"The uniform makes the Boy Scout Troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Boy Scout's commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Boy Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished." (Quoted from the scouting.org website.)

"The Boy Scouts of America has always been a uniformed body. Its uniforms help to create a sense of belonging. They symbolize character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Wearing a uniform gives youth and adult members a sense of identification and commitment." (Quoted from the BSA Insignia Guide.)

While reading the information on this page, the items in this color are the ones you need to purchase from the Scout Shop in Dothan. For your convenience there is a list at the bottom of the page to print and take with you.

While reading the information on this page, the items in this color are the ones you will obtain through through the Troop. Ask the Scoutmaster or one of the committee members to put you in contact with the right people in the Troop.

While reading the information on this page, the items in this color are the ones you may find through sources (flea markets, thrift stores, etc.) other than the Scout Shop in Dothan. Generally speaking, these will be items such as the Official BSA Pants, Official BSA Shirts, Official BSA Belt, etc. Ask some of the other parents if they know of any good sources. You can also check out online venues such as eBay.

The Official Boy Scout uniform has many parts including the official BSA Shirt (long sleeved or short sleeved), official BSA Pants (long pants, shorts, or the new zip-off style), the official BSA belt, and the official BSA socks. HINT: Consider buying one size larger than what is needed right now. This allows for growth without having to replace the uniform frequently. Boy Scouts wear red shoulder loops on the epauletts of the official uniform shirt.

Neatness counts while wearing the BSA uniform. All articles should be clean and without wrinkles. The shirt is always worn tucked in at the waist. Pants or shorts must be worn as designed and shall not sag. The belt should be worn "brass-on-brass" as pictured below. Scouts and Scouters may wear official BSA leather belts, BSA camp participation belts, high adventure base belts, Order of the Arrow belts, or any other style of belt provided it is BSA inspired and is neat in appearance. Notice in the picture the alignment of the "gig line." This means that the shirt button flap on the shirt, lines up with both the zipper cover on the pants and the belt buckle is centered over the two. Shoes should be clean and neat in appearance.
Each new member to Troop 150 is provided one yellow Class-B T-shirt. Scouts, parents, and other family members may purchase one of these shirts from the Troop. It is strongly suggested that each Scout wear a Class-B T-shirt under his Class-A uniform shirt. Unless otherwise specified, any Class-B T-shirt may be worn under the Class-A shirt. A Class-B T-shirt is any T-shirt with a Scouting inspired theme including the Troop 150 T-shirts, camp T-shirts, Order of the Arrow T-shirts, high adventure T-shirts, etc.

Troop 150 has a policy that once a Scout earns merit badges, he should acquire and wear a merit badge sash to ceremonial and formal occasions such as a uniform inspection or a Board of Review.

Troop 150 has developed a custom neckerchief and each new member of the Troop receives one of these without charge during one of his first meetings with the Troop. With rare exceptions, members of Troop 150 are required to wear the Troop's neckerchief whenever they wear their uniform. We will discuss the wear of other necekerchiefs a little later.

A Scout may wear an official BSA slide, one that he made, or tie a square knot to secure his neckerchief. A Scout may be allowed to wear his uniform without the neckerchief for certain activities as dictated by the Scoutmaster. Troop 150 wears the neckerchief under the collar with the top button unfastened. When rolling or gathering the neckerchief for wear, allow roughy eight (8) inches from the bottom point to the top if the rolled or gathered material. You may "shotgun" your neckerchief as pictured below this paragraph. The neckerchief slide should be about even with the second button down on the shirt.

Troop 150 has developed a custom cap for wear by all youth and adult members of the Troop. This is an "Aussie" style hat. The hat will have a custom embroidered design on the front, and Scout's may elect to have their names embroidered on the hat as long as the name is embroidered in the area designated by the Troop. All members who choose to have their name added to their hat must use the same color thread and the same font. Below is the graphic that the Troop has selected for the hat.

With rare exceptions, members of Troop 150 are required to wear the Troop's hat whenever they wear their uniform. We will discuss the wear of other hats a little later. A Scout may be allowed to wear his uniform without the hat for certain activities as dictated by the Scoutmaster. Troop 150 has a policy that requires that all hats be worn straight ahead, not reversed, and not canted off to one side or the other.
Picture of hat
Members of the Order of the Arrow should wear their OA Sashes during any OA activity or event. Generally speaking, the OA Sash is not worn at Troop 150 functions unless the Scoutmaster indicates that the wearing of the OA Sash is appropriate. When the OA Sash is worn, the merit badge sash is not worn. At no time should one sash be worn and the other tucked into the waist or belt of the Scout. Sashes should never be tucked into the waist or belt. Either wear it or put it away. Only OA members may obtain an OA Sash from the Order of the Arrow Trading Post.

There are no official BSA shoes. Each Scout may choose footwear of his liking provided the shoes are appropriate for the situation. Open-toed shoes are only permitted while in a showering facility, on the waterfront, or while participating in water oriented sports, not including fishing. Whenever camping, Scouts should avoid wearing shoes with nylon or other synthetic material since fire embers tend to melt the shoes.

PATCHES

LEFT SLEEVE

Boy Scout Uniforms have several different patches that have specific placement guidelines established by BSA policies. The only patch that comes on nearly every uniform shirt is the American flag affixed to the right shoulder. All other official insignia should be affixed to the uniform by the Scout, his parents, or a sewing shop. Some patches that are replaced frequently may use hook & loop material - those will be identified later.

The first patch is the Council Shoulder Patch (CSP. This is affixed to the left sleeve, centered on the crease, and no more than 1/8" from the seam. You buy this patch through the Council Scout Shop in Dothan.

The Troop numbers "1" "5" "0" may be purchased through the Council Scout Shop in Dothan, however, Troop 150 has a one piece "150" patch with the anniversary strip as part of the patch. The numbers are affixed with the top edge touching the Council Shoulder Patch. The center number should match the center of the CSP.

Troop 150 has been a chartered BSA Troop for over 25 years. There is a small 25-year anniversary strip that is worn between the numbers and the CSP. If you purchase one of the custom troop number patches, this patch is included with it. If you add the separate anniversary strip, this is placed between the Troop numbers and the CSP, with the center of the patch matching the center of the CSP. This patch touches the CSP and the numbers below it touch the anniversary strip.

Whenever a youth member of the Troop holds an office, either through election or appointment, he should wear the patch that indicates this. This patch is affixed to the left sleeve of the uniform, with the center of the patch matching the center of the patches above it. The top edge of this patch should touch the Troop numbers. The patches below are for youth members of the Troop. NOTE: This is a good patch for using hook&loop tape. These patches are supplied by the Troop and usually presented to the Scout by the Scoutmaster.

Each youth leader in the Troop is required to complete three training sessions for each term of office. Once the Scout completes the training, he should wear the "Trained" patch just below and touching the patch for the office in which he received training. Should the Scout leave that office and accept a new office, he cannot wear the "Trained" patch until he completes the training for that position. NOTE: This is a good patch for using hook&loop tape. These patches are supplied by the Troop and usually presented to the Scout by the Scoutmaster.

Den Chiefs and Webelos Den Chiefs may wear the shoulder cords denoting their office. The cords are worn under the epaulet on the left shoulder. Scouts should wear the patch or the cords, but not both. These cords are supplied by the Troop and usually presented to the Scout by the Scoutmaster.

RIGHT SLEEVE

Most BSA uniform shirts already have an American Flag affixed to the right shoulder. The flag should be no more than 1/8" from the seam. The flag is centered on the crease of the sleeve.

While a member of a Patrol, each Scout should wear the Patrol patch that indicates his membership in the Patrol. The Patrol patch is centered below the American Flag and the top edge of the patch touches the bottom of the American flag. Scouts that are members of a Patrol for which the Scout Shop does not carry the patch will need to custom order their patches. See the Scoutmaster for more information on ordering these.

Patrols that meet the requirements of a National Honor Patrol may affix this honor on the right sleeve touching the Patrol patch. It is suggested that the first honor patch be affixed along the bottom of the patch. These patches are supplied by the Troop and usually presented to the Scout by the Assistant Scoutmaster responsible for the Patrol.

Troops may earn the distinction as a National Quality Unit. This patch is worn on the right sleeve with the top edge touching the bottom of the the Honor Patrol recognition. If no Honor Patrol recognition is present, the Quality Unit patch should be affixed 4" from the shoulder seam, with the patch centered on the crease. NOTE: This is a good patch for using hook&loop tape.

LEFT POCKET

The World Crest patch is centered above the left pocket with the center of the patch aligned with the button and the point at the bottom of the pocket. The center of the World Crest patch should be located half way between the top edge of the pocket and the shoulder seam.

A Scout's rank if very important. The rank patch is centered vertically with the button on the pocket flap with the top edge of the patch just slightly below the bottom edge of the pocket flap when closed. NOTE: This is a good patch for using hook&loop tape. These patches are supplied by the Troop and usually presented to the Scout by the Scoutmaster.

While a Webelos Scout, if the Arrow of Light (the highest honor in Cub Scouting) is earned, the Arrow of Light patch is worn centered below the left pocket, with the top edge of the patch touching the bottom point on the pocket. This patch is usually presented during a Pack Meeting prior to the Webelos Scout moving into a Boy Scout Troop. You may purchase additional patches through the Scout Shop in Dothan if needed.

Each Scout may earn a religious knot by completing the requirements as set up by his religious faith. Once earned, the knot may be worn on his uniform forever. The knot is placed with the bottom edge of the patch touching the top edge of the pocket flap and centered using the button on the pocket as a guide. This patch is slightly different in that the religious leader has the honor of presenting this patch during a church service. The Troop will also recognize the accomplishment at the appropriate time.

Scouts and Adult Leaders with one or more years of membership may show their tenure by wearing "year stars" just above their left shirt pocket. Each Scouting program has a different colored background to wear with the year pints. Scouts wishing to make use of the colored backgrounds should use Yellow for Tiger through Webelos, and Red for years in Boy Scouts. Scouts may elect to wear a single star with the total number of years combined and use the background color of the program for which they are currently registered. If just one pin is worn, it should be centered above the left pocket and the bottom edge of the star should be 3/8" from the top of the pocket flag. If more than one pin is worn, the placement above the pocket is the same, with the pins centered using the flap button as a guide. Each background color should be 3/8" apart. Should the Scout have any type of knot above his shirt pocket, use the top edge of the knot as if it were the top edge of the pocket flap. All Adult Leadership tenure for all BSA programs is worn with the blue background. The stars and backgrounds are supplied by the Troop. The Scout should receive a new year pin for each year that he was an active and registered member of the Boy Scouts of America.

RIGHT POCKET

The right pocket is reserved for "temporary" patches. Only one temporary patch is displayed at a time. The top edge of the patch is affixed touching the bottom of the pocket flap. Some of these patches have a button loop that allows you to change them easily. NOTE: This is a good patch for using hook&loop tape.

Membership in the Order of the Arrow and holding a membership in a lodge entitles the Scout to wear a Lodge Pocket Flap affixed to the flap on the right pocket. When sewing this patch onto the pocket flap, do not completely attach it all the way around the flap. Allow just enough of a gap so that the pocket can be buttoned or unbuttoned. Pocket flaps should only be worn for the most current lodge for which dues have been paid.

Members of the Troop who recruit a new member, or who convince an inactive member to become active again, are entitled to wear a Recruiter patch. This patch is located centered below the right pocket with the top edge just touching the bottom point on the pocket. This is a patch provided by the Troop and usually presented by the Scoutmaster.

Here is a diagram showing the proper placement of patches on the uniform. The inside cover of you Boy Scout Handbook has a template to assist you with placement.

Here are lists to help you purchase the correct items from the correct source.

TROOP 150 - SCOUT UNIFORM