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Eagle Palm Colors


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Ok, here's another uniform question that's bothered me for years. Why are Eagle Scout palms colored bronze, gold, and silver, rather than bronze, silver and gold (as in traditional medal colors for the Olympics). The same question applies to old Senior Patrol leader and Asst. Senior Patrol leader patch border colors. From what I remember, SPL borders were silver and ASPL borders were gold (I think now all troop leader patch borders are gold). Does silver represent wisdom perhaps? I guess the Silver Beaver Award could be thrown in here too. Why isn't it the "Gold Beaver." I've never been able to find anyone who knows the answer to these questions. Any insight would be appreciated. We have several scouts who have recently earned Eagle Palms and no one seems to know why they're colored as they are.

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This was argued about not too long ago. Some heraldry sites state that silver was a higher ranked metal than gold because its white color represented purity. Odd, considering that silver tarnishes and gold doesn't.

 

The Bronze, Silver, Gold ranking of medals as in the Olympics is a fairly recent invention.

 

A few years ago, I read an explanation of the meaning of the colors in the Scouting context but I can't find that reference.

 

 

 

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I, too, have read the reference that Fat Old Guy refers to. Silver is more pure than gold -- 24k gold is too soft to mold and hold its shape and, so I've read, that's why the BSA chose Silver as the highest.

 

As to the position patches, Silver (whether it's Scout Executive or other position) means primary and "front-line" service. The gold means support. My Scout Executive's patch (and the D.E.) patches all have the silver olive leaf wreaths while mine (as Assistant Scout Executive) has a gold olive wreath for support.

 

Silver = primary

Gold = support

 

DS

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See, the way I "heard" it was while gold was the symbol of the Roman army, the Caesar's symbol was silver. In the first Olympics of the modern era (1896 in Athens) first place was awarded Silver and second received Gold.

 

http://www.didyouknow.cd/sport/olympics.htm

 

(last time I said something and did not provide a reference I was accused of being responsible for the decline of the western world or the BSA at the very least)

 

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I always assumed (and perhaps naievly) that since these are suppose to be "Eagle Palms" or feathers, that a silver or white eagle palm would indeed be rarer than say a bronze or golden one. I can only think that such a feather would come from the head of a bald eagle therby making it above all others. (i know its kind of sappy but it works for me.) Looking at the military insignia for american officers in all the services, when there are 2 similar insignia for dififerent ranks (2lt & 1lt or major and LtCol) the silver is always higher. all generals and admirals add silver stars. Since I alway try to downplay any "para military" appearances of scouting, I will stick with my original explanation.

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" Looking at the military insignia for american officers in all the services, when there are 2 similar insignia for dififerent ranks (2lt & 1lt or major and LtCol) the silver is always higher. all generals and admirals add silver stars."

 

In another thread, I posted a link to an Army website that explains how the silver/gold thing came about for the officer's insignia. There's no heraldric significance, it was a matter of practicality and economics at the time they were adopted.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Of course this question keeps coming up because it seems like almost all sporting events award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medal winners with gold, silver, and bronze... the boys and parents have all been exposed to that and expect something similar. And the relative value of gold to silver doesn't help either. Could be anything arbitrary: copper, bronze, steel was the succession of metal technology for swords and that makes about as much sense. If it was all logical we wouldn't have much to discuss here!

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