Mai wrote and asked:
Hello!! I am a registered Lone Cub Scout Friend and Counselor. My son and I are loving the opportunity to be a part of Cub Scouting even though we live almost 50 miles away from the closest Cub Scout Pack. We participate with them when we can but we have our own adventures too...
The other Cub Scout leaders wear the Scout shirts with their badges identifying them as some sort of a leader. I am asking if there is something similar for me to wear on my shoulder? Can I wear the same Lone Scout badge that my son wears as his Friend and Counselor? Thanks ever so much!
Hi Mai!! I am so happy you and your son are having a great Lone Scouting experience! For a brief time, I was a Lone Boy Scout and my Dad was a Lone Scout Friend and Counselor. Since then, I've been an advocate for Lone Scouting nationally.
To answer your questions: the Lone Scout strip is ONLY for the Lone Scout to wear. Lone Scout Friend and Counselors do NOT wear this. The strip was designed to take the place of a set of unit numbers which normally would be worn immediately below the Council Shoulder Patch (CSP) on the left shoulder. Wearing the strip implies that one is a Lone Cub Scout or Lone Boy Scout, which you are not.
Lone Scout strip (worn only by Lone Cub Scouts or Lone Boy Scouts)
Likewise, there is no official Lone Scout Friend and Counselor badge of office as of the date of this posting. I am working with some other national Lone Scouting advocates to change this and we have been favorably welcomed by the BSA's national Program Group Committee.
A prototype emblem, the one below, was developed and distributed by us to registered Lone Scout Friend and Counselors as part of a field test. The purpose of the test was to gather data on the usefully and acceptability of such insignia among not only Lone Scout Friend and Counselors but also those other Scouters that the Counselors come into contact with on a regular basis within local Councils. I am happy to report that the field test was successful and the badge was acceptable to everyone.
What is holding things up are other uniforming and insignia priorities which are delaying the implementation of the final piece of insignia. We expect that a Lone Scout Friend and Counselor badge of office will be provided by the BSA this year (2018).
In the meantime, here is how you can denote your special status withing Scouting:
This unofficial badge of office is the prototype patch for Lone Scout Friend and Counselors provided as part of the field test. A limited number of these emblems were created for Lone Scout Friend and Counselors based upon the BSA's national number of Lone Scout Friend and Counselors reported to the National Center by local Councils as of December 31, 2013. These emblems are provide at NO COST to registered Lone Scout Friend and Counselors by email request here.
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| Lone Scout Friend and Counselor badge of office (unofficial) |
If you choose not to wear the below emblem, you may wear either the District Committee or the Council Committee badge of office, shown below. The justification for wearing either of these emblems is because Lone Scout Friend and Counselors are registered through the local Council as members at large of the Council and part of the membership committee of local Councils.
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| District Committee | | Council Committee |
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