Category Archives: Patches

Ghost Stitching Custom Boy Scout Patches

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“All emblems must contain a Boy Scouts of America corporate identifier: either, “BSA” without any periods, “Boy Scouts of America” or the BSA fleur-de-lis…”
-From the Boy Scouts of America guidelines for Custom Patches and Emblems

ghosted fleur

A common technique Stadri uses to gain compliance with the BSA’s standards is a stitching method called ghost stitching.

Ghost stitching embroiders the BSA identifier over the design in the same color as the design.

The result is an identifier that can be seen when closely inspected but doesn’t take away from the overall design of the patch.

Ghost stitching can also be used on the entire patch, matching the twill to the color of the thread. Such a technique can make for a patch that is hard to discern but vivid in contrast. Such patches can have a level of elegance that brings dress uniforms to a new level.
semi-ghosted fleur
semi-ghosted fleur

A Quasi-Ghost stitched patch will often be a split with some color in the text or image of the patch as well as in the merowed border.
semi-ghosted fleur

Ghost stitching doesn’t add any cost to the patch, making the technique even more valuable for adding dimension to the patch or hiding a message in the design.

A Brief Summary of Patrol Patches

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A subgroup to a Boy Scout troops larger whole, Boy Scout patrols have been part of scouting since its inception. Playing an important roll in boosting spirit while giving opportunities for leadership, skill development, and advancement, patrol patches often celebrate unique activities and are embroidered with some fantastic art that fits within its small space.

Orc Partrol Patch From ClassB.com

To meet the BSA requirements for uniform wear, patrol patches must be 1.5 inches round with a khaki background, khaki merrowed boarder, and use no more than three thread colors. Originally patrols took the name as animals and used colored ribbon or leather as an identifier. Over time, silk-screened patches replaced the ribbons until finally embroidered patches where introduced. Historically, patrols were encouraged to place adjectives in the patrol names to personalize and help build troop spirit.

Animal identifiers are still used but there are a number of other creative identifiers using objects, food and beliefs. These patrol patches can often fall outside of the BSA regulations using colorful twill and more than three thread colors. In some corners of the Internet, there has been a lively debate about whether troops should break BSA regulations. Some leaders believe that the regulations are clear and shouldn’t be broken while other leaders feel they can gain troop unity and morale. No matter what side of the debate, when troops participate in competitions where uniform inspections will occur, those not using patrol patches to BSA regulations may be docked some points.

Urban Land Scouts Vegtable Growing Patch

Even if the patrol patch isn’t to spec, the small size offers a great medium for any message. The popularity of patrol patches with those who don’t participate in scouting has increased recently. The Urban Land Scouts use patrol patches in an effort to educate about the human relationship to plant life and Mother Nature. Nerd Merit Badges celebrate quirky accomplishments like an empty email inbox and fixing broken printers. I’ve seen designs for coffee patrols, Mr. Potatohead patrols and cow bell patrols. Patrol patches are a fun way of celebrating just about anything.

What is your favorite patrol patch? What’s a patrol patch you’d love to have made?

This post first appeared on the InsaneScouter blog on 10/4/11

Endeavour Delivers Payload of Boy Scout Patches

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It’s no longer breaking news that space shuttle Endeavour returned this morning this morning from a successful 15 day trip, delivering the final U.S. components for the International Space Station and taking its last flight. All in all, Endeavour has 299 days, 4,671 orbits and 122,853,151 miles logged in space. I wonder how often they change the oil and rotate the tires.

Endeavour Embroidered Mission Patch

While Endeavour returned largely without payload, it did have a special stash of souvenirs including some very special Scouting patches. The crew members from all 134 shuttle missions (to date) have brought small U.S. Flags, crew patches, medallions, and lapel pins with them, so the tradition isn’t new.

Included on the official flight manifest – yes, I read the manifest – are 500 of the crew’s embroidered patches, designed by commander Mark Kelly’s mother-in-law, Gloria, along with more than 5,000 embroidered U.S. Flags and 2,000 of Endeavour’s orbiter flags.

More than 100 of the new robotic merit badges developed in cooperation with NASA also made the exclusive trip. Check out Boys Life for a chance to win a Robotics merit badge that orbited Earth on the space shuttle Endeavour!

BSA's Robotics Merit Badge

Lastly, mission specialist Greg Chamitoff was an Eagle Scout from Santa Clara County Council in California. Listed on the manifest is a special space patch designed for the occasion by the council with whom Chamitoff flew into space. I’ve been unable to find the patch in our system – there must be other companies producing embroidered patches, I’m truly shocked! I’ve reached out to the council in an attempt to confirm this and hopefully get an image of the patch. If I’m successful, I’ll post the image on this post, twitter and facebook, so check back or follow as I’m sure it’s a cool design.

What would you take into space if given the opportunity?

Related Posts:
Boy Scout Merit Badges by The Numbers
Boy Scout Merit Badge: Geocaching

We Have a Winner For the Stadri Jeopardy Contest!

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A big thanks to all of those that participated, retweeted, blogged and otherwise spread the word out about Stadri Emblems Jeopardy! Contest. Your help made the contest a smashing success!

Hopefully the Boy Scout Handbook wasn’t needed to play the challenge but here are the answers before we announce the winner:

The theme:
A Scout is…
Each response will be one of the 12 qualities in the Boy Scout Law.

$200 Question:
Deserving of confidence; this 11-letter word is the first on the Scouts Law list
Answer: Trustworthy

$400 Question:
Frugal, or a car rental company
Answer: Thrifty

$600 Question:
Faithful, be it to your nation or your pal
Answer: Loyal

$800 Question:
This synonym for “amiable” linked with a comic book ghost
Answer: Friendly

$1000 Question:
Exhibiting courage
Answer: Brave

The big winner is: Daniel from the Pacific Rivers District!
Bravo!

As a bonus, Daniel was kind enough to answer a few questions:

Stadri: What is your involvement with the Boy Scouts currently or in the past?
Daniel: I am an Eagle and a Vigil honor arrowman. I am my District’s Chairman, a Scoutmaster, a Crew Advisor, a Ship Skipper, a different Crew Committee chair, a Post Committee Chair, OA Chapter Ceremonies Advisor, Conclave Auction Advisor and Trading Post staff, Conservation committee member for two Councils and I usually help run our District’s Camp-O-Ree, Spook-E-Ree, Scout-O-Rama and Honorary Awards Weekend.

Stadri: What part of Scouting do you enjoy the most? What about the least?
Daniel: Working with the kids and working with the professionals [the least- ed] – just kidding, most of them are pretty good people!

Stadri: Do you have a favorite merit badge or badge you are most proud of earning?
Daniel: Of course Eagle, and all the knots I had to be nominated for but on the sleeve of my red jacket I have my 1986 Quality Unit patch from the first year I was a Cub Scout and every year through 2010. 25 Years of Scouting, every one with a Quality Unit.

Stadri:  That is very impressive! Do you collect scouting patches in the traditional sense? Any plans for your limited edition patch that you’ve won?
Daniel: Yes, and my short term plan is to add it to a patch display I am putting together for our Scout-O-Rama because it looks so big and impressive.

Thanks again to all of those who participated. We’re gearing up with some cool scouting promotions involving another custom embroidered patch (limited edition of course), an announcement about a history making local troop, and perhaps another contest or two. Keep checking our Scouting Blog, Facebook and Twitter to find out how you can get involved and get your own custom or Stadri designed embroidered Patches!

Have a suggestion for a blog topic? Leave a comment and I’ll follow up with you!

Related Posts:
Framed, Oversized Custom Patches Make a Great Special Gift
Patch Trading Tips

Boy Scout Merit Badges by the Numbers

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The Newest Merit Badge: Robotics

An important part of a Boy Scout’s journey, merit badges have been around for over a 100 years. The scouting handbook says “A merit badge is an invitation to explore an exciting subject. With more than a hundred to choose from, some merit badges encourage you to increase your skill in subjects you already like while others challenge you to learn about new areas of knowledge.” Since merit badges are another term for embroidered patches (and Stadri is all about embroidered patches) we’ve got them everywhere!  Here are some random statistics I’ve collected regarding merit badges:

14 – Merit badges in the BSA’s initial list in 1910 – they didn’t produce or award any them that year.
57 -  Merit badges the BSA officially manufactured and awarded in 1911.
11 – Of the original 57 that have the same basic design as when they were introduced.
140 – The maximum amount of merit badges available at any one time.
126 – Amount of merit badges available as of December 31, 2010.
161,252 – Bugling merit badges earned between 1911 and 2001.
21 – Total merit badges a scout must earn to achieve Eagle Scout rank.

12- Number of required merit badges a scout must earn to achieve Eagle Scout.
10 – Major types of merit badges.
4 – Legs on the Bee in the Beekeeping merit badge from 1914-1938. Bees have 6 legs.
1 – ‘Spoof’ or patrol patch that became an actual merit badge – Scuba Diving.
142 – Record for amount of merit badges earned by one person.
4 – Historic patches offered during the Boy Scouts Centennial.
113,638,951 – Total merit badges Boy Scouts earned from 1911 to 2007.

Completely random huh? What merit badge facts do you know?
Comment on here, Facebook or Twitter!

I used the following websites to compile the random facts:
www.scouting.org
www.bsatroop780.org
www.meritbadge.info
www.en.wikipedia.org
www.sageventure.com
www.troopcrew180.org
www.patchlodge.com
The Boy Scout Handbook

Boy Scout Merit Badge: Geocaching

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One of the new merit badges announced this year is Geocaching. Geocaching is an outdoor activity that pairs GPS and other navigational techniques to find a cache – anything from an amazing view to a hidden container of treasures.  Often described as a ‘high-tech game of hide and seek’ there are over 1.2 geocaches  in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The addition of geocaching seems like a great fit to the adventurous spirit of scouting. While the geocaching pamphlet has been officially released, here is the workbook for the merit badge. We’re excited to see all the different embroidered patch designs for geocaching events. It’d be neat to make one of the treasures at a geocach custom pin or custom decal for other seekers to find and collect.

Whats the coolest geocaching find you’ve had?

Embroidered Boy Scout Patch Trading Tips

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The hobby of trading has been a part of Boy Scout tradition for many years. Before patches became the most popular trade item, Scouts attending Jamborees would trade neckerchief slides or even common items (like seashells and pine cones) representing where their troop was from.

There are so many varieties of scout patches to trade how do you decide what you want? Most traders focus on one particular set of patches, such as: CSP’s, types of camp patches, OA Patches, or National BSA patches. Focusing on a particular style of patch can help you trade more successfully and build a cohesive collection.

Once you start getting into the trading game, you will observe and learn the unspoken rules of trading. Here are a few tips on trading etiquette.

1. Don’t interrupt a trade that is in progress.

2. Ask before handling someone else’s patches.

3. Always thank the other person for letting you see their patches, even if you decide not to trade.

3. If you decide to trade, always be honest and trade fairly. The trading community is a tight one. If you are dishonest, or rude, your reputation will be damaged quickly and no one will want to trade with you.

4. Finish the trade with a Scout handclasp.

There is a lot of shorthand and lingo used among traders, and you should ask an experienced trader to school you on the abbreviations for the types of patches before you start trading.

There is also helpful information on the site:

If you are new to the patch trading phenomenon you should probably make plans to attend a “tradoree” and see for yourself what goes on at this type of event.

Trading can be fun hobby that can introduce you to a lively community and some amazing patches.

(Thank you to our resident Scout and patch trading expert, Tom Wadnola for providing information used in this post.)

Want More Badges? Be a Leader

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As you gain experience as a Scout, you’ll undoubtedly have leadership opportunities. Serve your troop in areas where your skills and talents are best utilized. The Scouts offer several badges of office varying from administrative positions, such as scribe or librarian to patrol leader or even musician. Pursuing badges of office can be fun way to show off all of the ways you contribute to your troop. Who knows? You may inspire others in your troop to do the same. Scout leaders may even come up with additional badges for special events. Being a Scout is an honorable achievement, being a leader among Scouts is even better.

For the highest quality scout patches at the lowest price visit the Scouting PageScout Patches Stadri Emblems.

Framed, Oversized Custom Patches Make a Great Special Gift

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Scout Patches collectibles, Stadri EmblemsNeed a unique holiday gift for the Scout in your life, or want a special way to commemorate a Scouting achievement, like a Scout achieving Eagle status? Framing a large Scout patch can be an artistic and memorable way to show support for Scouting.

This 13” x 10” (unframed size) printed patch with embroidered elements was created by Stadri Emblems to commemorate Scouting’s 100th Anniversary. Posing in front of a billowing American flag is one of Norman Rockwell’s iconic Scout images with the embroidered initials of the artist over the left shoulder. It is an example of the fine detail and artistic value that can be achieved using this process on an oversized patch. The full plastic backing and high quality fabric guarantees that this patch will not fade or fray over time. Only a handful of these particular patches were completed. One was presented at a BSA licensee’s dinner. One was given to Thornton Percival, the man who modeled for Norman Rockwell’s image of Scout’s Honor. And one hangs in the Stadri Emblems art department wing. There are a small number still available, but once they are purchased, this design will be retired. Contact Stadri Emblems if you are interested in this design.

There are many possibilities for these works of art in thread. If anyone has a good idea for a design that would lend itself to a limited-edition collector’s piece,  Stadri Emblems can make it for you. contact their sales department or leave a comment in the field below.