Strange New Jersey Uniform Option?

[Fat Old Guy 11]

Okay, maybe it wasn't because the troop was from New Jersey but they did do something that I had never seen before and my Uniform Police citation book was screaming to be used.

 

I saw a troop this weekend from someplace in New Jersey, it could have been Litfield or Littleton, I don't recall. They were wearing the old style community strips on the left sleeve. Nothing strange in that, I've seen many troops do that. What was strange was that they wore a CSP on the right sleeve where the flag should go.

 

 

[FScouter 24]

Next thing you know they'll be wearing green pants from the Old Navy store, or black pants so they can all be "uniform".

[Fat Old Guy 11]

There is a big difference between substituting an item of the uniform and not wearing what you have in a proper manner.

[SR540Beaver 116]

I have been wracking my brain trying to think of the name of a scouting organization I remember seeing on the internet. They had some units in the US and are very very similar to BSA, but are not. They follow BP's original 10 points of the law. For the life of me, I can't remember what they were called. Perhaps that is what these boys were, but that would not explain a "Council" patch if it was indeed a BSA Council patch.

[SR540Beaver 116]

I believe that what I was looking for is the Baden-Powell Scouting Association. A BSA troop from Fort Worth, TX contacted the UK organization about affiliating with them and carried dual association with B-PSA and BSA until switching over exclusively to B-PSA. They claim it is a more "traditional" scouting movement. It appears that units have been added in some additional states. Here is the website I believe I had previously seen.

 

http://www.1sttarrantbpscouts.org/index.html

[Fat Old Guy 11]

I like the B-P Scouting model. Not so much emphasis on merit badges.

 

However, these weren't B-P Scouts unless they wear buying their uniforms at the wrong store. They had BSA position patches, BSA strips above the right pocket, BSA CSPs (on the wrong arm).

 

I didn't ask about them but maybe I should. They probably were told that they need to wear the CSP but didn't want to give up the community strip.

 

[Owl62 13]

While I have not seen them available for regular sale for a long time, the old red with white lettering council or communittee strips are seen from time to time. I still have mine from a council. The Insignia Guide says on page 4 that "A custom designed multicolor shoulder emblem is designed for each council...." It says nothing about the older red and white version although since they were once auhorized, I see no reason why they cannot be worn - if worn properly. I have no idea why the member of that unit would wear them on their right sleeves. Perhaps one person sewed them all on and did not know the proper position for them, or maybe the unit leader gave incorrect information. Or maybe they are trying to make a statement. Seems like their Unit Commissioner or someone else could show them an insignia guide....

 

As for the Baden Powell Scouting Association - they just might have something. They appear to be growing in numbers.

 

 

[acco40 95]

It is my understanding that the "ld style" council strips are still "kosher" and that having the US Flag emblem on your uniform is optional. However, wearing the council strip on the wrong shoulder may encourage receiving a ticket from the "uniform police."

[KA6BSA 10]

It couldn't have been an "accident" to misplace the CSP since BSA supplies the shirts with the US flag already sewn on the right sleeve and they would have had to remove it to make a spot of the wrong-sleeve CSP. What kind of a unit in the USA would object to wearing the US flag, or think it was less important than a CSP?(This message has been edited by KA6BSA)

[Fat Old Guy 11]

" What kind of a unit in the USA would object to wearing the US flag, or think it was less important than a CSP?"

 

I don't remember the specific religions but I recall reading that there are religious based units that object to wearing the flag.