Charter Organization Patch On Uniform

[Thomas54 10]

 

 

I have always thought that the Charter should get recognition on the uniform. I would place the Charter's association emblem in the "temporary" patch pocket area. The patch would identify the scout as an LDS, United Methodist, Catholic, Rotarian, PTA... scout. The BSA appears to want the scout to look as if BSA were the sole contributor the scout's program. In fact I think if we added up all the cost for meting rooms, camp equipment, committee over sight, and the likes, that the units use more of the Charter's resources than the BSA's. Without this becoming the main thyme of the debate I believe most will agree that the charter supplies a significant amount of resources to the troop. I just think for that contribution the Charter association should get recognized on the most visible part of the program, the scout's uniform.

 

I also believe that recognition would help improve relationship between the BSA and the Charters.

 

What say Ye?

 

 

[shortridge 184]

COs already get recognition on the troop flag. And there's nothing stopping a CO right now from creating a temporary patch and asking its Scouts to wear it on their uniforms.

[perdidochas 658]

Sounds unnecessary to me, but if your CO wants it, do it. Most kids in a district know what troop is associated with which CO. I remember knowing that as a kid.

[Gary_Miller 10]

There is already a temporay patch for LDS church that can be worn on the uniform.

 

Here is the web site to order them.

 

http://ldsbsa.org/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=6&zenid=7bedcd4038b47dae439e3c64e4855948

[ScoutNut 147]

Not all Charter Organizations supply "a significant amount of resources to the troop". Some CO's are extremely hands off. Some to the extent that they offer no resources at all, and barely even recognize that they charter a BSA unit.

 

If your Troop wants to recognize it's CO, the Troop flag is the traditional place to do it.

 

 

[Oak Tree 15]

Many COs do provide significant resources, and BSA in general provides only things we pay for. Nevertheless, I'm not sure I want a CO patch on the uniform. If anything, I'd think it would belong as a strip under the unit number.

 

Mom and Dad provide most of the resources for most Scouts, but we don't put their names on the uniform, either.

 

It's also traditional to recognize the CO on the troop trailer.

[Greaves 10]

My son is a Baptist in a Catholic unit.

 

I would not have let him join it if he had to wear a patch identifying him either as a Catholic (because he's not) or a Baptist (because he'd stand out.)

 

[frankpalazzi 62]

The American Legion offers an "American Legion Scout/Scouter" patch which AL sponsored troops can wear. Quite sharp, too.

[VigilEagle04 10]

I kind of agree with Oak Tree on this one (maybe it's the name, I'm partial to oaks, lol). I think if anything, a strip above, or below, the unit numbers (I'm thinking above) would be about the most I would go, if anything. That being said, if the CO gave each Scout a temporary patch, that'd be fine in my book. The Scouts don't have to wear it, but they could.

 

There are many options, maybe have the Scouts sew it on the back of their merit badge sashes (I think this would be a neat display, especially if the troop wears their sashes regularly). If the troop does those custom neckerchiefs, they could but the CO on their, something I've seen done regularly here.

 

Me personally, the troop flag is fine. If you're a troop that proudly carries it about like we did, you'll give tons of recognition to your CO from that.

[Thomas54 10]

 

The flag is tucked away in the corner collapsed into a drape. The uniform is out in public and reminds the scout who is providing a lot of the resources and accepting the risk. It announces to the public the charity support the organization is providing to youths in the community.

 

Greaves your comment drips with ingratitude towards your son's charter. He could earn and be awarded the Baptist religious emblem to distinguish himself as a Baptist.

 

(This message has been edited by Thomas54)

[Troop24 12]

When our Scouts earn First Class they are presented with a custom troop necker. This necker has a replica of our CO church and other local memorabilia represented on it. It is presented to the First Class Scout as a rite of passage. All of our Scouts wear our troop t-shirts that have the same custom troop design on the back and a custom design on the front pocket area that identifies the CO by name and location (as does the large decal on the troop trailer). That is just recognition for their efforts in chartering our troop. I do not think there needs to be any further patch or doo-dad on the field uniform to indicate their sponsorship.

[Greaves 10]

Thomas54 said: Greaves your comment drips with ingratitude towards your son's charter. He could earn and be awarded the Baptist religious emblem to distinguish himself as a Baptist.

 

Drips ingratitude? Really? I thought I was stating my opinion plainly, without emotionalism. Sorry about miscommunicating there.

 

We support our CO. My son participates in the church's clean up day, the LAMB drive, the canned food drive, and so on. We attend Mass on Scout Sunday.

 

But we're not Catholic, and we don't pretend to be. If a Catholic emblem were part of the unit's traditions, we wouldn't be part of the unit. Why would we run under false colors?

 

(BTW, He has earned his religious emblem. He wears the square knot, and doesn't wear the medal. I think he lost it.)

[shortridge 184]

Thomas54 -

 

Again, there's nothing that bars any CO from issuing such a patch to be worn on the temp patch pocket. It's entirely up to the CO. So there's no problem.

[Thomas54 10]

 

 

If we place an emblem on the pocket where the temporary patch goes won't we be questioned if all our uniforms have it over the course of a 2-3 years?

 

Would the uniform cops arrest our Eagles just as mom is about to pin him?

 

 

[VigilEagle04 10]

"The flag is tucked away in the corner collapsed into a drape. The uniform is out in public and reminds the scout who is providing a lot of the resources and accepting the risk. It announces to the public the charity support the organization is providing to youths in the community."

 

That's the difference here. When I was a Scout, if we were out doing something, the flag was there, along with our patrol flags. Service project somewhere? The flags would be nearby for all to see. Scouting for Food? They would be there. If we were anywhere as a unit, that flag was there. People knew where we were from, lol.