What Color Epaulets?

[Eamonn]

I try to match the position patch with the color epaulets.
I have a lot of shirts that I have used for Wood Badge courses, when I wear one of them I go with the red.
I have a few shirts with Cub Scout position patches on. I rarely ever wear them, same goes for the shirts with District Commissioner patches, I don't wear them shirts any more.
I do wear the grey /silver tabs on my real District Chairman shirts.
So should you try and match the epaulets to the shirt or the job that you are doing?

[Lynda J]

Which positions do you hold? Are you a Commissioner? You should be wearing the epaulets of the highest position you hold.

[West]

Well I only have 2 shirts, one tan one, and one green venture one. When I'm doing pack stuff I'll change to the blue loops if I think of it. For the troop I always wear red. Though latley some in the pack have been complaining that they havn't seen the troop leaders enough (apparently they thing the scoutmaster should come to all the webelos meetings and events, not that they bother to tell him when any of the events are.) What bugs me is it comes from the same people who complain anytime time they need to put in more then one night a week themselves, say for training. So I wear the red loops now and have made sure to point out to them that I'm from the troop, and only signed up with them because they needed the help. I love working with the scouts, but the adults sure can be a pain.

[Eamonn]

Linda
I don't see any position "Out-ranking" any other!!
A Den leader does far more in delivering the program than I do. A ASM may well have far more knowledge about Scouts and Scouting than I ever will.
For the record my primary position that I serve in is as a District Chair. I also serve on an Area Committee and for the Jamboree I will be the Scoutmaster. At times I do help the District Training team with presenting Cub Scout training's.
I think I have about 20+ shirts. Most of the time I do wear the shirts with the District Chair patch and the gray/silver tabs. When working with the Jamboree Troop, because I'm the SM, I wear red.
To date I have not done anything in uniform for the Area Committee so I have never worn the yellow/ gold.

[commish3]

According to the BSA Insignia Guide all parts of the uniform should relate to the position of responsibility patch on that uniform shirt. This would include the color of the shoulder loops that cover the epaulets.

There are only two epaulet colors (tan and forest green) there are 6 loop colors.

[riverwalk]

I am having difficulty getting my posts through, so I'm trying again, haha.

commish3 is correct. It's really all about the Position patch in determining which "Uniform" you're in. I don't change loops, to suit a meeting atmosphere, unless I change the patch too. Yes, you can do this with velcro, until you get enough Shirts. People with plenty of Position Shirts shouldn't run into this. Flaps and activity patches will still work, and not create a...."flap". Or one can simply wear the Shirt for their primary Position (that they paid for). A "multiple", as many of us are, may want the correct Shirt for the other roles, but they may not come as quickly as the joining up does. Now, I look for old patches on ebay, for my various collections. I sometimes can get an extra Shirt too, for less than a newbie. They might only work as a "camp" Shirt but it still helps me. I even have an old Shirt now with old style pre-CSP and Position patches. But yes, the loop and Position should go together.

[West]

And there is the advantage of being the Charter Rep.

I did fill in as a Webelos Den leader for a couple months while the real den leader was recovering from surgery. At that time I still had the troop comittie patch on my shirt. I switched to blue loops anyway for that time. I felt it was important that I match the correct uniform for that age group as closely as possible. The kids arn't really going to notice the position patch (expecally in cubs, where the boys don't wear them), but they sure as heck will the loops. So the big thing is just remember who you are trying to set the example for.

[Lynda J]

I didn't mean "out ranking". Just as people get into Commissioner positions those are the patches they wear./ Most people in our district wear the patch and epaulets for the position they hold in the district. If they are a commissioner they wear their commissioner patch and epaulets.

[commish3]

I certainly would not view commissioning, or any district position, as a step up. The folks who wear silver shoulder loops on their epaulets are their to serve, not to be served. That is especially true of those who wear the wreath of service.

Any position other than youth member moves you down the support structure, not up. Adult unit leaders support the goals of the CO, district supports the COs and unit leaders, council supports the district, region and national support the council.

This is displayed in New Leader Essentials as a target with the youth in the bulls eye and each support layer as the surrounding rings.

[riverwalk]

Yeah, nobody out ranks anybody in Scouting, though we've all run into some that thought like that, haha.

[Chief J]

I have two shirts, on the shirt with the Unit Commissioner patch, I wear the silver loops. On the shirt that says Scoutmaster, I wear the red loops.

I also make it my policy to never wear my Commissioner shirt to a Troop meeting, nor do I wear my Scoutmaster shirt when I am serving as a Unit Commissioner.

I personally see red, when adults have Unit numbers with District patches, and silver loops with Unit Position patches, etc. Not sure if it is a policy or not, it just personally burns me. I feel your uniform presentation should follow the position of responsibility you are fulfilling at the time.

Just my personal opinion, (and we all know what they are worth).
Chief J

[riverwalk]

Haha, yeah we all have opinions, and that's fine. But you're right, so just refer them to the Policies.

[riverwalk]

Haha, yeah we all have opinions, and that's fine. But you're right, so just refer them to the Policies.

[riverwalk]

Why is the DEBUG mode preventing posts?

[riverwalk]

What is the DEBUG thing?

[Lynda J]

I have had trouble today also with DeBug.

[riverwalk]

Okay webmaster, feel free to remove my debug comments.....my post finally did go through. There seems to be several obstacles to posting (for me anyway). I'll get that page saying I can't have access, or I have to debug certain words, so I'll try posting again. Later, all seem to go through. Great jumpin' blazin' epaulet loops. Gee, can I wear one of each, haha.

[Don Flick]

There are only two epaulet colors (tan and forest green) there are 6 loop colors.

What about yellow (female cub scouters) ?

[commish3]

You are right, sorry, I see so few of the yellow blouses anymore I forgot they have epeaulets as well. Thanks

[riverwalk]

Haha, good point. When I was a Youth member, the ladies only used the yellow, and I even have one in my collection, and STILL didn't think of that either, haha.