Troop 108 Boy Scout Uniform Guide
Uniforming is important to Scouts and Scouters. It is part of the eight methods of Scouting. However, don't confuse "uniforming" for "Scouting", because if one recalls, the earlier Scouts and Scouters had no official uniform and they did just fine with the presentation of Scouting to their communities. Having a uniform allows the Scout to take pride in his Troop or Team, gives the Scout a place to put all of the personal achievements and participation items that will become a part of his Scouting experience, and to share and show others the extent to his experiences in our programs.
Every Scout should have a uniform, either the present uniform as illustrated above or one of the older versions. Every Scouter should set the positive example and wear a uniform, either as illustrated above or one of the older uniforms, during all Scouting activities and events and programs in which Scouts may be present, with or without uniforms. Scouts -- kids -- take their cues from us, the adults of the movement. If we show up with sloppy uniforms or uniforms with insignia not in the right places, they will do likewise and will wonder why we get "bent out of shape" when we correct their uniform problems.
The BSA's Insignia Guide is a publication, which contains information on many of these badges and insignia; check also with your local Council for the wearing of insignia and items, which come in conflict with the information presented within this unofficial online guide and within the Insignia Guide. In many cases, your local Council may not be aware of the wearing of a particular item -- its hard to keep up with well over 2000 pieces of BSA insignia and uniforming
options!!!The Official Troop 108 Class A/Field Uniform Includes:
Red shoulder loops, Official Boy Scout Belt, Official Boy Scout Socks (you may pick the desired style: crew, knee or ankle), Official Boy Scout Pants and/or Shorts. For special occasions the Troop uses the Green Kneckerchief. Caps are optional.
Proper Insignia Placement for the Boy Scout Class A Uniform
Left Sleeve:
Council Shoulder Patch (CSP) emblem: Each of the BSA's local Councils and the National Council has a special shoulder patch which illustrates elements of the territory served by the Council. During National Jamboree years, special Jamboree Shoulder Patches (JSPs) are worn by those participating in the Jamboree from that local Council. Six months after the conclusion of the Jamboree, the JSP should be removed and replaced by the current CSP of the local Council for proper uniforming.
Unit numbers: Unit numbers come in two varieties presently: a partially-embrordered single or set of numbers denoting the unit; or a fully embrordered single or set of numbers denoting the Troop number. Either is acceptable, although for proper uniforming, the present partially-embrordered numbers should be used.
Position Patch: Troop members serving as an elected or appointed Troop officer should wear the appropriate position patch (badge of office) indicating the position serving. Those no longer serving in those positions should remove their patches and keep them in a safe place at home.
Trained strip: Those youth and adults whom have completed a training course for the position that they CURRENTLY HOLD should wear the TRAINED strip. This strip should be worn immediately below and touching the badge of office (position patch).
Right Sleeve:
U.S. Flag emblem
Patrol emblem. Patrol emblems are worn by patrol members. Adult Scouters should NOT wear Patrol emblems except during Scoutmaster Fundamentals, additional training experiences and Wood Badge, for adults do not belong to patrols with the except during those training periods and in the case of Wood Badge, until the Scouter has received his or her Wood Badge.
Quality emblem: The Quality Unit, District, Council and Region emblems may be worn by those members that have attained Quality status during the present or previous year. Only ONE such Quality (either unit, district, council, or region) emblem may be worn at any one time.
Nothing else is worn below the single Quality Unit emblem.
Left Pocket:
Centered on the pocket is Scout rank. ONLY SCOUTS wear ranks;adults wear the appropriate square knot insignia to denote Eagle cout and other rank earned as a youth. The rank emblem (in this case, Life Scout) is worn centered on the left pocket.
If a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout is the holder of the Arrow of Light, Scouting's highest award, he wears the Arrow of Light BELOW he left pocket. On the current khaki-tan shirts, the pockets taper own to a point...the Arrow of Light should be centered at that point and NOT sewn to the pocket. If the Scout wears the older khaki shirts, the Arrow of Light is worn so that the top edge of Arrow of Light emblem touches the bottom edge of the left uniform pocket. Again, ONLY SCOUTS wear the Arrow of Light; adults wear the Arrow of Light square knot insignia to denote their attainment of this award.
Nothing else is worn below the pocket.
Above the pocket would go year pins (if earned) and
square knot insignia (if earned or received).
Above those items would go the World Crest if not already pre-sewn onto the shirt.
The merit badge sash is worn during formal activities and events, and not during Troop meetings or campouts. Only one sash may be worn at anytime. Merit badges only are worn on the FRONT of the sash.
Merit badges may be worn in any order that the Scout chooses, and not necessarily in alphabetical nor "required-non required" order. Most Scouts choose to wear merit badges in the order in which they have earned them.
Right Pocket:
Interpreter Strips: Take a look at the interpreter strip information for more guidance. For best uniforming, no more than three narrow-sized strips should be worn at any one time.
Order of the Arrow insignia: The Order of the Arrow has "dibs" on the right pocket flap. While other local Councils have developed special insignia for Scouts and Cubs to wear on the pocket flap, only Order of the Arrow Lodge insignia should be worn (a current OA flap or a special OA activity or service flap) from THE LODGE IN WHICH YOU ARE A CURRENT MEMBER OF. Those Arrowmen without a current Lodge affiliation should not wear a flap but instead wear the Arrow pin suspended from the right pocket flap button.
Temporary Insignia: ONE temporary patch or a temporary patch with segmented patches not to exceed the dimensions of the right pocket are to be worn on the field uniform. Patches suspended from the right pocket button are considered as "sewn on" for proper uniforming. "Temporary insignia" is defined by the BSA as special insignia for participating in unit, District, Council or national events or programs. Previous rank, service stars and pins are NOT to be worn on the pocket.
A special "Recruiter" strip may be worn below the right pocket by members of local Councils that authorize the wearing of such a strip. In other local Councils, no other strips or patches should be worn below the right pocket.
