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> updated 22/10/09
Official version of Crest of Leadership

The Crest of Leadership (shown above) was designed by "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt as a replacement for the various local Council youth leadership training courses. The Crest was used by the BSA (and is STILL used by some 30 or so local Councils) to award to youth leaders for completing a set of individual training application requirements (similar to a "ticket" which Wood Badge participants must complete) in order to receive and wear the emblem. The emblem was originally designated as a "permanent" emblem but that designation was removed by the BSA in 1980 with the end of the "ALL OUT FOR SCOUTING!" leadership training emphasis.

There are several versions of the Crest out there. In 1981, the leadership of the Blue Grass Scouting Alliance Club at Eastern Kentucky University asked and received permission to alter the Crest and to use it as its official organizational crest. More information on the Crest of Leadership and the BGSA can be found on a separate page.

 
Insignia

Boy/Varsity Scout Uniform Left Shoulder Retired

"Retired" Strip emblem

David Armstrong asked:

I saw this emblem at my local Scout shop and thought it would be very appropriate to present to one of our former Committeemembers who, while not active with the Troop anymore still supports us. Is this a "fake" or "spoof" that National is putting out or is this for real? And who gets to wear it?

Retired Strip/patch

This was something left over from Chief Scout Executive Ben Love's tenure and was to be honest almost forgotten about. Chief Love realized that many of our older Scouters were still being registered as "members at large", District and Council committeemembers, and even down to the unit level. While this sounded great, many of those volunteers (and professionals) were not doing much else than just holding down a "slot" on a piece of paper.

He proposed and the National Executive Board approved a revision to the existing catagory of membership called "Veteran". He wanted to rename it "Retired", as in "retired Scouters". The National Executive Board did not like this, because it implied someway that the BSA was obligated to do something with their "retirees." Love dropped it but instructed the professional staff to create some sort of recognition for those Scouters who no longer serve in a particular role but may either be registered or not.

At the same time that was going on in Irving, some enterprising Scouters out there, a little "miffed" about the design and usage of the "Trained" strip, created special "spoof" patches which would be given to Scouters "just because". They include "pottytrained", "overtrained", "untrainable" and of course, "retired".

A professional working with the Supply Division ordered a set of the emblems, because they were fun and after reviewing the "Retired" strip, sent two to Chief Love and informed him that the volunteers in the field "already beat us to the punch". Love approved the National manufacture of the "Retired" strip in 1996 and it was approved for official wear in 1997. The first reference to the "Retired" strip was in the 2000 version of the BSA Insignia (Control) Guide.

When Chief Roy Williams assumed the role of Chief Scout Executive, one of the items presented to Chief Love upon his retirement was four of the "Retired" strips. It is said that Retired Chief Love wears that emblem proudly below his Chief Scout Executive emblem on his field uniform.

The emblem is worn below the badge of office, in the same place that the "Trained" strip is worn. Only one or the other -- not both -- may be worn by a Scouter, even a trained former Scoutmaster. (Remember the "wear only the insignia representing your *current status* in the movement" axiom.)

The BSA seem to like the ten-year mark with regard to insignia and it's wear. There was only one "criterion" for the wearing of the strip: a Scouter must have served in one or successive roles for a minimum of ten years to be considered "retired". However, it is not a "hard and fast" rule or policy: if a Troop wants to recognize a Scouter who served as Troop Committee Chair for four years and now that person no longer serves as Troop Committee Chair, the "Retired" strip is appropriate wear for that person.

Naturally. professional members who have been approved for retirement may also wear the "Retired" strip below their badge of office.

Hope this helps out. Great question!

Graphic from template -left side

Individual pages explain each element found here:

Council Shoulder Strip
Unit Veteran Bars
Unit numbers
Position emblems
Brownsea Junior Leadership Training emblem
Trained Strip
Commissioner Arrowhead Honor Award
Retired Strip

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