Online Training and The Photos

[Gwaihir]

since this is about the uniform, we had a pack night this week and I was seeing boys (A LOT of them) with their rank (bobcat, wolf, bear, even some webelos) with the rank badges still safety pined to their pocket.  How can we say the Cub scout motto is "Do your best" and then not seek to have them at least place the insignia in the proper place?  They make Badge Magic now, you don't even have to stitch them on (tho thats my preferred method)... it was sad.  
 

I will be pushing my Den to place their insignia on in the proper place and stress the motto when I do.  These are capable boys with very capable parents who are intelligent and able.  This is not their "best" by a long shot. 

[meyerc13]

I hate Badge Magic or any other type of glue.  Let's face it, how many of us keep our Cub Scout uniforms for the rest of our lives?  I'll bet not many.  Rather than throw the old uniform out, I'd rather see it passed on to another Scout.  Having bought dozens and dozens of 'experienced' uniforms at garage sales and second hand shops, I can tell you that if you glue on the patches you might as well throw it out.  Once in a great while I am successful at removing all of the glue residue without damaging the shirt, but in those cases it takes many, many hours of work.  It isn't worth the time.

 

Since my old Pack handed out a lot of uniforms to boys who couldn't afford them, we only asked that they give it back when they were done with it (which might be never if they decide to keep it).  We also had to insist that they not glue on the patches because of the difficulty this presents in reusing that shirt.  We made sure each uniform we sent out had an American flag, BSA strip, Council Strip, Unit numbers, and World Scout Crest.  To offer a quick and easy alternative for the rank patches (which are about the only thing the parents would need to attach), for every shirt we gave out we included one of these diamond badge holders:

http://www.scoutstuff.org/diamond-emblem-holder.html#.WDMwpUbaEtE

 

Sewing on the patches would be preferable, but at least with these we offer an alternative that doesn't involve glue for the parents who can't sew and won't go through the trouble of taking it somewhere to have it done.

Edited November 21, 2016 by meyerc13

[Stosh]

Learning to sew on patches with no prior experience for any adult should take all of 5 minutes.  I have found cutting off the old ones and pulling out all the frizzles take more time than sewing on the new one.

[Tampa Turtle]

Son#1 Had his ECOH last night wearing OD BDU. I do not think any one even noticed excepted he looked better.

[SSScout]

Once I was asked to serve as the Scoutmaster for the Troop at summer camp, as the "official" SM would not be "in country" that month.    I have been ASM for many years, and do "other" Scouty stuff  (Commisher, IOLS, etc. ). My "two deep" person would become the Scoutmaster some years later.   

The SPL for the summer would become SPL for the Troop that fall.  I had twelve Scouts of various experience.   In our pre- trip meetings, I made it clear I expected uniformed Scouts , at least for  flag recovery and dinner. 

 When we arrived and set up camp, we were "informal".   I called my SPL over and asked he assemble the Troop in Patrols (two) in uniform for dinner.  He arrived with a full mini desert camo BDU (his father is ex Marine). Asked him where was his uniform?  He said he thought this was better.  I said are you in the Marines now, or are you in Scouts?  Turned out he had NOT brought ANY Scout uniform at all.    We had to go to the Canteen and assemble a "sort of" scout uniform for him. 

He was a good SPL during his term, very active in Leading, but he was abashed at my insistence that he dress the part while he was in Scouting.  I think his dad spoke to him after camp , too.

[Gwaihir]

I hate Badge Magic or any other type of glue.  Let's face it, how many of us keep our Cub Scout uniforms for the rest of our lives?  I'll bet not many.  Rather than throw the old uniform out, I'd rather see it passed on to another Scout.  Having bought dozens and dozens of 'experienced' uniforms at garage sales and second hand shops, I can tell you that if you glue on the patches you might as well throw it out.  Once in a great while I am successful at removing all of the glue residue without damaging the shirt, but in those cases it takes many, many hours of work.  It isn't worth the time.

 

Since my old Pack handed out a lot of uniforms to boys who couldn't afford them, we only asked that they give it back when they were done with it (which might be never if they decide to keep it).  We also had to insist that they not glue on the patches because of the difficulty this presents in reusing that shirt.  We made sure each uniform we sent out had an American flag, BSA strip, Council Strip, Unit numbers, and World Scout Crest.  To offer a quick and easy alternative for the rank patches (which are about the only thing the parents would need to attach), for every shirt we gave out we included one of these diamond badge holders:

http://www.scoutstuff.org/diamond-emblem-holder.html#.WDMwpUbaEtE

 

Sewing on the patches would be preferable, but at least with these we offer an alternative that doesn't involve glue for the parents who can't sew and won't go through the trouble of taking it somewhere to have it done.

 

I don't disagree at all.  I would much rather see uniforms get reused by boys who can't afford them and I prefer stitching myself.  My initial point was, between Badge Magic, thousands of youtube tutorials on how to stitch patches, and professional seamstresses... there is zero reason for the Den Chief position badge to be under the flag, the Pack numbers halfway down the sleeve, or Bobcat, Wolf and Bear rank all safety pinned along the edge of the pocket flap.  Patch placement is pretty clear as to where and how they are placed.  It's been that way for years and when we're supposed to be trying to teach our boys the Cub Scout motto "Do your best" and then don't do our best, we've gone beyond not setting a good example, we're setting a bad example.  That any ole thing will do, and our best really isn't necessary.   

[Tampa Turtle]

Sewing on the badges should be a requirement and then the boys could teach their Moms.

[Stosh]

It is unfortunate that they no longer use the inside front covers of the scout books to show placement and spacing of scout patches on the shirt. 

 

If you didn't know that was there, that's probably why we see patches showing up all over the place except where they are supposed to be.

 

Maybe they dropped that practice with the Centennial shirt that moved the trained patch from under the POR patch to on the cigarette pack pocket flap.

[TAHAWK]

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide.aspx

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/Boy_Scout_Insignia.pdf

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33066_Section1.pdf

[Gwaihir]

It is unfortunate that they no longer use the inside front covers of the scout books to show placement and spacing of scout patches on the shirt. 

 

If you didn't know that was there, that's probably why we see patches showing up all over the place except where they are supposed to be.

 

Maybe they dropped that practice with the Centennial shirt that moved the trained patch from under the POR patch to on the cigarette pack pocket flap.

 

Looking in my son's Tiger handbook, back cover, the insignia position guide is still there.  Maybe they stopped doing it in the BSA Handbook, which would be a real shame.  Well, the best I can do is lead by example, and offer guidance to my den.  Let them be the model the other dens aspire to.