Show and Tell: Names and Patches Aren’t Just for Youth

One of the most fun parts of organizing a patrol is picking a name. After picking a name, Scouts can unleash their creativity with yells, flags and patches.

But that fun isn’t designated to just the youth. Many Scouters form an adult patrol within the troop. It’s not an official part of BSA programming, but there’s no policy barring such a practice. To read more on the BSA’s stance, click here.

Having an adult patrol can be a great way for Scouters to set an example to youth for implementing the patrol method.

We asked Scouters to share the fun names and patches of their adult patrols. Popular patrol names were the Old Goats, Bald Eagles, Owls, Fossils or the Coffee Patrol.

You can share yours via our online submission form at go.scoutingmagazine.org/showandtellor by emailing us at scoutingmag@gmail.com.

Good Advice

The adults of Troop 1666 of Ashburn, Va., are known as the Ask Your SPL Patrol. “This was our founding Scoutmaster’s idea as a way to provide a little humor, but also to remind young Scouts that they need to ‘Ask their SPL!’ Adult leaders just have to point to the patch,” says Todd Roeder.

Tied Up in Knots

Scouters of Troop 103 in New Hudson, Mich., selected the name Knot Heads. This photo also includes a matching hand-carved neckerchief slide.

Wise, You Are

An old and wise Star Wars character was the choice for Scouters in Troop 364 in Howell, Mich. Not only do they proudly wear a Yoda patch, says Randy Jack, but the Scouters liked the design so much that they also included it in a vinyl wrap for their patrol box.

Put Them Together

Adults in Troop 969 of Hamilton, Va., went with the “Old Goat Cat Herders.” They found Old Goat patrol and Cat Herder patrol patches, and sewed them on their sleeves side by side.

Hide-and-Seek Champs

Adults with Troop 212 of Shadyside, Ohio, are known as the Sasquatch Patrol.

Fit for Kings

Scouters in Troop 339 of Prior Lake, Minn., picked the King’s Patrol. “We hadn’t really come up with a moniker when our patrol inherited one of the largest patrol boxes I’ve ever seen,” says Darin Jensen. “I said it was fit for a king and they decided if we were going to use it, we must be the King’s Patrol.”

Protection Measures

Adults with girls Troop 82 of Brownstown, Pa., chose to be the Dragons, because they were defending their Scouts from many social media comments critical of girls being in the Scouts BSA program. “It was funny, because at our Scout Sunday one of the parishioners asked me if I had ‘some kind of demonic badge’ on my uniform,” says Erin Blank. “ ‘Nah’, was the reply, ‘just some solid defense so our Scouts can safely progress to Eagle.’ ”