Do Patrol Emblems have to be embroidered to be official?

[MrsSmith]

Do Patrol Emblems have to be embroidered to be official? My son's patrol wants a unique patrol name and wants to know if they can use permanent markers or fabric paint to design their patrol patch. Is it official enough for inspections?

[VentureScoutNY]

Well, I am not sure about Officialy, when it comes to the uniform as a whole. In my Troop, we had a Patrol also create their own emblem and name, they called themselves the Piranha Patrol. They used markers and fabirc paint as well. BSA does sell blank patches, so I would assume it would be officil when it comes to the uniform inspection. The final decesion may land in the hands of your unit leaders or the PLC.

[NWScouter]

My sons patrol, back in the 80s took the blank patrol patch (I think they still sell it) and used magic markers to cerate the Big Foot patrol patch, a big footprint. I see no problem and find no reference to how the patch is to be made in the insignia guide.

[KoreaScouter]

There's a blank patrol patch so you can design your own. Whether or not it needs to be embroidered would, I think, be something I'd discuss with your unit commissioner provided your unit leader's okay with it. Your commish is the only person outside your unit who would ever inspect your uniforms.

 

Every unit I've been with has had at least one patrol with a non-standard patch, and they've always used the blank patch and had them locally embroidered. It's not that expensive, and holds up to repeated washings much better than anything drawn or painted.

 

KS

 

 

[Bob White]

I saw a patrol once use the blank patch and kept it blank, they were the Ghost patrol. Nothing says the medallion must be embroidered.

 

[AK-Eagle]

I have a patrol that uses patrol emblems from the Australian scouts Spider patrol

 

YIS

Phil

[KA6BSA]

All the patrols in our National Jamboree troop made up their own patches and had them embroidered. There were the Monkeys and many others... the only one the leaders would not accept as is was the Mountain Dew patrol because it was a commercial product. The boys ended up changing it to something like "Do the Dew" patrol with a green can on the patch, but not actually recognizable as the soda logo. With made-up patrol names you do need to avoid the usual commercial and possibly offensive choices like mega-death skulls. And consider getting a few extras made for boys joining the patrol later.

[Eamonn]

KASBSA

Just wondering what the patrol yell of the Mega-death Skull patrol might be? If they were to join up with the Do The Dew patrol would they become the Die The Dew?

(That weired English sense of humor at work)

Eamonn

[OldGreyEagle]

Best use of the blank patrol patch I saw was for the Stealth Patrol, the yell was an open mouth with no sound and the flag was a regular scout stave with a 2 foot sheet of saran wrap stappled to it

[Twocubdad]

Back in the day, we were always the Aardvark patrol, simply because we were usually first in line.

[MrsSmith]

Would an Eagle Board of Review frown on a "homemade" patrol patch? I would not know how to go about getting them embroidered around here. And $60+ to have BSA crank them out (minimum order 12) is too pricey.

[EagleInKY]

If that's what the Eagle BOR focuses on, then they're not doing their job. If they ask about it, he should say "we came up with this cool patrol name, and this is the patch we designed". It shouldn't have any impact (assuming the appropriateness of the name & logo, of course).

[le Voyageur]

On a side note, one technique that makes for a very unique patrol patch is the use of applique using simple folk art; or native American designs as seen in molas....

[evmori]

We had a patrol use the blank patch. They were known as "The Lost Patrol"!

[MrsSmith]

Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

So if no one believes that embroidery is REQUIRED, then what about using the iron-on tranfers designed for use with home printers? If the boys designed the emblem on the computer and then printed it out, the only hurdle would seem to be ironing in that small of a space.

 

Maybe it seems too modern - not rugged enough - but, hey, this is the 21st century: GPS, polypropolene, no-impact campfires, etc. (I have been studying up)