Taughannock District
Baden-Powell Council, BSA
Virtual Patch Collection - Council and District Patches

Community Strips 

When Cubs was introduced in the early 30's, they used yellow-on-blue community strips. Less common were blue-on-white for Sea Scouts or red-on-light blue for Air Scouts.

 Eventually, though, around 1955 community strips were standardized as white letters on a red background as in this strip:

These strips would usually be paired with smaller strip for the state, although sometimes larger communities would have patches made which included both community and state on one strip. 

Council Red-and-White Patches

For those who effectively had no community, there were equivalent white-on-red strips with the council name - but these were worn only by professionals and, rarely, by council-level volunteers. Most volunteers even at the district or council level would wear the community strip for where they lived or where the council was headquartered. 

LAF Council - Tompkins and Tioga Counties

Council Pocket Patches

In addition to the community strip, Scouts would often wear a council patch on their right pocket in the "Temporary Patch" position.

LAF Council - Tompkins and Tioga Counties

The Tioughnioga Council pocket patch was designed to use small segments around the central campfire to signify attendance at council activities.

Left to right: Camp Purchas - Fall Bivouac - Operation Frostbite - Rally - Camporee - Swimmer

An alternate version of the Tioughnioga Council patch incorporating "BSA" and "Cortland, New York"

Baden-Powell Council (release 1.0)

In 1975, the LAF Council and the Tioughnioga Council merged, and those involved in the merger had to choose a name for the new council. Someone suggested naming the new council after Scouting's Founder, Baden-Powell - but surely that name was taken? As it turned out, it wasn't, and the new council became "Baden-Powell Council"

Although its home office was always on Route 13 in Dryden - first in the small house at the foot of the TC3 drive, then in another house a bit further north, and finally in a purpose-built building west of town - B-P Council (release 1.0) was always officially headquartered in Freeville. 

1975-81 Red-and-White patch

These red-and-white strips were seldom, if ever, seen, and they are quite rare today. 

1978 - The First B-P Council CSP

As time went on, the cost of stocking community strips for every community which had (or might ever have) a Scouting unit became prohibitive.Embroidered Council Shoulder Patches (CSPs) with various designs were phased in around the country starting in the mid-1970's, and Councils began stocking embroidered Council Shoulder Patches (CSPs). 

This silver background patch with square corners was the first in the B-P Council. It slowly began to replace community strips as the stock ran out, especially in smaller communities, but was never really in common use, especially as there were lots of the community strips in stock. These square-corner patches are uncommon today.  

1981-1994 Silver Background

The silver-background design was refined and given rounded corners in 1981, at first for the Jamboree troop in that year. After the Jamboree, community strips were officially phased out and these patches replaced them for the next dozen years. These are probably the most common of the B-P release 1.0 CSPs in collections. 

1994-1997 Green Background

In 1994 the silver background patch was replaced by this one, with a green background and red border with gold lettering. This patch was only in use for three years.  

Susquenango Council

Broome and Chenango Counties in New York and Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania formed the Susquenango Council.

At some point, probably in the late 70's or early 80's, Susquenango Council adopted this patch:

Johnny Hart fundraiser patch - see below for Baden-Powell version. 
(Mike Homrighaus collection)

1998 Baden-Powell Council (release 2.0)

In 1998 Baden-Powell Council and Susquenango Council merged to form the present Baden-Powell Council (release 2.0, for those of us from the old B-P Council), headquartered in Binghamton. 

Current Patch - Blue Background

The new council adopted this CSP, which merged the basic design of the old B-P patch with the three trees from the Susquenango patch, and added "Penn" to "New York". The present version of the patch has the council number, 368, ghosted into the blue background.  

District Patches

Baden-Powell Council (rel. 1.0) offered district patches for use in the "temporary" right-pocket position, replacing the older council pocket patches. Several of the districts in the present B-P Council still have pocket patches. 

Limited Edition Council Shoulder Patches

These patches were issued for limited times and in limited quantities either to mark a special event or for use by a contingent sent to Jamborees or the like. Also included are the annual Friends of Scouting fundraising patches issued from 1999 on.

1985 - Council 10th Anniversary and
Scouting's 75th Anniversary

This patch, with a light blue background and silver border, with the Diamond Jubilee logo and "10" over the fleur-de-lis, was distributed only during 1985. 

1985 National Scout Jamboree

This patch was used only by members of the Council's Jamboree Troop at the 11th National Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill. 

1988 Blair Atholl 
Scotland Patrol Jamborette Contingent

This patch was used only by the 12 Scouts and four leaders who attended the 1988 International Patrol Jamborette in Blair Atholl, Scotland, under the leadership of Lou Doty, Bill and Judy Wood, and Joe Leeming. Although the council has sent contingents to Blair Atholl every two years since 1996 - see the Blair Atholl website for details - this is the only time a special Blair Atholl CSP was created for the event, although in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 we had a pocket patch - see below.   

1989 National Scout Jamboree

As in 1985, there was a custom CSP for the 
Jamboree troop sent to the Jamboree in 1989. 

This fake Jamboree patch was made up by fraudster patch traders and traded around at the 1989 Jamboree. Hundreds of them were made - far more than the legitimate patch, above - so much so that by the time our Scouts arrived at Fort A.P.Hill the market had been flooded and they had trouble convincing other Scouts at the Jamboree that their real patches weren't fakes. 
These fakes show up on eBay from time to time - please don't buy or sell them. 
fake patch from Joe McDermott's collection

1990 Danish National Jamboree

An "unofficial" and very rare patch created by Lou Doty for the group he took to the 1990 National Jamboree in Denmark. 

1992 National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC)

I don't know anything about this patch, and it's the only one on this page which isn't in my collection or Mike Homrighaus'. 
All I have is this picture. 

1993 National Jamboree

Another custom CSP for the Jamboree troop. This patch was made in smaller quantities than any of the other Jamboree patches, as the Council only sent half a troop to AP Hill in 1993. 

1995 Twentieth Anniversary CSP

This patch was only sold during 1995, to mark the twentieth anniversary of the B-P Council (r. 1.0).

1997 National Jamboree

Still another custom CSP for the two Jamboree troops sent to 
Fort AP Hill that summer. 

1998 Special Patch for creation of
Baden-Powell Council r. 2.0

At the time of the merger, these special sparkly Mylar patches were offered for a limited time. They are the same as the regular patches, except used sparkly gold thread in place of yellow. 

1999 Friends of Scouting - Trustworthy

Starting in 1999, the council began to issue a special CSP each year for donors to the annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) fund drive. Each FOS patch from 1999-2010 featured one point of the Scout Law. 

2000 Friends of Scouting - Loyal

2001 Friends of Scouting - Helpful

2001 National Jamboree

Once again, a special CSP for the two Jamboree troops in 2001. 

2002 20th World Jamboree - Thailand

A "stealth" variant from Mike Homrighaus' collection. 

Mike Collins had a number of these rare patches made up when he was on staff at the World Jamboree in Thailand. They were also sold in part as a fundraiser, but were never worn by a group,  as the Council did not have an official presence at the World Jamboree.

2002 Friends of Scouting - Friendly

Starting in 2002, various versions of the FOS patch were made with different color borders denoting donors at different levels, presenters, etc. 

2003 Friends of Scouting - Courteous

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

2004 Friends of Scouting - Kind

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

2005 Friends of Scouting - Obedient

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

2005 National Jamboree

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

(Joe McDermott collection)

2006 Friends of Scouting - Cheerful

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

2007 Friends of Scouting - Thrifty

For the next few patches, the FOS notation and the Scout Law point were camouflaged by being put in the same thread color as part of the background (the grass, in this version). 

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

2007 World Jamboree

Another fund raiser patch - we did not have a group from B-P attending because councils don't send contingents to World Jamborees, only National does that. 

2008 Friends of Scouting - Brave

"Brave" is buried in the grass. 

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

2009 Friends of Scouting - Clean

FOS and "Clean" are in the lower right. 

2010 Friends of Scouting - Reverent

Reverting to the designs where FOS and the point of the Scout Law was more visible, with an unusual stained-glass background. 

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

2010 National Scout Jamboree

Issued for the one troop sent to the 2010 Jamboree, with border in four colors, red, white, blue and gold. The gold patches were reserved for the contingent members, and the red, white and blue bordered patches were sold as fundraisers. Contingent members were also allowed to buy sets of the three red/white/blue patches.

 


(white, blue and gold from Mike Homrighaus collection)

2010-2022 Blair Atholl 
Scottish Jamborettes

They're not strictly speaking council shoulder patches, but we did have these special patches for our contingents at the Blair Atholl Jamborette in Scotland in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022.The 2020 Jamborette was canceled, but we already had our contingent ready to go so we created a patch, anyway.

  .

2012 Friends of Scouting
Prepared. For Life. 

There weren't any FOS CSPs for 2011, but a new patch appeared for 2012, in three border colors:

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

(Mike Homrighaus collection)

2013 Friends of Scouting
Prepared. For Life.

The 2013 FoS CSPs were in three border colors - bronze, silver and gold - representing different contribution levels. 

2013 National Jamboree

We sent one troop and two Venture crews to the National Jamboree in 2013. As with prior Jamborees, there were variations on the patch borders for various purposes.

Scout Troop Patches

Venture Crew Patches

Top two patches designed by Alexa Boyd

2014 Friends of Scouting

There were three FOS patches for 2014 - Bronze, Silver and Gold - depending on level of gift. 

2015 Friends of Scouting

There were three patches again for 2015 - Red, White and Black

2016 Friends of Scouting

There are three FOS Patches for 2016 - Blue, White and Black

2017 Friends of Scouting

Three patches again - Gold, Silver and Blue

2017 National Jamboree

Black-bordered "fundraiser" patch - contingent patch has silver border

2017 Special Patches

Four special patches were issued for 2017, one for each district, using different "B.C." characters and designs for each patch. A full set of patches came with a large central patch, so that the set forms a circle. 

2017 Special Patch - Taughannock 

2017 Special Patch - Chenango

2017 Special Patch - Delahanna

2017 Special Patch -  Hiawatha

2018 Friends of Scouting

Three Patches - Gold, Silver and Green borders

2019 Friends of Scouting

Two patches - Yellow and Brown borders

2019 Centennial Patch

2019 Unofficial Patches

The May 2019 Millbrook Encampment event was attended by 109 scouts and leaders from 4 councils and 3 states and featured a scout skills competition, falconry exhibition, emergency medical helicopter demonstration, and an opening ceremony speech by Major General Peter Lennon - an Eagle Scout from Troop 61.The patch features an Eagle Scout medallion because the staff was primarily Eagle Scouts from the host Troop 61 of New Berlin, NY; and a background aerial view of the beautiful Millbrook Recreation Area in New Berlin, NY

The green border was the "participant" patch which was given to all the scouts, leaders, and staff who attended. The blue mylar border was the "staff" patch and only 60 were made. The red mylar border "collector" patch was given to those who supported the event financially and only 25 were made. 

Pack 61 Soap Box Derby

Ed Brewer Collection

2020 Covid-19 Fund Patches

These limited-edition patches were sold as a special fundraiser, along with three other patches - one each for Camps Barton and Tuscarora and an OA pocket flap. Patches could be purchased individually, or as a five-patch set.  

2020 Friends of Scouting

Three patches - brown border, gold border and ghost (all white)

2021 Friends of Scouting

Three patches - white on purple, purple on white and ghost (all purple)
These patches started a "Founding Fathers Series" - succeeding FoS patches will feature major figures from the history of Scouting

2022 Friends of Scouting

Second in the "Founding Fathers" series 
featuring Ernest Thompson Seton

2022 - 100th Anniversary of
Camp Barton

(sample pre-production patch)

A series of patches will be issued in May, 2022, at the time of the Barton 100 Camporee celebrating the founding of Camp Barton at Taughannock Point in 1922. There will be 30 sets of three patches with different colored borders, sold for $100 each. Two of the patches will be produced in larger numbers, with each of the participants at the Camporee receiving the most-common patch. 

For information on the limited patch series, contact Mike Homrighaus at Barton100@TCScouts.org

2023 Friends of Scouting

Third in the "Founding Fathers" series
featuring Daniel Carter Beard

2024 Friends of Scouting

Fourth in the "Founding Fathers" series
Featuring W.D. Boyce

Special Purpose CSPs

Eagle Scout CSP

Philmont CSP

For use by groups going to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Johnny Hart "B.C." Patches

 
 
(Mike Homrighaus collection)

These patches, designed by Johnny Hart (1931-2007), Binghamton resident and creator of the "BC" and "Wizard of Id" comic strips, were (and still are, as far as I know), sold as a fundraiser. Red, white and blue background patches are sold at different prices.

There may have been other special B-P Council CSPs produced, but I'm not aware of them. Those above are, except as noted, the ones in my collection. If you have any patches which aren't here, please send me a clear scan of the patch, at least 300 pixels in width, and e-mail it to me at wb2jwd@htva.net, and I'll add it to the page. If you want to just send me the patch for my collection, of course, I wouldn't insult you by refusing it...

Mike Brown