Displaying patches and awards

[klsdr 10]

Please share your good ideas for displaying our boys' past advancement patches and pins.

thanks

[LPC_Thumper 10]

You want what I know as best, or what National says?

 

Yes folks thats right, Thumper has an area where National needs to WAKE UP!!! We need to be able to decorate the red felt jackets like we did when I was a boy!

 

Ok I'm done venting now... National suplies a red vest to put patches and things on (but not rank badges), or you can get a "brag rag". These could be a cloth where patches and their associated rockers could be displayed. Most are about 3 square feet of a felt material, but the best was always the red jacket... sorry trying to control myself. I'd be interested to see what others say on this post. Hope I can hold it together... in with the good air, out with the bad air, one more breath... Must have red jackets!!!

[OldGreyEagle 5]

I can tell you what my mother did. She put together a home made quilt, its rather simple as far as quilts go, one foot squares with a fler-de-lis quilted in the panels. Centered in the panels are the patches and ranks I earned and received as a scout. The very center has the troop and pack numbers with the community strip and then it branches from there.

[LPC_Thumper 10]

OGE,

 

That's a great idea... See I was able to gain my composure again.

 

My wife took our son's tee-shirts, cut the silkscreens out of them into squares, and quilted them into a blanket, but not the patches and things. That really would be nice! Thanks for sharing that GREAT idea!

[hops_scout 9]

My mom made a red vest for me when I was in Cub Scouts. It is full. Now, I am just collecting them and trying to decide if I want her to sew them onto a blanket or something.

 

On a side note, my mom made a blanket for the pack that every boy who was in at the point and leader would have a like a patch or something with their name on them. When they left the pack, their rank at which they left at was put onto their patch. It is displayed at things like Pinewood Derby, Blue and Gold, etc

 

 

[Fat Old Guy 11]

"Yes folks thats right, Thumper has an area where National needs to WAKE UP!!! We need to be able to decorate the red felt jackets like we did when I was a boy!"

 

Was that ever approved or was it just tolerated?

[ManyIrons 10]

Whether approved or tolerated, I wish national would just state why it is currently not authorized. Has anyone ever asked the question and gotten an answer?(This message has been edited by ManyIrons)

[FScouter 24]

I never asked the question. But I think its already been answered in the Insignia Guide. Uniforms and uniform pieces are controlled by BSA and it would not be appropriate to encourage individuals to put any and all patches on uniform pieces.

 

The red wool jac-shirt issued by BSA is considered a uniform piece. The Insignia Guide states how patches should be placed on the official jac-shirt. If the "red felt jacket" LPC_Thumper is referring to is the official BSA jac-shirt, the answer has already been given.

 

Put the patches on some other piece of clothing, like a sweatshirt or some other jacket.

[ManyIrons 10]

That's a good point FScouter, I'd forgotten about that aspect. But I still think that BSA could authorize the wear of official Scout patches on an official Scout jacket. Again, I wish they would at least state a reason why it isn't authorized. Even if it was "we don't like the cluttered appearance". I may not agree with it or like it, but at least I'd know why.

 

Sign me,

 

Abiding, but wondering somewhere in Illinois

[9muckraker7 11]

This is probably against national policy or something but I'll mention it anyway...

 

I once saw a scout wearing his rank badges on the back of his merit badge sash. It seemed like a pretty good idea..

[KoreaScouter 13]

I have a multi-pocket red vest, not the felt, but made out of a cotton/poly blend. It's lined with a mesh to help it breathe. I put event patches on the back, and on the front I have my name embroidered, unit number, a CSP, and my WB patrol emblem. I put everything in those pockets, then I'm not sitting on them, can get at them while I'm walking, sitting, driving, whatever.

 

I don't wear it with

[Eamonn 61]

I do have a campfire blanket that my Mother started for me many moons ago.

OJ has a red felt vest that did at one time fit him.

On my red wool jacket I wear the BSA patch on the pocket and a world jamboree patch on the back. It does have a non -approved pickle pin on the collar.

I have amassed a lot of patches over the years these are tossed in Tupperware boxes.

A while back we had a district camporee and the theme was Scouting as it was. We used stuff from old Scout Handbooks, Signaling and other good stuff. A pal of mine gave every Scout who attended one of his old Scout patches. Most were from district Camporees from in the day. I like that idea.

Eamonn.

[Fuzzy Bear 12]

Once upona time, National had a gray leather-like trophy hide they issued. It was in the shape of a skinned cow but only about 18 inches wide and 24 inches long. My Mom sewed all of my Scout patches on it at an odd angle but parallel to each other. A few years later, perfectionism got the best of me and I ripped them off. I was going to sew them at the best of all possible angles when I discovered that sewing them took a good machine and very good skill. Since that discovery, my display urges have taken a backseat to other projects needing lesser abilities.

 

I have thought of other ways to display my patches. One way would be to use a large scrapbook. One was to build a bookcase to put them in and face it with glass. Another way was to use Scout uniform like material to sew them on and put them under a large glass picture frame.

 

I have never liked the red vest. I also don't like the trophy blanket. I am not sure of the reasons. The best ones I can think of is that some of the patches are rare and should be treated with care. Also, the patches represent a person's trail through Scouting and should be presented in a way that tells a story that makes sense. I believe that Scouting gives us a unique opportunity to learn and enjoy many things. I want to be able to share some of those things beyond my lifetime. Hopefully, some of those stories/displays will be passed on to my children and their children.

 

I purchased a box of papers from a Scouter about three years ago. I was excited to see all of the old certificates of appreciation and advancement and National Recognitions for training from this gentleman that had died. What I saw was a history of a Scouter over many decades. I really wanted to know more about him because he loved and lived Scouting. There was a story, a good one but he had failed to fill in the blanks and he didn't know how to pass it on.

 

Our life belongs to us but we should not fail to let others know about some of the high points. I was in a class several years ago and the assignment was to write what we wanted on our headstones when we died. I now understand the reason that writing just a few words about the essential me is too little. When we leave, we need to be more than just a few words on a rock because we really are.

 

FB

 

 

FB

 

[BPwannabe@137 10]

I just take the patch down to the tattoo parlor and have them copy it onto my skin. It's perminant, waterproof, and looks really cool when I am at the waterfrount. Besides, since my skin is not part of the uniform, it passes National Standard.

 

OK-I couldn't resist. Truth is I have my cubs put them on the red vest. Boy Scouts look silly in the red vests, so I recommend a camp blanket or a few on the red jacket. I have to admit that I like the red jacket plain but couldn't resist putting one large and four small patches centered around the back representing the camps I was at as a youth. My personal opinion with the jacket is what ever makes you happy. Sorry National.

[LPC_Thumper 10]

Since I was asked about either National supoprting the idea of patches on the red jacket, or just enduring it... let me say this,

 

In 1965 I started my Scouting career as a cub scout. I stayed in program until 1975 when cars, girls, jobs, girls, college, (did I mention girls?) on it the way. It seemed then like a much better way to spend the weekend, was with the above list rather than 11 year old boys.

 

Anyway back then, EVERYONE work red jackets with patches, including the models in the Scout Catelog. SO I'd say it was the proper use of the jacket then. Now sometime between 1975 (when I left) and 1984 (when my son was born) it became BAD and WRONG to put patches on your red jackets.

 

If I were kind we'd go back to those days with the jackets. Just trying to clear up the position. Thanks!