Uniform and insignia of the Boy Scouts of America
The Uniform and insignia of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) gives a Scout visibility and creates a level of identity within both the unit and the community. The uniform is used to promote equality while showing individual achievement. While all uniforms are similar in basic design, they do vary in color and detail to identify the different membership divisions of Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting and Venturing. Many people collect BSA insignia such as camporee and jamboree emblems, council shoulder strips and historical badges.
History
Early Boy Scout uniforms were copies of the U.S. Army uniforms of the time. Scouts generally wore knickers with leggings, a button-down choke-collar coat and the campaign hat. Adults wore a Norfolk jacket with knickers or trousers. In 1916, Congress banned civilians from wearing uniforms that were similar in appearance to those of the armed forces with the exception of the BSA.[1] The uniform was redesigned in 1923—the coat and leggings were dropped and the neckerchief standardized. The field cap was introduced in 1943. A major improvement in 1965 was the change from wool and cotton to permanent press materials. The Improved Scouting Program in 1972 included a major overhaul of badges and other insignia, replacing many two color patches with multicolor versions and also introduced the red beret.
The current uniforms were introduced 1980 with much of the design by Oscar de la Renta.[2] The major change was the two color uniform with tan shirt and green pants.
Explorers had a spruce green uniform, but by the 1970s many posts were developing their own uniform. Eventually only the shirt was available, leading many to wear the shirt with olive green Boy Scout pants or shorts. When Exploring was moved to Learning for Life in 1998, the new Venturing division used the spruce green shirt with charcoal gray pants.
The uniform had traditionally been referred to as the "field uniform", but the BSA now uses the terms "official Boy Scout uniform", "official Venturing uniform" and the like. With the introduction of the Switchbacks zip-off pants, the trend is towards a uniform emphasizing comfort and utility.
General
The uniform and insignia are variously protected by copyright, trademark, and congressional charter.[3] The BSA does allow usage for movies and other events, but this is done on a case by case basis. The BSA has rebuked instances where it was felt that the uniform was used inappropriately and without permission.[4] BSA rules and regulations also forbid the use of Scouting emblems for commercial or political purposes. Wear of the uniform and insignia is described in the various handbooks, the Insignia Guide and inspection sheets.[5][6][7][8]
Shirts
Official uniform shirts and blouses are of the button-up style with a pointed collar, two front button-flap pockets, and long or short sleeves. All shirts come with a U.S. flag attached to the right shoulder and a BSA logo strip above the right pocket.
Shoulder loops
All shirts except the blue Cub Scout shirt have shoulder straps (often referred to as epaulettes). Colored shoulder loops (often called tabs) are worn on the straps to indicate the membership level. Cub Scouting adults at the pack level and Webelos Scouts who choose to wear the khaki shirt use blue shoulder loops. Boy Scouts and troop-level adults use red shoulder loops, while Varsity Scouts and team-level adults use blaze (orange) loops. Green shoulder loops identify Venturing youth and adults at the crew level. Adults or youth with a district or council position wear silver loops while acting in them, while those with area, regional or national positions wear gold loops. Blue, red or blaze loops may not be worn on the green Venturing shirt and green loops may not be worn on the tan Boy Scout shirt.[5][9]
Insignia
A wide variety of insignia in the form of cloth patches are worn on the uniform. In general, patches that represent a position of responsibility or an award of merit are referred to as badges and all others are emblems. Other insignia is in the form of medals, ribbons and pins.[5]
Insignia such as merit badge sashes, medals, and pins are generally only worn only on formal occasions.
Square knot insignia
Medals and the like are not generally worn on the uniform for everyday use; instead, square knot insignia are worn to represent some awards. These insignia are small cloth patches with an embroidered square knot or other emblem that represents the actual award. The colors of the knot, the patch background and the patch border indicates the represented award.
Although they do not use a square knot insignia, the District Award of Merit, the Silver World Award and the Sea Badge award insignia are still referred to as square knots. The Distinguished Commissioner's Award, the District Award of Merit, the Professional Training Award and the series of Cub Scout leader awards do not have a wearable insignia other than the square knot.
Small metal pin-on devices may be worn to show the membership division or the level at which an award was presented. The devices may be used on medals and on the square knot insignia. For example, the Scouter's Training Award may be awarded as the Boy Scout Leader's Training Award, the Varsity Scout Leader's Training Award, the Venturing Leader's Training Award, the Sea Scout Leader's Training Award and the Roundtable Staff Training Award; the appropriate device may be worn to show the division in which the award was earned. Multiple devices may be worn if the award was earned at multiple levels.
Boy Scout and Varsity Scout uniform
The official Boy Scout uniform is the default uniform of the BSA and can be worn by any adult leader, by Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts and as an option for Webelos Scouts. Units vote to select uniform options for the belt, hat and neckwear.
The shirt is a khaki (tan) shirt. Adult and youth males wear olive green pants or shorts while female leaders may wear olive green pants, shorts, culottes or a skirt. Options for pants include the standard pants or the Switchbacks zip-offs that were introduced in 2006; these are made of lightweight nylon material and zip off at the knee to convert them into shorts. Socks are olive green knee with a red band around the top and are available in different lengths. The official belt is an olive webbed belt with a brass buckle with the Scout emblem; other belt styles are available. The shirt has buttons, a pointed collar, two front button-flap pockets, and shoulder epaulets with shoulder loops.
There are two current official hats: The twill cap is of the baseball cap style and is olive green with a red front panel and the Scout emblem. The campaign hat (or Smokey Bear hat) may be worn as a unit option, but is usually only worn by leaders due to cost and high upkeep. Any hat that was once part of the uniform, such as the red beret or the flat cap), may be worn as selected by the unit. Many units elect to create custom caps.
Neckwear includes the neckerchief and the bolo tie as selected by the unit. A variety of official neckerchiefs are available or the troop can create their own design. Many troops now opt not to wear neckwear. Special neckerchiefs such as Eagle Scout or Wood Badge are generally worn on formal occasions.
The uniform will be updated in late 2008 as the Centennial Boy Scout uniform. Pants will change to a forest green color, as will the cap, socks and shoulder loops. The uniform will be available in a selection of newer fabrics designed for more utility and comfort in the outdoors.[10]
Cub Scout uniform
The official Cub Scout uniform is worn by youths in Cub Scouting. The basic Cub Scout uniform consists of a navy blue shirt, navy blue pants, shorts or Switchbacks, navy blue socks with gold tops for Cub Scouts or orange tops for Tiger Cubs, a navy blue web belt with brass buckle with Cub Scout logo, a neckerchief with slide, and a navy blue cap with a colored panel. The shirt has buttons, a pointed collar, two front button-flap pockets, and short or long sleeves. The insignia on the cap, neckerchief, neckerchief slide and belt buckle vary by section: Tiger Cubs, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scouts.
Cub Scouter uniform for females
Female leaders in the Cub Scouting have the option of wearing the classic yellow blouse with navy blue pants, shorts, skirt or culottes instead of the official Boy Scout uniform.
Venturing uniform
Each Venturing crew votes on the desired uniform; they may use either the official Venturing uniform or may develop their own. Other than emblems, crew developed uniforms may not use elements of other BSA uniforms and must meet other uniform standards, such as not resembling military uniforms. In particular, Venturers may not wear the Boy Scout tan shirt— guidance on this was unclear in the past.[5][9]
The official Venturing uniform consists of the spruce green shirt, charcoal gray shorts or pants, gray socks and a gray web belt with brass buckle and Venturing logo. The shirt has buttons, a pointed collar, two front button-flap pockets, and short sleeves. Official hats are the gray cap and the gray brimmed hat with Venturing logo. Venturers may develop a unique crew emblem that, with approval from the Scout executive, may be worn on the right sleeve of the uniform.[9][11]
Sea Scouts uniform
Sea Scouts use traditional naval style uniforms sourced directly from the US Navy with buttons and other insignia from BSA Supply. The Sea Scout white cap with logo and the activity shirt are now available for wear.
Scouter dress uniform
The Scouter dress uniform is appropriate for professional Scouters and all Scouting leaders on formal occasions. The current version consists of a dark-blue, two-button blazer with white shirt or blouse and heather gray trousers, slacks or a skirt. The blazer's gold-plated buttons bear the universal emblem and an embroidered Cub Scout, Boy Scout or Venturing emblem is worn on the left pocket or lapel. A black leather belt with gold buckle is to be worn with trousers or slacks. Silk neckties with red, gold, and navy stripes are available for men and women. Black dress shoes and black socks or stockings are worn with the dress uniform.
Wood Badge
|
|
| Wood Badge training hat and neckerchief | Wood Badge beads, neckerchief and woggle |
During the Wood Badge course, Scouters, both staff and participants, wear the uniform of their unit and membership division; this is a change from the older custom where the uniform was worn without insignia other than the council shoulder patch and the Troop 1 numeral. The uniform is worn with the Wood Badge training hat, the neckerchief and with a woggle made during the opening sessions of the course. The hat and neckerchief use the Troop 1 numeral to represent the first troop to use the Wood badge program. The axe-in-log is the emblem of Gilwell Park where the first Wood Badge course was held and the Maclaren tartan honors William De Bois Maclaren, who donated the funding to purchase Gilwell Park in 1919 After completing Wood Badge, the beads, neckerchief and woggle are presented and worn.
Insignia
| right sleeve | right pocket | left pocket | left sleeve |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Boy Scout right sleeve.png | File:Boy Scout right pocket.png | File:Boy Scout left pocket.png | File:Boy Scout left sleeve.png |
| File:Venturer right sleeve.png | File:Venturer right pocket.png | File:Venturer left pocket.png | File:Venturer left sleeve.png |
Various insignia are worn by Scouts and Scouters representing unit membership, activities, accomplishments, honors and training.
Left sleeve
The council shoulder patch (sometimes called a council strip) is an arc-shaped patch worn at the top of the sleeve that identifies the local council. Some units may elect to wear the older community strip– a red arched patch with the name of the community and a rectangular patch with the state or territory. Below this, Scouts at the unit level wear a unit number and units with veteran status may wear a veteran unit bar above the numbers. Lone Cub Scouts and Lone Scouts wear the Lone Scout emblem in place of the unit numeral. Below this is worn any emblem that represents a position of responsibility. The trained emblem may be worn below the leadership emblem and may only be worn in conjunction with the current position. Qualified commissioners may wear the Commissioner Arrowhead Honor in the bottom-most position. Youth who are serving as a den chief may wear a den chief cord around the left shoulder and under the shoulder strap instead of the emblem. Den chiefs who earn the Den Chief Service Award or Webelos Den Chief Service Award may wear the service award cord in addition to the den chief cord, and may continue to wear it for as long as they are a youth.
Right sleeve
Official uniforms come with the US flag sewn to the top of the sleeve. Wear of the flag is optional– Scouts whose religion, tradition, or personal beliefs prevent them from displaying the flag are not required to do so.[citation needed] Below the flag, Cub Scouts (including Webelos) may wear a den number and Boy Scouts and Webelos Scouts (as an option) may wear a patrol emblem. In the next position, Scouts and Scouters may wear the most recent Quality Unit emblem earned by their unit. District or council level Scouters may wear the most recently earned Quality District or Quality Council patch. Venturers may wear the official Venturing emblem or an approved specialty emblem below the flag. Scouts and Scouters at the area or regional level may wear a region emblem below the flag.
Other items that may be worn on the right sleeve include the Musician badge and National Honor Patrol stars. Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts wearing a long-sleeve shirt may also wear up to six merit badges in two columns of three near the cuff.
Left pocket
The space on the left pocket is reserved to indicate Scout rank. Rank badges that may be worn by Cub Scouts include Tiger Cub, Bobcat, Wolf, and Bear, accompanied by arrow points earned. Webelos Scouts wear only their current badge of rank (Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, or Webelos) centered on the left pocket. As an option, Webelos Scouts who have not earned the Tiger Cub rank may wear all four diamond-shaped ranks arranged as a diamond on this pocket. Scouts in any membership division who have earned the Arrow of Light badge wear it centered below the pocket. Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts wear their current rank badge centered on the left pocket. Male Venturers may also wear their current Boy Scout rank badge on the official Venturing uniform shirt to age 18, with those becoming Eagle Scouts being allowed to wear the badge until they reach the age of 21.
Scouts and Scouters may wear up to five pin-on medals that they have earned or have been awarded centered just above the pocket seam; medals are usually only worn on formal occasions. Most medals may also be represented by a square knot insignia.
Square knots are rectangular cloth patches that use a multi-colored knot design to designate certain awards. Some emblems use other designs, such as the trident for Sea Badge and the overhand knot for the District Award of Merit, but they are all referred to as square knots. Some awards are represented by both medals or badges and square knots, others only by square knots and others only by the medal or badge. Only a few square knots may be worn by youth, such as the religious emblem.
Service stars may be worn above the pocket or top row of square knots. These are star shaped pins with an enameled number representing tenure in each Scouting division. Circular plastic backings represent each membership division; gold is used for Cub Scouting, green is used for Boy Scouting, brown used is for Varsity Scouting, red is used for Venturing and blue indicates adult service. Scouts and leaders with tenure as Tiger Cubs prior to 2000 may wear a service star with an orange backing.[12] Those who served in Exploring prior to 1998 may wear a service star with red backing.
All Scouts and Scouters may wear the round World Crest over the pocket. This emblem is found on the uniform of most other Scouting organizations and represents unity with other Scouts around the world.
Right pocket
The space on the right pocket is reserved for one temporary insignia, such as patches from summer camps or other activities, which should be centered on the pocket. Members of the Order of the Arrow may wear lodge insignia on the flap of the right pocket.
Official uniforms have a BSA strip immediately above the right pocket. There are several insignia that can be placed above the BSA strip, including interpreter strips indicating foreign languages spoken. Varsity Scouts and Boy Scouts in a Venture patrol may wear the corresponding strip above the interpreter strips. If worn, a name tag may be placed just above the BSA strip and interpreter, Varsity, and Venture strips if worn, or on the flap of the right pocket if no lodge insignia is used. Scouts or Scouters that have participated in a National or World Jamboree may wear the corresponding patch centered between the right pocket and the shoulder seam. Visitors to such events may wear the patch as a temporary insignia.
Female Cub Scout leaders may wear the temporary insignia centered between the BSA strip and the shoulder seam.
Merit badge sash
Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts may wear the merit badge sash, generally on formal occasions. Merit badges may be worn on the front of the sash and may be worn on the back if the front is full. The Varsity Letter with earned pins and bars may be worn on the bottom front corner. Additional merit badges and temporary insignia may be worn on the back of the sash.[13] Previous rank badges and other insignia should not be worn on the sash. The sash is worn over the right shoulder and should never be worn folded through the belt.[5] The merit badge sash is not worn at the same time as the Order of the Arrow sash.
Non-uniform insignia
A number of emblems are awarded that are not intended for wear on the uniform. The emblems for aquatics qualifications such as Boardsailing BSA, Kayaking BSA, Mile Swim BSA, Scuba BSA, and Snorkeling BSA are intended for wear on the left side of swimwear, while certification such as BSA Lifeguard and BSA Aquatics Instructor are worn on the right side. Other awards such as the 50-Miler Award, Historic Trails Award, Paul Bunyan Woodsman and the Totin' Chip and Firem'n Chit emblems are intended as equipment decoration such as a backpack or on a blanket.
Spoof insignia
Non-official patches, badges, emblems, shoulder loops and other insignia are readily available from third-party suppliers. These "spoofs" are parodies of existing emblems. For example, spoof versions of the "Trained" emblem include Over Trained, Potty Trained and Untrainable. Common spoof interpreter strips include English, Klingon, Brooklyneese and Southern Drawl.
Other terminology
Properly, the uniform is referred to as the "official uniform." An "activity" or "utility" uniform generally consists of a Scouting related T-shirt, polo shirt or other shirt, often customized with a unit design. Activity or utility uniforms are worn when the official uniform is not appropriate for activities or as directed by the unit leaders.
Members sometimes refer to these classifications as "class A" and "class B," respectively. Some units further distinguish a "full class A" or similar classification, that may include the wear of the merit badge sash, medals and the like. Such terminology is not used in any BSA publications and is officially discouraged, but the terms continue to be used by many members.
See also
Footnotes
- ^ : When wearing by persons not on active duty authorized
- ^ Peterson, Robert (2002). "From Doughboy Duds to Oscar de la Renta". Scouting Magazine. Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved 2006-01-12.
- ^ : Exclusive right to emblems, badges, marks, and words
- ^ Walton, Mike (2000). "Celebrity Costumes- or Uniforming?". The Badge and Uniform Site. Walton, Mike.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessdaymonth=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e Insignia Guide 2007. Boy Scouts of America. 2007. ISBN 0-8395-3066-8. #33066. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- ^ "Tiger Cub, Cub Scout and Webelos Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet" (PDF). Boy Scouts of America. 1997, 2007 revision. #34282B. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ "Boy Scout/Varsity Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet" (PDF). Boy Scouts of America. 2007. #34283A. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
- ^ "Scout Leader Uniform Inspection Sheet" (PDF). Boy Scouts of America. 2007. #34048. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
- ^ a b c Venturer Handbook. Boy Scouts of America. 2005. pp. pp. 6, 93. #33494B.
Male and female Venturers should not wear the BSA tan shirt with green shoulder loops.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "BSA New Uniform" (PDF). Boy Scouts of America. #70-134. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- ^ Michael R. Brown. (August 11, 2006). "Venturing Uniforming Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)". U.S. Scouting Service Project. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
- ^ The Tiger Cub service stars were eliminated when Tiger Cubs were integrated into Cub Scouting in 2000.
- ^ Insignia Guide 2007: Special Regulations. Boy Scouts of America. 2007. ISBN 0-8395-3066-8. #33066. Retrieved 2007-10-30.