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Blue star on troop flag???


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After seeing the question about gold stars on the troop flag, I was curious to know about blue stars.

 

My troop as a blue star in the top left corner (nearest the pole) of the flag, and noone seems to know why.

 

I've asked our DE as well as numerous "old-timers".

 

Tim

Troop 99

Albany, OR

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A Blue Star would be attached to a flag to honor a person on active duty military service. A Gold Star would be attached to a flag to honor a person killed during active military service. I would suggest that you try to contact one of the troops own old-timers (ex committee members/leaders) to see if they can shed light on why there is a Blue Star on your unit's flag. If no one in the current leadership knows why it's there, then the reason for it being there may no longer be valid and it could be removed.

 

Calico

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Problem solved? I wouldn't say so - sounds more like taking the easy way out - and here's why - the stars are put there to honor a specific person in the military, not just whomever happens to be serving in active duty at the time. If no one in the current unit knows who the star was honoring, then that star should be retired. Not trying to bust your chops here Cigar (and thanks for serving!) - just trying to suggest the honorable thing for a Scout Troop to do. My suggestion is to keep trying to find out who that star was placed on the flag to honor. In the meantime, to honor you, a new star should be placed on the flag - each serviceman should get their own star. I've never encountered a unit that put Blue Stars on their unit flags but it sounds like it could become a grand tradition.

 

A suggestion I'd have for a unit participating in the Blue Star program would be to remove the Blue Star from the flag when that person's military service has ended, have it framed with perhaps your council's CSP, your unit's number, and maybe a picture of the unit flag with the star(s) on it and present it to the person for whom it honored as a rememberance.

 

Just food for thought.

 

Calico

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There is no provision in BSA for stars on a unit flag other than the gold star for a serviceman/woman killed in service. While honoring military people is not a bad thing, blue stars is not a Scout thing. The troop flag is not a military flag.

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uz2bnowl -- don't know if they were from Calapooia or not. We held a three-District Camporall this summer and I saw two other troop flags with the star.

 

Since I've only been with the troop about 18 months, and none of the other Scouters knew why it was there, I figured I'd ask the ?

 

Tim

Troop 99

Albany, OR

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Great - as if the uniform police were not enough - now we have to deal with the flag police (just kidding - big wide grin).

 

The folks who have pointed out that the Blue Star doesn't belong on the flag are right - only Gold Stars are permitted by the regs.

 

However (you all saw that coming, didn't you): in times of war (whether we agree with the war or not) this is one rule I wouldn't mind being bent if circumstances warranted. If I were the Scoutmaster of a Troop who had a leader or parent called to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan and the Troop decided to put a Blue Star on the flag while that person was overseas, I would paraphrase Robert Conrad (famous tough guy actor - remember the Black Sheep Squadron?) in those Ever-ready battery commercials and dare anyone to try to remove that star from the flag.

 

More food for thought.

 

Calico

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A little confused here. We are in a military town. Our flag would need about 16 blue stars, since most of our parents and leaders are active duty, as would every other unit in the council. On the other hand, we have had several scouts "age out" and join the military...one is now in the Army in Afghanistan. Should we have a star for him, since he's no longer registered with the troop? I pray that we never have to wonder about gold star protocol.

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My dad was a conscientious objector during WW2. Instead of the Army, he served with the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey, for double the Army enlistment time and for less pay too. Can I put a silver star on our troop flag? Maybe a bigger star too, since he served longer.

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I don't think the blue star is for someone currently serving on active duty as much as it is for someone actually serving in the war zone. Scoutldr may need only stars for those actually serving in the war zone.

 

BTW, Scotldr, ask your aged out scout's parents if they have a general power of attorney, if so, you may consider registering him and sending him Scouting Magazine. Keep him informed about what's going on in the troop.

 

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Fascinating. After the lack of history concerning the gold stars, I am very curious to know what can be uncovered on the history of these blue stars -- how far back do they date, and were they ever officially sanctioned special flag decorations? (anyone have an insignia guide from the late 40's?).

 

That aside, I am definitely in agreement, there is no current provision in the Insignia Guide allowing for this decoration on unit flags.

 

I'm a touch hesitant to remove something like that, wondering who will suddenly appear from the woodwork, offended, but if someone were to show up in that fashion, you'd suddenly have a lot more information than you have now!

 

By the same measure, we might too quickly destroy the last bit of traceable history of some long-forgotten tradition. You mention that there are other units in your area that also have these blue stars -- Before taking any steps, I'd be happy for one or more troop historians to collect and post some data on local units from your area that have blue stars, along with any other data they can collect about when/why/where they came from.

 

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