Flag streamers--when did these begin to be presented to units?

[Laurie]

The pack I serve has 46 years in tenure, but the oldest streamers are dated 1983. In trying to pull unit history together, can you tell me if there was a particular time that units began to receive the streamers? I'm curious as to whether we just have some missing, have years where they weren't earned, or whether they just weren't issued/awarded. Thanks!

[dsteele]

I don't know how long streamers have been around, but I can shove it a few years before 1983. I joined a pack in the early '70's and they had ribbons on the flag. Some of the ribbons dated back, but I can't remmember how far.

 

Streamers decay over time and were quite possible tossed out. I think the oldest one I've seen dated back to the '50's, but I think they've been around longer than that.

 

I mean silk screening is pretty inexpensive and been around since ancient days . . . so it's possible that unit streamers in the BSA go back to it's origin.

[eisely]

One alternative would be to remove the old streamers and mount them in a shadow box or something. Some of them may rightfully belong to patrols from camporee competitions. It might not be a bad idea to do this annually.

 

Award streamers have been around as long as I can remember, and that is decades. I surmise that they are modeled after military battle streamers awarded to units for participation in various campaigns. Military units also get recognized with "presidential citations" and the like for particular achievements.

[OR Pioneer]

I remember Pack 172 of Tarzana, California getting streamers in the 1950's when I was a boy. And Troop 157 of Tarzana had quite a few on the flag when I joined in about 1956.

[eagle90]

OUr troop just celebrated our 50th Anniversary, and the oldest ribbon on our flag dates back to 1955. Very faded and hard to read!

 

[Laurie]

Thank you all! Many of our streamers are very faded now too. I'm not willing to take them off the flag just yet though--maybe when they begin to unravel I will. The shadow box is a neat idea. I was hoping to scrapbook them, but they are too long. I am going to take a little time to photograph them on the digital camera though and then make up a CD of the streamers. In fact, there are many pack items that have history attached to them: old pinewood derby cars (70s), old books, old certificates that show some wear. Before putting them into displays, I'll photograph them as well. One day, these items may fade away, but we'll have something to remember them by. Since we are learning so much about the pack from these items, I hate the idea of not trying to preserve them in some way. I think the history of the pack is important. Thanks again!