Boy Scouts Handbook Part 18

Honor Medals

[Ill.u.s.tration: Honor medal insignia. (tr)]

A scout who is awarded any one of the following medals is ent.i.tled to wear the same on the left breast:

Bronze medal. Cross in bronze with first-cla.s.s scout badge superimposed upon it and suspended from a bar by a red ribbon. This is awarded to a scout who has saved life.

Silver Medal. Silver Cross with first-cla.s.s scout badge superimposed upon it and suspended from bar by blue ribbon. This medal is awarded to a scout who saves life with considerable risk to himself.

Gold Medal. Gold Cross with first-cla.s.s scout badge superimposed upon it and suspended from bar by white ribbon. This medal is the highest possible award for service and heroism. It may be granted to a scout who has saved life at the greatest possible risk to his own life, and also to anyone who has rendered service of peculiar merit to the Boy Scouts of America.

The Honor Medal is a national honor and is awarded only by the National Council. To make application for one of these badges the facts must first be investigated by the Court of Honor of the Local Council and presented by that body to the Court of Honor of the National Council.

_The Local Court of Honor may at any time invite experts to share in their examinations and recommendations_.

When the National Court of Honor has pa.s.sed upon the application, the proper medal will be awarded.

Badges of Rank

The following devices are used to distinguish the various ranks of scouts:

Patrol Leader

[Ill.u.s.tration: Patrol leader insignia. (tr)]

Patrol Leader: The patrol leader's arm badge consists of two bars, 1-1/2-inches long and 3/8-inch wide, of white braid worn on the sleeve below the left shoulder. In addition he may {45} wear all oxidized silver tenderfoot, second-cla.s.s or first-cla.s.s scout badge according to his rank. The a.s.sistant patrol leader wears one bar.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Service Stripe insignia. (tr)]

Service Stripes: For each year of service as a boy scout, he will be ent.i.tled to wear a stripe of white braid around the sleeve above the wrist, three stripes being changed for one red one. Five years of scouting would be indicated by one red stripe and two white stripes.

The star indicates the position for wearing merit badges.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Scoutmaster insignia. (tr)]

Scout Master: The badge of the scout commissioner, scout master, and a.s.sistant scout master is the first-cla.s.s scout's badge reproduced in blue, green, and red, respectively, and are worn on the sleeve below the left shoulder.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Star insignia. (tr)]

Chief Scout: The badge of the Chief Scout is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with a five-pointed star above it embroidered in silver.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Caduceus (snakes on pole) insignia. (tr)]

Chief Scout Surgeon: The badge of the Chief Scout Surgeon is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with a caduceus above it embroidered in green. (The Chief Scout's staff wear the badge of rank in the same manner as the Chief Scout.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Crossed hatchets insignia. (tr)]

Chief Scout Woodsman: The badge of the Chief Scout Woodsman is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with two crossed axes above it embroidered in green.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf insignia. (tr)]

Chief Scout Stalker: The badge of the Chief Scout Stalker is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with an oak leaf above it embroidered in blue.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tongues of fire insignia. (tr)]

Chief Scout Director of Health: The badge of the Chief Scout Director of Health is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with {46} tongues of fire above it embroidered in red.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Moccasin insignia. (tr)]

Chief Scout Camp Master: The badge of the Chief Scout Camp Master is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with a moccasin above it embroidered in green:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Winged foot insignia. (tr)]

Chief Scout of Athletics: The badge of the Chief Scout Director of Athletics is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with a winged Mercury foot above it embroidered in green.

Chief Scout Director of Chivalry: The badge of the Chief Scout Director of Chivalry is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with the scout sign above it embroidered in gold.

[Ill.u.s.tration: American Flag insignia. (tr)]

Chief Scout Citizen: The badge of the Chief Scout Citizen is the first-cla.s.s scout badge with the United States flag above it in silver.

Appropriate badges for national and local councilmen may be secured from the National Headquarters.

Equipment

_It should be clearly understood by all interested in the Scout Movement that it is not necessary for a boy to have a uniform or any other special equipment to carry out the scout program. There are a great many troops in the country which have made successful progress without any equipment whatever_.

However, for the convenience of boys who wish to secure a uniform or other equipment, the National Council has made arrangements with certain manufacturers to furnish such parts of the equipment as may be desired by the boys. Such arrangements have been made with these manufacturers only after a great number of representative firms have been given an opportunity to submit samples and prices; the prices quoted to be uniform throughout the country. These manufacturers {47} are given the privilege of using for a limited period an imprint of the official badge as an indication that the Committee on Equipment is willing to recommend the use of that particular article. The official badge is fully protected by the U. S. Patent Laws and anyone using it without expressed authority from National Headquarters is subject to prosecution at law.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced in the selection of the material used in making coats, breeches, and shirts. The material used in the boy scout coat, breeches, and shirt has been submitted to a thirty-day sun test, the acid and strength test and is guaranteed to be a fast color and durable. To show the result of the selection made, the manufacturer of these articles has been given the privilege of using the imprint of the official seal and the right to use the official b.u.t.tons. We recommend the purchase of the articles having this imprint through any local dealer or through National Headquarters. However, where a local council exists, b.u.t.tons will be supplied on order of the Executive Committee for use on such uniforms as the Committee may desire to have made locally. In communities where no local council has been formed, they may be supplied on order of a registered scout master. Prices of the b.u.t.tons per set for coat is 15 cents and per set for shirt 10 cents.

Every effort is made to have all parts of the uniform and equipment available to scouts through local dealers. If such arrangements have not been made in a community, the National Headquarters will be glad to help in making such an arrangement. Many scout masters prefer to order uniforms and other supplies direct from National Headquarters.

In order to cover the expense involved in handling these supplies, the manufacturers have agreed to allow National Headquarters the same trade discount allowed to local dealers. Trade through National Headquarters if sufficiently large will help to meet a part of the current expenses of the National Organization. Any combination desired may be made from this list. A fairly complete equipment may be secured at the very nominal sum of $2.15. For instance, the Summer equipment which consists of: Hat, 50 cents; Shirt, 75 cents; Shorts, 50 cents; Belt, 40 cents.