was approved by the first CO, i.e. filled out the paperwork relinquishing the unit number, then I'm good. My troop growing up had 4 COs in a 25 year period. In all instances, the COs filled out the paperwork relinquishing the number. So there was never a lapse in tenure.

 

If the unit folded, then was restarted after the time limit where the unit number becomes available again, then I say no.

 

My troop and it's associated pack is lucky. They were able to be restarted and kept the same unit number. I think the number was on the market to the next CO to start a unit when both were restarted.

[meyerc13]

I'm just going to throw this out there, are you sure your charter lapsed at some point?  I say this because my old Pack's charter indicated that the Charter had lapsed about 5 years after the Pack was founded (in the 1940's).  However, I was able to find charters from just after that period that showed that registration had been continuous.  Due to Council mergers and switching from paper to digital record keeping, somewhere the record was messed up so the number of continuous months of charter didn't align with the actual age of the Pack - but the problem was sloppy record keeping, not a lapse in charter.

[The Latin Scot]

I didn't even know what a veteran unit was until we started work on the Looking Back Looking Forward adventure in our Webelos Den a few months ago. Come to find out our unit is more than 50 years old (55 next year)! Well, it took a bit of doing fitting it between the council patch and the numerals, what with the position and trained patches already crammed in below - being a smaller guy, the sleeve of my shirt was BARELY long enough to fit that little thing in there - but I fit it in somehow and it has turned out to be a great way to get the boys interested in our unit's history. I say, if your unit has existed since 1945, and if you have kept the same unit number the whole time, you might as well wear it!

[Eagle94-A1]

One thing I completely forgot is COUNCIL DIVISIONS AND MERGERS (emphasis)  We have in my neck of the woods several troops that have had their numbers changed over the years as the result of separating from a council and merging of councils. Oldest continually chartered troop has had 3 or 4 different numbers in it's 104 year history as a result of creating a new council and merging councils over the years. One troop locally has been in 3 councils and has had 3 different numbers as a result. BUT they have been around since WWI.

[The Latin Scot]

Really? Oh, I didn't know that ... well, there goes my theory, LOL. I am still learning how all this works!

[Cubmaster Pete]

Got back to 1976 as far as records go. So 40 years thats not too shabby. I just found out so we missed the anniversary year for 2016. But we can use the 40 years moniker for recruitment, etc.

[qwazse]

Got back to 1976 as far as records go. So 40 years thats not too shabby. I just found out so we missed the anniversary year for 2016. But we can use the 40 years moniker for recruitment, etc.

So, no matter how you slice it ... on your 5th decade of blue and gold. Here's to five more!

[WRW_57]

In Chief Seattle Council it was as simple as sending an email to the council office  and getting the original chartering date back a few days later. Our Cub Pack is 78 years old and no one knew it.

Edited December 20, 2017 by WRW_57

[ValleyBoy]

The Troop that I am a member of had over 50 years with no lapses in the charter in the mid 70'.    The unit did lapse something in the later 80' or 90' not sure when.  I do have an old green' scout shirt from the later 70' that I still ware  on occasions that has the yellow 50 years badge below the unit number.  With a Council merger years ago our units number did officially change.  All the unit numbers from the old Council were changed to 9000's.  Our units number officially changed from Troop 9 to Troop 9009 with the merger.  

When it come to the uniform all the members of the Troop only have the number 9 as the unit number.  We have never been question by anyone from the District or Council on this subject.

[SouthernTierScouter]

As far as sloppy record keeping goes, this is not something unheard of. Our Troop went to council to try and find out about the oldest charter and they told us we were Chartered in 1900.... you know 10 years before BSA was founded. So obviously something is wrong in their records!