heritage-representation

[rickmay]

My child is crazy-proud of her Scandinavian heritage and wants to wear a tiny "thor's hammer" pin on the uniform. Due to the changes in bsa based upon allowing neo-pagan elements to be allowed in bsa, I don't see this being an issue?

[The Latin Scot]

The issue isn't what it represents, but that there is no place on the uniform for extemporaneous pins like that. Only official BSA insignia is to be worn on the uniform. I notice you have many questions about uniforms posted on many threads; read the official Guide to Awards and Insignia and all your questions will be answered! 

https://www.scouting.org/resources/insignia-guide/

[TAHAWK]

17 minutes ago, The Latin Scot said:

The issue isn't what it represents, but that there is no place on ...[ BSA brand clothing ] for extemporaneous pins like that. Only official BSA insignia is to be worn on ... [ BSA brand clothing ]. I notice you have many questions about uniforms posted on many threads; read the official Guide to Awards and Insignia and all your questions will be answered! 

https://www.scouting.org/resources/insignia-guide/

Fixed.  There is no "uniform."

[The Latin Scot]

Actually, I stand by my original wording. There is a uniform, and on that uniform only specified emblems and insignia are to be worn in the correct manner. But you can do what you want with BSA brand clothing as long as they aren't uniform items; if I wear a BSA polo I can wear a non-BSA pin on my collar if I want, and I can sew all the patches I wish on a BSA brand jacket. The official uniform however is limited to official, correct insignia.

[TAHAWK]

Respectfully, "uniform" means the same.  BSA sells a wide price-range of markedly dissimilar shirts, shorts, and trousers, and the youth is well-aware of who wears the cheappies and who the rich kid clothing from the BSA brand.  So much for social leveling.  Not to mention the stuff from 1950s, 1060s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990d, 2000s that I can drag out and wear as  "[NOT] uniform."  Wearing anything remotely "uniform" - or even BSA- is  even more optional than the optional neckerchief.  No "uniform"in the standard English sense - except for Jambo fund-raising.    Think I'll wear my "Exploring, B.S.A." green shirt to the Area Commissioners' Training Conference - or my "Scouting B.S.A." green shirt - with my old award ribbons.  Such as:

<a href="https://imgur.com/sdN6YOt"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/sdN6YOt.png" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

[Sentinel947]

On 4/27/2019 at 6:17 PM, rickmay said:

My child is crazy-proud of her Scandinavian heritage and wants to wear a tiny "thor's hammer" pin on the uniform. Due to the changes in bsa based upon allowing neo-pagan elements to be allowed in bsa, I don't see this being an issue?

 

@The Latin Scot makes a correct point. When wearing the BSA Uniform shirt, there isn't a specified place for pins like that. @TAHAWK's point was that the BSA's aren't very uniform, depend on their date of manufacture and point of origin. 

My personal take. I wear my uniform based on the insignia guide, because as an adult leader, I'm supposed to model wearing the uniform correctly. My scouts frequently add various embellishments and such to their uniforms, and I don't discourage or correct them. If putting little pins and trinkets on their uniforms makes them more proud to wear the uniform, I'm not going to object unless it's something distasteful, which that pin doesn't seem to be. 

[SSScout]

Thor's Hammer pin ?   https://www.etsy.com/market/thor's_hammer_pin   Marvel or True Rune ? The mythology inherent in the Norwegian/Scandinavian Valhalla is an interesting study, but not really appropriate in the religious sense, else we would have Scouts of Egyptian heritage espousing Ra and Thoth.  

I had a Scout at summer camp who had to be reminded of the importance of his Scout Uniform, because he didn't bring one!  He had brought a junior size Marine BDU  camo suit. He had expected to be able to wear it thru camp ("it's just like my dad's") , but we had to say no. Was he a Marine or a Scout?  When he was old enough to join and be a Marine, wear the appropriate uniform. We ended up borrowing enough Scout "Field Uniform" parts from elsewhere to outfit him for the week. When his dad   (who indeed had been a Marine, but was no longer) found out, he  was surprised, disappointed and proud .  The Scout later became a well uniformed SPL  a few months later.  

[thrifty]

does the troop ask that a specific woggle be used?  if not, some creativity could turn it into one.

[SSScout]

17 minutes ago, thrifty said:

does the troop ask that a specific woggle be used?  if not, some creativity could turn it into one.

Now there is a really good Idea !   

 

[qwazse]

I had mentioned in another thread that hats are for pins.

It sounds like your scout could use a "brag vest". Incorporating 

We're all proud of our heritage. But, we all need to find ways to share it that don't distract from tasks at hand.

@TAHAWK is correct that BSA has made a hash of Uniforming. So, we have to decide, for our scouts, what makes the method a rewarding experience for them, and what makes it worse.

Maybe this is an opportunity for your scout to research how Swedish Norwegian scouts wear their uniform.

[TAHAWK]

2 hours ago, SSScout said:

Thor's Hammer pin ?   https://www.etsy.com/market/thor's_hammer_pin   Marvel or True Rune ? The mythology inherent in the Norwegian/Scandinavian Valhalla is an interesting study, but not really appropriate in the religious sense, else we would have Scouts of Egyptian heritage espousing Ra and Thoth.  

I had a Scout at summer camp who had to be reminded of the importance of his Scout Uniform, because he didn't bring one!  He had brought a junior size Marine BDU  camo suit. He had expected to be able to wear it thru camp ("it's just like my dad's") , but we had to say no. Was he a Marine or a Scout?  When he was old enough to join and be a Marine, wear the appropriate uniform. We ended up borrowing enough Scout "Field Uniform" parts from elsewhere to outfit him for the week. When his dad   (who indeed had been a Marine, but was no longer) found out, he  was surprised, disappointed and proud .  The Scout later became a well uniformed SPL  a few months later.  

My troop in 1954 had Bahai, Buddhists (i.e. atheists) , Jains, followers of varieties of Shinto, Muslims, and every variety of Christian I knew of - troop of military dependants for the most part.  Look what our young service member brought home. 

B.S.A. is a big tent, and if there is no room for Wiccans, worshippers of Pele, Ra and Thor, then all B.S.A. has said for decades is hypocrisy.  In those days, we had a uniform - one shirt SS/ one shirt LS/ one shorts/ one trousers.  Everyone wore the troop neckerchief and the overseas cap.  If in shorts, one wore OD knee socks and garters with green flashes.  A uniform.

[malraux]

One other "slot" for creativity is the right pocket temporary patch area. But you can only wear one item at a time there.

[Double Eagle]

Digging into the uniform guide and since it was mentioned above, I turned to the "special regulation" section about wearing multiple patched on jackets on page 11.  It says only one patch on the back of jackets.  But as reality sets into today's word, the red wool jacket is now the gray beard jacket.  Today's youth are not interested in it.  In lieu of a brag vest, hide, or blanket, if a scout wants to put them all over a jacket, so be it.  There are bigger issues in scouting that need attention than busting a scouts pride.  Its sometimes hard to get scouts to wear the uniform outside an event. 

[malraux]

The only uniform guideline violated more often than the one patch per jacshirt is the term class A/B instead of uniform.

[Jameson76]

Folks arguing and debating the guides to uniform and what should and should not be worn (let's get a red epaulette thread fired up) is truly the definition of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Basically as @Double Eagle advised, we've got bigger fish to fry

Wear the pin.  Enjoy