BetterWithCheddar

I was presented with a set of pins when I earned my Eagle award in 2003. I think they may have come with my medal. I don't recall seeing many parent or mentor pins on display before then. If @mrjohns2hadn't seen them by 1996, I'm guessing they were first issued around 2000 - does anyone know for sure? I lean toward being more of a uniform minimalist, but I would probably wear an Eagle Dad pin someday if my son continues with Scouts. Pins look nice on the pocket flap of a Jac-shirt, but have diminishing returns on an actual uniform shirt.

I'm returning to Scouting after many years to participate with my Cub-age son. In multiple threads, I've observed some angst over the Eagle mentor pins. They were around in my youth, but I don't recall seeing them clutter many uniforms. Is this a recent development?

Wow, this thread nearly goes back to my youth. The Jac-shirts were fairly common in my neck of the woods. Even during summer camp, temperatures could still drop into the 40s during the early morning. The Jac-shirts (w/ OA back patch) were akin to a letterman's jacket for older scouts. A few individuals wore insignia from the high adventure bases they had visited. The only taboos I noticed were when folks attempted to display multiple back patches on the back of their Jac-shirts. That wasn't a great look (too cluttered). If I wore my old Jac-shirt to a scouting event today, I'd probably ditch all insignia except for a few pins. Those fit nicely on the collar and pocket flaps.

Oh boy, that's a tough one. Personally, I would not exhaust whatever little capital I have to enforce uniform standards unless someone's appearance is clearly inappropriate. It sounds like these individuals may have missed the mark for the event, but in their minds, it was probably just silly fun. Does their appearance impede your ability to offer a safe and enjoyable program for youth in your area? If the answer is "no," pick a different battle.

Thank you for the warm welcome and encouragement.

Hello! I enjoyed Scouting as a youth and am excited to see the program through my son's eyes this Fall when he begins Cub Scouts. While I've been away from Scouting, I've kept tabs on the program by occasionally visiting my council website and this forum. Thank you to all who have posted over the years. I've enjoyed the good-natured dialogue and some of the frankness that can't be found in official BSA outlets. I hope to contribute to the discussion. As a kid, I had the good fortune of belonging to a strong Troop in a strong District. This lead to an unbelievable number of program opportunities for the boys in my neighborhood. Many of us earned our Eagle badges, staffed the local council camp, and held offices in our OA Lodge. Those experiences were all made possible by an unusually high concentration of quality volunteers in our area. In joining this forum, I hope to find ideas and guidance to help put on a top-notch Cub Scout program at my son's elementary school. I'm also looking forward to chatting about Scouting and some of my past experiences. My wife is probably sick of hearing the same stories. 🙂 Best Regards, BetterWithCheddar