Help needed identifying scout flag ribbon/ streamer

[jwwt2000]

Hi,

I'm new to the site. I'm an Eagle Scout from the Boston Minuteman Council. I recently catalogued and organized the ribbons/ streamers on my troop's flag. They were mostly quality/honor units, 100% Boy's Life, and jamboree participation. The oldest ribbons were two identical ones from 1959. They read "ONWARD FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY / NATIONAL RECOGNITION 1959" They are about 23 inches long and are a gold color. I don't know if that's the original color because they are both very faded and dirty, one more than the other. They also have a Boy Scouts of America seal on the top which is half faded so it may also say something else, and on the bottom there is what looks like three scouts (possably cub, scout, and venture) in front of George Washington and "onward for god and my country" again under the picture. All I have found on Google is items listed in troop archives. I would like to know what this program/ event was. 1960 would be the 50 year anniversary of scouting in America; did it have something to do with that? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Narraticong]

I'm not familiar with that ribbon, or just what program it might represent. But I have a neckerchief slide in my collection which sounds like it would match your description of the picture of GW with Scouts. It's of a brass-like metal.

 

I'd guess that they had something to do with the 50th Anniversary.

[emb021]

There were a few national program emphasis things done back then.

 

Most likely this tied in with it. No idea if there were certain requirements to achieve to get the ribbon (most likely there were).

 

 

[jwwt2000]

Thanks for the imput! Since posting this I found a picture of former scouts from my troop that would date around 1960. One of the scouts has a patch on his uniform that says "Jubilee Camporee/ Boy Scouts of America/ 50 Years of Scouting/ For God and Country" Besides the missing "My" I think this is a pretty safe match. The only other thing is that the patch says 1910 - 1960 and the ribbon says 1959. But if we look at today's example as we approach the centennial which is not untill 2010, but they introduced the "Centennial Quaility Unit" back in 2007. If similar reasoning is applied, then the mismatched dates could be explained. I guess this picture is my missing link!

[jwwt2000]

emb021's post just raised another question. What was requiered for "National Recognition" I would believe it may be similar to today's Cenntennial Quality Unit award.

[shortridge]

The "Onward For God and My Country" program seems to have been a four-year initiative begun in 1956 and running through 1960.

 

Troop 180 of Carmel, Ind., has a Web site with a history of the Quality Unit Award that includes this statement:

 

A four year program called "Onward for God and my Country" ran from 1956 to 1960.

Unit goals and achievements were again set at the time of registration around manpower,

program, and membership. Units earned the "Onward for God and my Country" Award

for attaining 75% of its goals and showing a net increase in youth. Council's had

to attain 75% of their achievements in "Ten Test of Successful Scouting" and

show net growth.

 

http://www.troop180carmel.com/Quality%20Unit%20History.pdf

 

I found some tangential references here:

 

http://www.bsa14.org/history/1950.html

http://www.geocities.com/~PACK215/hist-cshistory.html

http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/xml/m0855.xml

 

There's also a Norman Rockwell painting of that title, with George Washington kneeling in prayer in the background, and a Boy Scout and Cub Scout in the foreground.

 

And by the way, kudos for sorting through and organizing your troop's history! You might want to look at giving a copy of your research to the local historical society and library in your area. I'm sure they'd love to have it.

 

(This message has been edited twice by shortridge)(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[jwwt2000]

Thanks!

Your info and those websites were very helpful. This will be a very important addition to my troop's recorded history. I will take your advice on sharing my troop's history. I already have a contact in my town's historical society which I made through my Eagle Scout Project and some research I did when I was in high school. I am also trying to see if my council has a historical organization. Although, my council is not the most organized council and is rumored to be considering disbanding and splitting the troops to other local councils. It would be a shame, but it is just rumors now. But that is a discussion for another time! Again thanks for the info!

[emb021]

"What was requiered for "National Recognition" I would believe it may be similar to today's Cenntennial Quality Unit award."

 

Nope.

 

Sea Scout Ships had local, regional, national flagship recognitions going back to the 1930s. This concept was later expanded to other senior programs later one.

 

Later, this concept was brought over to scout troops, first with the president's honor troops, which ran for 4-5 years, then Honor Unit, which later became Quality units.

 

Recognition was mainly in the form of patches on the sleeve, as well as ribbons and plaques later on.