Lifeguard patch on uniform

[donbixby 10]

I'm a scoutmaster that took some time this last summer camp to earn my Lifeguard patch. We actually had enough leaders at camp this year that I had the time to go to the class. I know the patch is supposed to be worn on swim trunks. I'd rather put the patch on my uniform, since I wear that more often than I go swimming (although now that I'm officially a lifeguard, maybe I'll have to go swimming more often).

 

Can I put the patch on my right shirt pocket as a temporary/activity patch?

 

 

[SSScout 1624]

'Fraid not. Check www.usscouts.org/advance/boyscout/lifeguard .

 

Get your baggies out, and sew on the 'guard patch, mile swim and WSI patch, if you get there.

 

I've seen some Scout Camp waterfronts award a nice red jacket to their 'guards. And the boys sew on their aquatics badges on the sleeves. But not on the 'field' shirt. Not even supposed to put it on the back of the MB sash, which has recently been okeyed for "tempo" badges like Camp Patches and such.

 

Be glad you have the skills and strength and pray you never are called on to seriously demonstrate them for real.

 

YiS, wet or dry.

[John-in-KC 311]

OTOH,

 

Who is going to care besides Uniform Pharisees?

[Oak Tree 15]

The official text from the Insignia Guide is this:

 

*BSA Lifeguard, cloth, No. 00132, Boy Scout, right side of swim trunks.

 

The star indicates that the item is also available to Venturers. There's a typo here, because it should say "Boy Scout and Scouter", the same way the 50-miler and Historic Trails Award do, but that doesn't affect the answer to your question.

 

Maybe you could just be Uniform Licensee and wear it on the right pocket.

 

Oak Tree

[John-in-KC 311]

OT,

 

To your last... Works for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....

 

Frankly, I'd spend a lot more time helping units get 2-3 leaders and 2-3 youth BSA Lifeguard qualified so they can have a year round aquatics program IAW G2SS.

 

 

John

who is currently out of certification as a BSA lifeguard.

[Hunt 11]

Have a new patch made that recognizes your achievement, but that is NOT the official lifeguard emblem. Get it approved as temporary insignia by your local Scout Executive, and wear it on your right pocket.

(Anybody have a name for somebody who comes up with a convolutedly legal way to do what you wanted to do anyway?)

 

For the record, even as a middle-of-the-roader, I wouldn't wear the Lifeguard patch on the field uniform, because the Insignia Guide makes it pretty clear that this isn't approved. Does anybody know why this is?

[SSScout 1624]

Hunt:

 

Possibilities as they occur to me...

1) Don't want to clutter up the uni with too many patches and badges. Ruins the nip in the waist.

 

2) Anyone rescued by a Scout type person would no doubt want to check and make sure the rescuer was properly certified for the job ("TRAINED").

 

3) Spread the badges around on more sites, therefore allowing more badges to be awarded. (sold?)

 

4) Get opposite gender folks to glance/stare at the handsome, muscular leg/glutes.

 

5) Cover up the hole torn in the side of the baggies which was torn during an unauthorized detour thru some less than easily traversed pathways.

 

6) If it was on the Field shirt, "they" might expect you to be ready to jump in when trouble threatens. Kinda like wearing a (blank)Uniform? "Hey, he's wearing a LG patch!! He'll know what to do!!" Thereby avoiding unwarranted liability issues.

 

YiS, TiCh

[donbixby 10]

I agree with JKC that it is probably more important to be trained or help others get trained than where to stick the patch. I just like to be able to earn things and show off to the boys that earning awards can be fun. I like Hunt's suggestion on creating my own temporary patch. Putting those together, I suppose it would make sense to work on LG with a group and everyone could get the patch. I've just changed from being a SM to organizing a new Varsity Team, so we could do LG as part of the swimming pin.

 

I'm surprised that I don't see more of the LG or CPR certification going on out there. One of my WB tickets was to get our troop CPR certified, but I've never seen another group do a Red Cross cert all together. With as many times as I've earned Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat, it seems weird that they talk as little as they do about having a lifeguard. I know a lot of leaders that have done the CPR cert on their own, but not as a troop.