The Official Flags of the BSA
Angela posted to the US Scouting Service Project and asked:
>Is there somewhere on the net I can look up and find a
> picture of the Cub Scout Flag, or, is there such a flag?
Yes, there IS such a thing as a Cub Scout flag. As a matter of fact, there are flags for Cub Scout Dens (a dark blue flag with a diamond and number in the center of the flag;
newer versions have the Cub Scout emblem in the center of the flag's diamond and small iron-on numbers which go on the top right);
WEBELOS Cub Scout Dens (a dark blue flag with the WEBELOS Cub Scout emblem in the center surrounded by a diamond and again those small iron-on numbers;
WEBELOS Cub Scout Dens have an option to use the Boy Scout Patrol flags with the appropriate "emblem" representing the Den they belong to (for example, members of the Mountaineer Den wear a medallion with the mountaineer ....the Den flag also has that same emblem in the center);
(Note that although WEBELOS Cub Scout Dens have a choice in wearing the standard WEBELOS Den numbers or a Patrol emblem and totem, they are STILL CONSIDERED DENS. They are called the "Mountaineer DEN" instead of the "Mountaineer Patrol". Patrols only exist in Boy Scout Troops.)
and Packs have a blue, gold, red and black flag.
Here's some of the other official BSA flags currently used and some in the past:
The oldest BSA flag is the Troop flag, shown here. There are variations of this flag used over the years: the first official flag of the BSA was of this design. The basic design was taken from the usage of semaphore flags: one color would always be a light color and the other color a darker color. This was so the flag can be seen at day and night. The central emblem used has always been the Universal emblem (the Tenderfoot badge emblem) along with the letters B, S, and A. National Jamboree troops would have a similarily lettered flag with the National Jamboree emblem in the center in the place of the Universal Emblem; World Jamboree Troops would have a similiarily lettered flag with the World Jamboree emblem or the BSA's contingent emblem in the center of the flag.
The second oldest flag used by the BSA was the Sea Scout/Sea Exploring flag. This was the flag used for display or during parades, for there is a special flag used onboard Exploring/Scouting vessels used to distinguish that vessel as a Sea Scout/Explorer ship.
Many Boy Scout Patrols create their own flags, a tradition long established within Scouting in America. Many very special flags have come from the imaginations of a group of boys, sitting around a table, wanting to imprint their own "specialness" onto a piece of cloth. For new Troops, however, the Supply Division created standard patrol flags until the Patrol gets their own flag made. Such a flag is shown below.
The flag for a Varsity Scout Team is shown below. Instead of the red and white of the Boy Scout, the blaze (orange) and white are used along with the Varsity emblem in the center...
Exploring's flag colors, as with the Sea Exploring/Scouting flag, were taken from the colors of Exploring -- blue and red. The first flags created for Exploring took the form of those colors with the Exploring emblem (the old "Compass, Anchor and Wings" emblem from the 40s, 50s and part of the 60s; the "Circle - V" used in the 60s; or the "Big E" from 1971 to 1985). In 1985, the Exploring flag changed colors and became all blue with white lettering and the "Big E" was changed to the "Speedy E".
And the newest "version" of Exploring, called Venturing, has their own flag composed of gold and white with the Venturing emblem in green and white in the center.
Districts, Councils, Regions and the Boy Scouts of America also have flags. District and Councils have blue flags with gold emblems and lettering. Regions have purple flags with silver emblems and lettering, identifying the Region. The Boy Scouts of America's official flag is purple with the central emblem in silver and no other lettering.
(Regional and National flags are identical in design except that the emblem is in silver as opposed to gold and there are no lettering on the Boy Scouts of America's official flag)
Council and national Camp flags are also identical to the District flag, with the name of the camp on the top part of the flag and the location and Council name on the bottom half.
Official BSA flags are ONLY sold through the BSA's Supply Divsion. No other organization, firm or outfitter has the authority to sell or distribute official BSA flags. Official flags are sold ONLY complete with the unit number (and name, in the case of Venturing Crews and Sea Scout Ships desiring to place their name on their flags), city and state. They are NOT sold "plain" anymore and units do NOT have the option of purchasing the lettering and have someone else to sew them onto the flag.
Most flags sold are made from nylon with some cotton; or in all cotton. Options such as fringes and tassles are sold separately and can be ordered attached to the flag.
The BSA does NOT recommend anyone "making" their own Pack, Troop, Team, Crew or Ship flag; they DO recommend for units that cannot afford an official flag to create a special banner identifying the unit. The BSA has several items which can be attached to the banner to associate the unit with the Boy Scouts of America. Dens, Patrols and Squads are likewise encouraged to create their own special flag or totem to be displayed during meetings and activities.
The BSA does have a special "activity flag" (shown below) which can be ordered and used by Districts, Councils and individual units for special events and activities. Many Commissioner staffs use such a flag to identify themselves while participating in special outdoor activities and events.
If your Pack doesn't have a Flag, I would strongly suggest stopping by your Council office the next time you're there and order one. They don't come cheap....expect to pay between $40 and $90 for a Pack Flag, and they MUST be ordered with the Pack number and the city and state your Pack's located in before the Council will order it.
Den flags, on the other hand, run about $4.00, and you can get one from any Council Service Center or Scout Shop(tm).
So, depending on whether you're looking for a Den flag for your Cub Scout Den, or a Pack flag for your Cub Scout Pack, there's a flag for any group of Cub Scouts!!
Thanks for asking....sorry again for the late response....
Settummanque!
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