Newsgroups: rec.scouting
Subject: Re: World Brotherhood of Scouting (World Crest)
From: waltoml@wkuvx1.wku.edu (Settummanque, the blackeagle)
Date: 2 Dec 94 17:44:35 CDT
Lines: 148

gevans@sam.neosoft.com (Greg Evans) writes:

> Can anyone give me a history of the World Crest Badge we wear on
> our uniforms?  I've been told it shows membership in the World
> Brotherhood of Scouting but don't know anything else about it.

More than happy to do so, Greg.  

> Am I asking a question which is answered somewhere already?

Nope.  Perhaps this could be incorporated into a FAQ though, because I 
feel that I'm answering this one at least three times a month.  I'm
going to leave this as a file on my account for a while so that others
that follow you with the same GREAT question can get it answered in
the same manner.  

There are a lot of us "old-timers" that are really pissed at the BSA
for their decision in the past three or so years in connection with
this emblem.  As you will read here, they took something that had
great meaning to those holding it and turned it into something of
little or no worth, ignoring both professional and volunteer concerns
about the changes. 


The World Crest is a smaller symbol associated with the World Scout
Flag which flies at the World Organization of Scouting Movements
(WOSM) in Switzerland.  It is the sole insignia common to ALL member
nations of the WOSM, and in most if not all nations, where they base
*their* national symbol of Scouting from.  Only recently, has the Boy
Scouts of America decided that all of its members will wear the World
Crest as a symbol of unity and world brotherhood. 

> What is the origin and history of the insignia and badge?
> What are the rules (written or unwritten) associated with its display?

The World Organization decided after the second World War that all
member nations would issue and wear a patch with the World Crest on it
as a sign of world brotherhood and unity amoung all Scouting
organizations in the then-"free world".  The BSA, along with a small
group of other countries, agreed but declined to carry out the
mandate, stating that their program "will do so when the time is right
for it to happen", stated Chief Scout Executive Arthur Schuck. 

The first uses of the World Crest was during the World Jamboree in
1955, although the badge was available to Scouts and Scouters several
years before.  In 1956, however, the BSA decided that Scouts and
Scouters that participate in an approved "international activity or
event" would wear the Crest to and from that event as members of other
nations would be doing.  The following year, 1957, the BSA made the
World Crest available to local Councils (it was previously only
available from the BSA's International Service), and established the
requirements which lasted until 1992:  "take part in an organized
international activity or event with Scouts from another member nation
of the World Association".  It also established the World Crest as one
of the few PERMANENT patches or insignia on the Boy Scout or Scouters'
uniform. 

No matter how many "international activities" you took part in, you
could only earn and wear ONE per life of the Scout.  Nor could you
purchase a World Crest without a card (similar to the Eagle Scout
card) which states that you are indeed the holder of the World Crest. 

The Crest became known as the "Overseas" Patch of Scouting informally by
Scouts and Scouters, because while very few were earned by Scouts and
Scouters taking part in events in Canada or Mexico, many more...the
majority...were earned by Scouts and Scouters serving as members of
the Transatlantic (Europe, Near East and North Africa), Far East (Far
East, Japan, and the Phillipines), Canal Zone (Panama) and Direct
Service (all other areas around the world) Councils.  Scouts and
Scouters in those Council routinely had interactions with host-nation
Scouting groups and many of those Scouts and Scouters developed
lifelong associations with individuals and groups over the years,
camping and doing social events with them and their members. As those 
folks came back to the States, proudly displaying their World Crest, 
they were singled out for many special tasks and events in their Councils
because "they have done something with foriegn Scouts". 

My best guess is that there were many jealous Scouts and Scouters that
could not go overseas, could not attend a Jamboree or some other
event, and could not, therefore, earn the World Crest.  The BSA did 
something about this, in 1990, and changed the rules allowing for Scouts 
and Scouters in the USA to earn the World Crest by simply "taking part in
an international exhibit or display or an international event",
whether or not Scouts from another country was present or not.  Robert
Zadima, the Council Executive of the Transatlantic Council and his
Far East Council counterpart, along with some members of other US
local Councils, strongly made their objections known to the BSA's
National Director of Operations and to the International Division,
but those appeals fell on deaf ears, and the policy was changed. 

Two and a half years ago, the BSA once again changed the policy over
the objections of many local Councils, whose volunteers and
professionals grown to respect the World Crest and what it stood for.  
The present policy is that the patch WILL BE WORN BY ALL YOUTH MEMBERS
AND BY ALL ADULTS, VOLUNTEER OR PROFESSIONAL, AS A SIGN OF WORLD 
BROTHERHOOD AND UNITY WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCOUTING 
COMMUNITY. 

The patch has always had the same design.  The patch is one-inch in
diameter, in the same two colors. The design is the international 
fleur-de-lis (flower of the lily), with two stars symbolzing "truth" 
and "knowledge" and alluding to the outdoor nature of Scouting, 
surrounded by a rope symbolic of unity and one-ness tied at the 
bottom by a square knot, a symbol of service. Those white items are 
on a deep purple (not maroon, but royal purple) background.

The patch would be worn in a certain way by US Scouts, according to
a booklet I got from the Transatlantic Council, "In order to wear the 
World Crest, you must find a centimeter ruler and an American ruler.  
You must measure from your left shoulder seam edge 12 centimeters over 
and three inches above the left pocket seam.  This place will be slightly 
different on each and every Boy Scout and each and every Boy Scout Leader, 
but it is highly symbolic.  The 12 centimeters is how other Scouts have
measured you by your Scout Law in their own eyes.  The three inches is
how you have measured yourself in your dealings with them according to
our Scout Oath."  

In the Scout Handbook, there are only instructions to wear it above
your left pocket and centered above the pocket. You can see that this
has created a LOT of variations to the wearing of the patch. 
 
Those Scouts and Scouters that do participate in an international
activity today get to wear a three-inch TEMPORARY patch on the right
pocket. 

> What is the World Brotherhood of Scouting?

From the _Boy_Scout_Encyclopedia_, 1964, page 167:

"This means that every other Scout in the world, and there are over
9,000,000 Scouts.  They wear the same basic type of uniform, with
variations according to country and climate.  They observe the same
Scout Oath and Law.  World Brotherhood in Scouting is best demostrated
at a World Jamboree". 

Hope that answers your questions about the World Crest!

Settummanque!
--                                      
 Settummanque, the blackeagle...   (MAJ) Mike L. Walton    (