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Series 2: Square Red Felt with Black Silk Screened Emblem (1925 & 1926)

    In the late teens troops began experimenting with felt on felt homemade emblems to replace the official shoulder ribbons offered by BSA National Supply. The round felt on felt emblems proved to be more practical than the patrol ribbons as they did not snag on branches and bushes during hikes. The National Executive Board took notice of these experiments: “Badge, Award and Requirement Rulings – Felt sleeve designs in place of patrol colors. Under consideration.” (Scouting, March 11, 1920, page 12) and at their November 20, 1920 meeting the Executive Board of the National Council based on a recommendation of the Committee on Badges, Awards and Scout Requirements, granted approval for the optional use of the alternative felt emblems. A second reference to the acceptance of the alternative emblems appears in the December 1921 Scouting Magazine: “It was made optional with local councils and with troop committees where not under council, to use medallions in the place of patrol shoulder colors.”

    In 1924 the Executive Board of the National Council based on a recommendation of the Committee on Badges, Awards and Scout Requirements approved a two inch square felt badge with black silk screened designs to replace the patrol shoulder ribbons. The new emblems became available in mid 1925.

    These new badges first appeared in the November 1925 Scouting Magazine, Equipment Number, page 9: “No. 801. SHOULDER MEDALLION. Consist of Patrol emblem on felt two inches square. Optional with troops to be used in place of shoulder knot. In ordering specify patrol names. Prepaid … 5¢”

    It is important to note that in the November 1925, the May 1926 and the October 1926 printings of Scouting Magazine Equipment Number, both the Patrol Ribbons and the new OPTIONAL felt squares were available.

    In 1927 Committee on Badges, Awards and Scout Requirements replaced the Optional silk screened felt with an optional two inch round embroidered round felt emblem. This new optional emblem is the Series 3 Patrol Emblem.