Policy, Organisation and Rules
10. Uniform, badges and emblems
- The Movement's uniforms are protected under the Chartered Associations (Protection of Names and Uniforms) Act 1926.
- It is unlawful for persons not entitled as Members of the Movement to wear them, except for the purposes of entertainment and then only provided that they are not brought into contempt.
- The appropriate uniform, as described in the following Rules, may be worn by all Members of the Movement
- In the organisation of all Scouting activities priority is invariably given to considerations of safety in specifying what form of dress is to be worn.
- Weather conditions and other such considerations must be taken into account. The well-being of Members must take precedence over formality of dress.
- When cultural requirements or religious needs require, members of recognised faith communities may wear appropriate clothing of a style and fashion in accordance with their beliefs as part of their Scout uniform.
- Knives may not be worn with uniform except for religious reasons.
- Items of official uniform:
- turquoise crew neck sweatshirt;
- Group scarf;
- maroon woggle or one of another colour that identifies the lodge or team.
- Items of official uniform for which there is a personal choice:
- smart navy blue skirt.
- Optional items a Group may decide to have as part of its official uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue baseball cap.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue activity trousers;
- turquoise polo shirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- dark green crew neck sweatshirt;
- Group scarf and identifying Six woggle
- Items of official uniform for which there is a personal choice:
- smart navy blue skirt.
- Optional items a Group may decide to have as part of its official uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue baseball cap.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue activity trousers;
- dark green polo shirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- teal green long sleeved shirt or blouse;
- navy blue activity trousers;
- smart navy blue skirt;
- Group scarf and woggle;
- leather Scout belt and buckle.
- Optional items a Group may decide to have as part of its official uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue baseball cap.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- teal green polo shirt;
- navy blue sweatshirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- dark blue jersey;
- light blue long sleeve shirt or blouse;
- smart navy blue trousers;
- smart navy blue skirt;
- Group scarf and woggle;
- leather Scout belt and buckle;
- Seaman’s Class 2 round cap with ‘Sea Scout’ tallyband
- Optional items a Group may decide to have as part of its official uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- lanyard worn only with Bosun’s call;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue activity trousers.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue baseball cap;
- navy blue sweatshirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- light blue long sleeve shirt or blouse;
- smart navy blue skirt;
- Group scarf and woggle;
- leather Scout belt and buckle;
- Air Scout beret with cloth badge.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue shorts;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue activity trousers.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue baseball cap;
- navy blue sweatshirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- as appropriate to Section.
- as appropriate to Section.
- Optional items a Group may decide to have as part of its official uniform:
- as appropriate to Section.
- as appropriate to Section.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- as appropriate to Section.
- Items of official uniform:
- beige long sleeve or short sleeve shirt or blouse;
- Explorer Scout Unit scarf and woggle (a Group scarf may be worn if specified in the Partnership Agreement);
- navy blue activity trousers;
- smart navy blue skirt;
- Scout belt/Explorer Belt and buckle/Young Leader belt and buckle once achieved.
- Optional items a Explorer Scout Unit may decide to have as part of its official uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue baseball cap.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- beige polo shirt;
- navy blue sweatshirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- light blue long sleeve shirt or blouse;
- Explorer Scout Unit scarf and woggle (a Group scarf may be worn if specified in the Partnership Agreement) or blue tie;
- smart navy blue trousers;
- smart navy blue skirt;
- Scout belt/Explorer Belt and buckle/Young Leader belt and buckle once achieved.
- Seaman’s Class 2 round cap with ‘Explorer Sea Scout’ tallyband or peaked Officer’s hat with white top and Sea Scout cap badge (each Explorer Scout Unit to wear the same headwear option)
- Optional items a Explorer Scout Unit may decide to have as part of its official uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue activity trousers;
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue baseball hat;
- navy blue sweatshirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- light blue long sleeve shirt or blouse;
- Explorer Scout Unit scarf and woggle (a Group scarf may be worn if specified in the Partnership Agreement) or blue tie;
- smart navy blue trousers;
- smart navy blue skirt;
- Scout belt/Explorer Belt and buckle/Young Leader belt and buckle once achieved.
- Air Scout beret with cloth badge.
- Optional items a Explorer Scout Unit may decide to have as part of its official uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue activity trousers;
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue baseball hat;
- navy blue sweatshirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- stone long sleeve or short sleeve shirt or blouse;
- Group / Explorer Scout Unit / Scout Network / universal / Gilwell / Scout Active Support scarf (as entitled) and woggle or, on formal occasions, a blue tie;
- Scout belt/Explorer Belt and buckle;
- Items of official uniform for which there is a personal choice:
- navy blue activity trousers;
- smart navy blue trousers;
- smart navy blue skirt.
- Optional items a Group / Explorer Scout Unit / Scout Network / Scout Active Support Unit may decide to have as part of its official adult uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- navy blue baseball cap.
- Optional items a Group / Explorer Scout Unit / Scout Network / Scout Active Support Unit may decide to have as part of its official adult uniform:
- navy blue sweatshirt: (please note that this is no longer a current item of stock at Scout Shops)
- stone polo shirt.
- Items of official uniform:
- light blue long sleeve shirt or blouse;
- smart navy blue trousers;
- smart navy blue skirt;
- Group / Explorer Scout Unit / Scout Network / universal / Gilwell / Scout Active Support scarf (as entitled) and woggle or, blue tie on formal occasions;
- Scout belt / Explorer Belt and buckle;
- peaked Officer hat with white top and Sea Scout cap badge;
- Naval pattern tricorn hat option for females holding uniformed appointments.
- Optional items a Group / Explorer Scout Unit / Scout Network / Scout Active Support Unit may decide to have as part of its official adult uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- navy blue activity trousers;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- lanyard worn only with Bosun’s call.
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue sweatshirt;
- navy blue baseball cap.
- Items of official uniform:
- light blue long sleeve shirt or blouse;
- smart navy blue trousers;
- smart navy blue skirt;
- Group / Explorer Scout Unit / Scout Network / universal / Gilwell / Scout Active Support scarf (as entitled) and woggle or, blue tie on formal occasions;
- Scout belt / Explorer Belt and buckle;
- Air Scout beret with cloth badge.
- Optional items a Group / Explorer Scout Unit / Scout Network / Scout Active Support Unit may decide to have as part of its official adult uniform:
- navy blue shorts;
- navy blue activity trousers;
- grey fleece;
- navy blue outer jacket;
- Optional items for activity dress:
- navy blue sweatshirt;
- navy blue baseball cap.
- Uniform:
- Members of Scout Marching Bands have two options from which the Band as a whole may choose:
- youth members may wear the official uniform shirt for their Section or the approved sweatshirt (for Cub Scouts and Beaver Scouts only). Adults wear the adult official uniform shirt;
or - all members, including adults, wear the official uniform shirt i.e. the Scout, Explorer Scout or the adult official uniform shirt.
- youth members may wear the official uniform shirt for their Section or the approved sweatshirt (for Cub Scouts and Beaver Scouts only). Adults wear the adult official uniform shirt;
- Members wear the official uniform blue tie or the Group or other approved scarf and woggle;
- Members wear the official uniform smart trousers. Younger members, for whom smaller sizes of the official uniform trousers or skirts may not be available, may wear trousers or skirts of similar colour and style to the official uniform smart garments.
- Members of Scout Marching Bands have two options from which the Band as a whole may choose:
- Badges:
- The Membership Badge and the appropriate County, District and Group name tape may be worn on the shirt selected by the band.
- Individual badges earned, emblems and awards may also be worn on the uniform selected by the band.
- Additional options:
- Protective clothing for drummers;
- Sashes, music pouches, white gloves, belts and socks as appropriate;
- Berets with the arrowhead badge only, for competitions where the rules necessitate the wearing of headgear;
- Lanyards are not permitted except as part of Sea Scout uniform.
- Kilts and pleated tartan skirts may be worn as part of the appropriate uniform, subject to the following colour:
- in Scotland, male Members who are entitled to wear uniform may wear the tartan kilt of any tartan;
- elsewhere, male Members who are entitled by descent to wear tartan may wear the kilt;
- in Scotland, female Members who are entitled to wear uniform may wear a pleated tartan skirt of any tartan;
- elsewhere, female Members who are entitled to wear tartan may wear a pleated tartan skirt;
- outside Scotland, where Members are entitled to wear tartan, male holders of appointments may wear the kilt of their own or Scout tartan and female holders of appointments may wear a pleated tartan skirt of their own or Scout tartan;
- in Northern Ireland, male Members who are entitled to wear uniform may wear the saffron kilt;
- elsewhere, male Members who are entitled by descent to do so may wear the saffron kilt;
- in Northern Ireland, female Members who are entitled to wear uniform may wear a saffron pleated skirt;
- Elsewhere, female Members who are entitled by descent to wear saffron may wear a saffron pleated skirt;
- Outside Northern Ireland, where Members are entitled to wear saffron, male holders of appointments may wear a saffron kilt and female holders of appointments may wear a pleated saffron skirt
- The following items are correct wear with the tartan kilt: plain leather sporran, plain lovat green knee length socks and green garter tabs, black shoes, outer jacket tailored for wear with the kilt (optional).
- The following items are correct wear with the saffron kilt: plain leather sporran, plain knee length socks of a traditional colour (e.g. green, fawn or white), black or brown shoes, outer jacket tailored for wear with the kilt (optional).
- Where a Section is wearing saffron, the sock and shoe colours must be the same for the whole Section. This decision is to be taken by the Section Leader after consensus has been sought.
- See the illustrations ‘Positions of Badges on Uniform’ at the end of in this chapter.
- Scout awards and decorations (except the Silver Wolf, the Silver Acorn and its Bar, Award for Merit and its Bar, which are worn around the neck) and the emblems corresponding to them are worn immediately above the right breast.
- Awards and decorations are worn in the following order from the wearer's left to right: awards for gallantry, meritorious conduct, good service, the Chief Scout's Personal Award, Chief Scout’s length of service awards.
- The Cornwell Scout Badge and its emblem are worn above this line of emblems.
- Only the highest award received for good service and its emblem and the highest award for long service may be worn.
- King’s and Queen’s medals, war medals, decorations and orders, and decorations conferred by foreign governments may be worn on Scout uniform on appropriate occasions. The ribbons of King’s and Queen’s medals, war medals, decorations and orders, and ribbons of decorations conferred by foreign governments may be worn on uniform above the left breast pocket.
- Ribbons of decorations conferred by foreign and Commonwealth Scout Associations are worn below the emblems of United Kingdom Scout Association decorations.
- The life-saving medals of the Order of St. John and the Royal Humane Society, together with their ribbons, may be worn with uniform.
Uniform Diagrams January 2020
PDF – 1.5MB
- Beaver Scouts, on entering the Cub Scout Pack, may continue to wear the Chief Scout’s Bronze Award. The award must be removed when the Cub Scout gains their Chief Scout’s Silver Award. It is to be worn on the right breast (as illustrated in Positions of Badges on Uniform).
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- A Cub Scout, on entering the Scout Troop, may continue to wear their Chief Scout’s Silver Award.
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- A Scout on entering an Explorer Scout Unit may continue to wear the Chief Scout’s Gold Award.
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- An Explorer Scout on entering the Scout Network may continue to wear the Chief Scout’s Platinum or Diamond Award or Queen’s Scout Award. The Award will be removed when the next Award is gained.
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- Cub Scouts, Scouts and Explorer Scouts may also wear the current Joining In / Participation and Moving On Awards.
The award must be removed when the Scout gains the Chief Scout’s Platinum Award. - The Queen's Scout Award / Queen’s Guide Award Badge, Explorer Belt Badge, Scouts of the World Award, Scout Wings Award and Young Leader Service Award may be worn on uniform by adults so entitled.
- A metal version of the Queen’s Scout Award cloth badge is available for wear when out of uniform by those who have gained the award.
- Badges and awards must be obtained through County Badge Secretaries; District Badge Secretaries or Scout Store.
- The exception to (a) above is the initial Queen’s Scout Award, the Explorer Belt badge, the Scouts of the World Award, Good Service awards, Length of Service awards as well as Meritorious Conduct and Gallantry awards which are only available from Headquarters. Replacements are available from Scout Store.
- The World Membership Badge is the symbol of Membership of World Scouting and of The Scout Association as a part of World Scouting.
- It is the property of the World Scout Bureau and it may only be used or worn as permitted in these Rules.
- A metal form of the World Membership Badge is available for Members of the Movement to wear with ordinary clothes.
- The Arrowhead Badge is the symbol of The Scout Association and is part of the Association’s Armorial Bearings.
- The Arrowhead Badge may be worn on activity or special garments.
- The name of the Group, Explorer Scout Unit, Scout Network or Scout Active Support Unit may appear in red, green, blue, white or yellow lettering on a single tape no more than 12mm deep on a green background.
- The name of Sea and Air Scout Groups may appear in the same colours, but on a dark blue background.
- Group, Unit or Network badges bearing distinctive identifying emblems and/or lettering and of any size up to 50 mm deep by 38 mm wide may be worn after approval by the County Commissioner to whom a drawing or specimen of the design must be submitted.
- District and County badges bearing distinctive identifying emblems and/or lettering and of any size up to 50 mm deep by 38 mm wide may be worn after approval by the County Commissioner to whom a drawing or specimen of the design must be submitted.
A manufactured example of all District and County badges should be submitted subsequently to Headquarters. - A combined District and County badge bearing distinctive identifying emblems and/or lettering and of any size, rectangular in shape up to 50 mm deep by 76 mm wide may be worn after approval by the County Commissioner to whom a drawing or specimen of the design must be submitted. The District section will be on the left side of the badge, and the District and County sections are to be equal in width.
A manufactured example of all District and County badges should be submitted subsequently to Headquarters. - Sponsored Scout Groups may wear, as a Group badge, an appropriate badge produced by organisations approved as Sponsoring Organisations by Headquarters. The decision whether to wear such a Group badge is the responsibility of the Group Scout Leader in consultation with the Group Scouters' Meeting and the Sponsoring Authority. Approval as in Rule 10.26 (a) applies.
- Scarves worn by Members of a Scout Group as part of the appropriate uniform must all be of the same colour(s).
- The colour(s) are chosen by the Group Scouters' Meeting, subject to the approval of the District Commissioner and the District Executive Committee.
- Groups in the same District should wear scarves of different colours if this is possible.
- Explorer Scout Unit scarves may be chosen by the Explorer Scout Unit subject to the approval of the District Commissioner and the District Executive Committee.
- District Scout Network scarves may be chosen by the Scout Network members with the approval of the District Commissioner and the District Executive Committee.
- An Air Scout identification badge may be worn by any Member of an Air Scout Group.
- Explorer Scout Members, Scout Network Members or Leaders associated with an Air Scout Group may also wear the badge.
- Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Scout Network Members and Leaders in or associated with a Group, Explorer Scout Unit or Scout Network which is recognised by the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force may wear the appropriate R.N. or R.A.F. Recognition Badge.
- Cloth badges of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award are worn on uniform by members who are entitled to wear them.
- Only the badge of the highest Award gained may be worn.
- In the case of the Gold Award only, the badge may be worn on uniform by adults so entitled.
- Occasional badges in respect of national programmes, activities or events may be worn as directed and for such periods as decided by Headquarters.
- Occasional badges for wear by Members of a Group, a District or County in connection with a special gathering, camp, event or anniversary must be approved by the County Commissioner to whom a drawing or specimen of the design must be submitted.
- Such badges must not be worn after a period of three months from the date of the conclusion of the occasion unless exceptionally authorised by the County Commissioner in respect of special circumstances for a further period not exceeding nine months.
- The Union Flag badge may be worn on uniform when going overseas on a Scouting activity and indefinitely on return.
- A black crepe band 50mm wide may be worn on the left arm above the elbow to denote mourning.
- On completion of the Getting Started modules, uniformed adults may wear the Gilwell Turks Head woggle.
- For occasions when uniform is not worn, uniformed adults may wear a metal pin badge depicting the Gilwell log and axe.
- On completion of the Getting Started modules non-uniformed adults may wear a metal pin badge depicting the Gilwell log and axe.
- The Award for completion of training for Leaders, Managers and Supporters is the Wood Badge.
- Leaders holding the Wood Badge may wear the Gilwell Scarf and woggle.
- The Scout Active Support Badge is an optional item to be worn on the adult uniform.
- For occasions when uniform is not worn, members may wear a metal Scout Active Support pin badge.
- Unless specifically mentioned elsewhere in the Rules of the Association, badges of other organisations are not worn with uniform.
- Explorer Scouts, Members of Scout Network and adult members who have gained the Queen’s Guide Award may wear the badge on their uniform.
- Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Scout Network Members and adult Members may wear with uniform the approved proficiency badges of a number of organisations involved with First Aid and the Saving of Life.
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- Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Scout Network Members and adult Members who hold approved First Aid or Life Saving qualifications for which there is no cloth badge may wear The Scout Association badge(s) as appropriate.
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Chapters:
1.
Fundamentals of Scouting
2.
Key Policies
3.
The Scout Group
4.
The Scout District
5.
The Scout County
6.
The structure of the headquarters of The Scout Association
7.
Emergency procedures
8.
Insurance
9.
Activities
10.
Uniform, badges and emblems
11.
Awards and recognition of service
12.
Flags and ceremonial
13.
Trusteeship, property and equipment
14.
Other matters
15.
Complaints, suspensions and dismissals