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All
Uniform
Right Side
U.S. Flag
Why Is the BSA's U.S. Flag Emblem Backwards?
A LOT of Scouts and Scouters (as well as military people!) have asked me:
why is the flag displayed with the union to the back of the right shoulder
This has gained SO MUCH of my personal mail over the last three months (partly because I am now on active duty in Kuwait;
partly because of the nature of the question), that I will be adding it my Frequently Asked Questions at the end of this month (considering,
of course, that I will STILL have Internet access by then).
Here's the bottom line:
The Boy Scouts of America makes wearing of the U.S. Flag insignia an OPTIONAL ITEM. It has been this way since 1957,
when the U.S. flag emblem was first added as a piece of BSA insignia in advance of the World Jamboree in Idaho in the early 60s.
The Boy Scouts of America's National Uniform and Insignia Committee established HOW and WHERE the U.S. Flag insignia would
be worn IF a Scout or Scouter chose to wear it on the official uniforms. It is worn on ALL UNIFORMS as the top-most piece of
insignia on the RIGHT SHOULDER and no other location on an official BSA uniform, to include the red or blue jac-shirt and their
lighter weight jackets. The Committee determined that since the U.S. Code does NOT specifically address the direction the flag should be
worn on an article of clothing, that the flag would be worn as if you are looking at that flag from afar, with the stars to the rear.
The Boy Scouts of America has NO PLANS to alter that flag emblem; and Scouts and Scouters should wear the U.S. Flag emblem as
displayed in the BSA's Insignia Guide.
With regard to "who's right," since the U.S. Code does not place in writing how our national flag would be worn on a uniform,
both the military and the BSA (and other organizations) are absolutely correct. Each organization sets their own uniforming policies and it
is NOT dictated by "congress" nor by anyone else other than that organization. Note that while the BSA is chartered through an act of
Congress, that the BSA is free to provide their own policies concerning uniform and insignia wear without Congress' input (and this is a
GOOD THING)!!
Finally, Scouts and Scouters should be proud to wear our nation's flag on the uniform, but not all Scouts and Scouters can do this.
So let's not be forcing kids and adults to do something which is against their moral or religious upbringing, okay?? There are several religious
organizations and faiths who do NOT allow their members to wear anything which symbolizes an alliegence toward. These faiths and organizations
believe that "God" or "Allah" is more important than "country" -- and this is EXACTLY WHY the BSA does NOT and WILL NOT make the wearing of the
U.S. Flag emblem MANDATORY.
Hope that all of these points helps you and your Scouts in coming to grips with "why do the military wear the flag "backwards" and we in Scouting
wear the flag "forwards".
(and for the record, I'm wearing my military desert battle uniform with the American flag *backwards* as prescribed by military policy!)
Settummanque!
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