Troop 485 believes wearing a uniform is part of the thrill of being a Scout. Put on your uniform and you feel ready for hiking, camping, and other Scout activities. By dressing alike, you and all other Scouts show that you are equals in the spirit of brotherhood and that you stand for certain ideals. Wear your uniform proudly. It is a steady reminder to you and to others that a Scout is a person who can be trusted to lend a hand when help is needed. Dressed as a Scout, you want to act as a Scout. Mike Walton's "Unofficial Uniform Guide" 1925 BSA Uniform

Current Boy Scout Uniforming

On the left sleeve from top to bottom:

Council Shoulder Patch (CSP) emblem: Each of the BSA's local Councils and the National Council has a special shoulder patch which illustrates elements of the territory served by the Council. During National Jamboree years, special Jamboree Shoulder Patches (JSPs) are worn by those participating in the Jamboree from that local Council. Six months after the conclusion of the Jamboree, the JSP should be removed and replaced by the current CSP of the local Council for proper uniforming.

Unit numbers: Unit numbers single or set of numbers denoting the unit. Above the unit numbers may go a Veteran's Bar which indicates the tenured years of that unit (25 year unit, 50 year unit, etc…).

Position Patch: Troop members serving as an elected or appointed Troop officer should wear the appropriate position patch (badge of office) indicating the position serving. Those no longer serving in those positions should remove their patches and keep them in a safe place at home.

Those Boy or Varsity Scouts serving as Den Chiefs have two options:

Wearing the Den Chief or WEBELOS Den Chief cord as shown above WITHOUT THE DEN CHIEF badge of office. or... Wearing the Den Chief badge of office WITHOUT wearing the Den Chief cord.

Trained strip: Those youth and adults whom have completed a training course for the position that they CURRENTLY HOLD should wear the TRAINED strip. This strip should be worn immediately below and touching the badge of office (position patch).

On the left pocket should go the following insignia:

Centered on the pocket is Scout rank. ONLY SCOUTS wear ranks; adults wear the appropriate square knot insignia to denote Eagle Scout. Sorry there are not knots for the other Boy Scout ranks earned as youth. The rank emblem is worn centered on the left pocket. If a Boy Scout is the holder of the Arrow of Light, Cub Scouting's highest award, he wears the Arrow of Light immediately BELOW the rank insignia on the pocket. Again, ONLY SCOUTS wear the Arrow of Light; adults wear the Arrow of Light square knot insignia to denote their attainment of this award. Nothing else is worn below the pocket.

Above the pocket would go year pins (if earned) and square knot insignia (if earned or received). Adults only may wear special 50th or 75th Anniversary strips above the square knots but below the World Crest emblem. Above those items would go the World Crest if not already pre-sewn onto the shirt.

On the right side of the shirt would go the following insignia from top to bottom of the shirt:

Jamboree Insignia: The BSA keeps going back and forth; here's the current policy: ONLY ONE Jamboree emblem (one World/International or one National) is to be worn. I would imagine this policy was made because over the years, the size of the Jamboree emblems have been increasing, especially the BSA's National Jamboree emblems.

Interpreter Strips: For best uniforming, no more than three narrow-sized strips should be worn at any one time. If you speak more languages than that, pick your best three.

Order of the Arrow insignia: The Order of the Arrow has "dibs" on the right pocket flap. While other local Councils have developed special insignia for Scouts and Cubs to wear on the pocket flap, only Order of the Arrow Lodge insignia should be worn (a current OA flap or a special OA activity or service flap) from THE LODGE IN WHICH YOU ARE A CURRENT MEMBER OF. Those Arrowmen without a current Lodge affiliation should not wear a flap but instead wear the Arrow pin suspended from a red and white ribbon from the right pocket flap button.

Temporary Insignia: ONE temporary patch or a temporary patch with segmented patches not to exceed the dimensions of the right pocket are to be worn on the field uniform. Patches suspended from the right pocket button are considered as "sewn on" for proper uniforming. "Temporary insignia" is defined by the BSA as special insignia for participating in unit, District, Council or national events or programs. Previous rank, service stars and pins are NOT to be worn on the pocket.

A special "Recruiter" strip may be worn below the right pocket by members of local Councils that authorizes the wearing of such a strip. In other local Councils, no other strips or patches should be worn below the right pocket.

On the right shoulder from top to bottom:

U.S. Flag emblem. The US Flag emblem is an OPTIONAL item for the BSA's uniforms, and newer uniforms have the emblems pre-sewn onto the shirts. The older uniforms had the flag detached.

Patrol emblem. Patrol emblems are worn by patrol members. Adult Scouters should NOT wear Patrol emblems except during Scoutmaster Fundamentals, additional training experiences and Wood Badge.

Quality emblem: The Quality Unit, District, Council and Region emblems may be worn by those members that have attained Quality status during the present or previous year. Only ONE such Quality (either unit, district, council, or region) emblem may be worn at any one time. If a unit becomes part of a Quality District, the unit emblem is replaced by the Quality District emblem. Likewise, if the Council becomes a Quality Council, and authorizes members of the Council to wear the Quality Council emblem, the Quality District emblem is replaced by the Quality Council emblem. Both youth and adult members of the Quality unit, district, council or region may wear the Quality emblem during the year in which Quality status has been earned. Nothing else is worn below the single Quality Unit emblem.

The Scout belt should be the belt worn by Scouts and Scouters. The beads and holder shown above left is an optional item available to units to recognize immediate progress toward Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class rank as well as Troop and District/Council activities and events.

Neckerchiefs if worn, the neckerchief should be worn UNDER the collar of the uniform shirt as shown above and below. Wood Badgers belonging to units without a designated neckerchief should wear the Wood Badge Neckerchief in the same manner.

The merit badge sash is worn during formal activities and events, and not during Troop meetings or campouts. Only one sash may be worn at any time. Merit badges only are worn on the FRONT of the sash. On the back of the sash, additional merit badges may be sewn and temporary insignia may be sewn. "Temporary insignia" is defined by the BSA as special insignia for participating in unit, District, Council or national events or programs. Previous rank, service stars and pins are NOT to be worn on the sash.

Merit badges may be worn in any order that the Scout chooses, and not necessarily in alphabetical nor "required-non required" order. Most Scouts choose to wear merit badges in the order in which they have earned them. Three merit badges should be worn in a row.