What is a Patch?
Posted in Florida Lodges,O-Shot-Caw 265,OAImages News by John E. Pannell on March 28th, 2008 at 12:05 am 
This is a sequel to an earlier post on this blog called, “What is a Neckerchief?”
Recently I posted the item pictured here as the “X28.5?” from O-Shot-Caw 265. It’s from the 2002 NOAC but had not previously been listed in Blue Book or my site. I had been told it was issued sewn onto a backpack and added it to the listings.
That last point has been debated by some collectors in Florida in email to me. Some believe this piece does not exist separately from the backpack unless the pack is cut up, and that’s why it had not been listed before now. Upon examination of the item in question, the facts prove otherwise.
As you can see, in the image at the top of this post, the item clearly has a finished cut edge border and a plastic backing. After production, this patch was sewn onto the backpack ini question and sold. As far as I’m concerned, this needs to be listed as a lodge issue.
I want to use this item as a jumping point to a more general question. So, what exactly is a patch? I’ll also ask the related question: What is a piece of OA insignia? What follows is my opinion and your mileage may vary. This is a more difficult question to answer than you might think.
A patch, in the context of Order of the Arrow items described on this site, is a piece of insignia that is textile – produced using embroidery, silk screening, felt work, bullion work or a similar process – designed to be worn on or as part of the Boy Scout uniform. This definition includes most of the items on this site. Flaps, lodge activities patches easily fall into this category. They all have places specified on the BSA uniform for their wearing and placement. Also falling into this group are patches sewn onto neckerchiefs, odd-shaped patches designed for the right pocket of the uniform, and various jacket patches.
By extension we can also add the chenilles, bullions — designed to be worn like one of the other categories above. I’ll also add the few blanket patches, currently listed in the same category as the jacket patches. Likewise, even though it was never intended to be worn on the uniform or any of its parts, the backpack patch that sparked this post is also clearly a patch.
I suspect at least 95% of the items listed on this site readily fall into this definition.
This site also lists some items that are pieces of insignia, but not patches. Remember the full title of this site, “The Internet Guide to Order of the Arrow Insignia.”
Neckerchiefs (as defined in the earlier post) fall into this category.
There are also some armbands and headbands that get listed. The earliest of these were of special historical significance. As the precedent for their listing has been established, newer items are also listed. They must meet a requirement similar to that of a neckerchief: directly embroidered or silk screened items. Patches sewn onto headbands and armbands do not create a new listing.
There are also a few metal items included that are not textiles. All of these are items designed to be worn on or with the uniform. The Wapinachi 308 M1 was the first of these, being used by that lodge as a flap, and set a precedent. Coosa 50 has since issued a few metal flaps to their Vigil members. Egwa Tawa Dee issued a large metal flap shaped item that could possibly be worn on a BSA red wool jacket.
Generally excluded are hat pins, medals and belt buckles as they are not textiles. We can also similarly exclude belts and bolo ties. I have included some of these as miscellaneous items when I find them especially interesting, but they fall outside the main body of this site.
What about hats? I would argue that these are not worn on or with the uniform; they are (part of) the uniform. Hats are excluded for the same reason that trousers, shirts, and socks are excluded. To me it’s a matter of use and purpose: a neckerchief is a piece of insignia, a hat is not. Patches sewn onto hats, not directly embroidered, do get listed.
Other textiles are excluded that are not part of the Scout uniform or worn with/on it. Polo shirts and t-shirts don’t get listed. Likewise we also exclude embroidered jackets, pull overs, “hoodies”, and equipment with customized embroidery or logos. The O-Shot-Caw item that is the genesis of this post falls into this last category.
Since neckerchiefs are included, what about neckerchief slides? Some neckerchief slides are listed. The rough rule is that those slides that are textiles — ie. cloth items — are included. Some leather slides have also been listed, especially if they are of significant historical import.
Wooden, metal or enamel slides are not listed in the main body of this site. Their are considered to be neither patches nor items of insignia. Like hat pins, medals, and belt buckles they are included as a miscellaneous item if I find them interesting.
Now, not all OA patches or insignia that fall into these categories is listed on this site. That is a topic for a possible future post.
I hope this clarifies what gets listed on this site as a patch or piece of insignia. Did I leave anything out?
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What about a necktie? Is that more like a neckerchief? Or more like a t-shirt?