What Makes It “Official”? — Part 2
Posted in Patch Collecting, SR-7B Lodges, Wahissa 118 by John E. Pannell on March 2nd, 2007 at 12:22 am 
This is both a followup to a previous post on this issue as well as a request for more information about a specific patch.
By way of submitting pricing data to my site, I received the following note from John Purvis of Wahissa lodge:
The patch listed as X15 was not a lodge issue. It was a Souvenir.
I have asked for clarification and additional information, but have heard nothing as of my writing this.
It is my understanding the patch was made by the lodge and distributed to members of the NOAC contingent as they left for home. So, the lodge produced and issued the patch… sounds pretty official to me.
Can anyone out there correct me? Lots of patches are souvenirs, never really intending them to be worn, that doesn’t make it something other than an issue. If the patch wasn’t authorized, and was made privately by someone within the lodge, then it should be a “Z” issue. In my mind it’s not arguable that this is a patch and should be catalogued and listed in Blue Book. Rather it appears there might be some question as how to list it.
Please feel free to comment and help, if you can.
IMHO-
The patch is definitely an official issue. Had a member of #118 wished to wear it on his uniform, he certainly would have been right in doing so. If sanctioned by the lodge, regardless of whether or not intended for uniform wear, it is certainly an “official” lodge issue. How many “trader” flaps, commemorative patches (chenilles, bullions, leathers, hologram flaps, etc.) would need re-classification if this were the case?
-Ray
I agree with Ray….I seems there is no question in regard to this piece. It was issued by the lodge whether intended as a souvenir piece or not, it still is a lodge patch issue. If the intention was to have just a souvenir piece, maybe they should have considerd something other than a patch which would be catagotrized as an “X” issue in the BB. What would thelodge prefer to call this if not an odd shape?
I’m hoping someone from the lodge can chime in on this, as the message is somewhat cryptic to me.
Was it a piece that someone made and handed out on the way home? (or something akin to that) In that case, it still gets listed as a patch, but most likely as ZX1.
I’ve also heard there is a third NOAC issue. The design is the same but the border is said to be SMY. I’ve not yet seen the piece, so this could be just a rumor.
Ok, my understanding is that there was one patch and/or designed by the lodge as the “Deligate” patch. As I understand it, and I am in no way saying that I am speaking with any authority, but my on opinion, is that for a patch to be a “offical” issue of a lodge it must be a patch that is available to all members. The mylar patches, there are two, a gold and silver, were not sanctioned by the lodge, but were the undertaking by a member or members as a special piece, as has been the tradition since 1988, for those who made the trek. I further understand that one of the “flaps” (I believe the gold mylar) was made available to the deligation members in limited quanity and as for the silver mylar, only one was handed to each deligate. But like any “special” patch there are more out there, therefore the deals get done. As for the desigation of the patch, the lodge does not determine that. That is done by the Blue Book Editors, as I understand it. I agree that any member who had/has the patch could wear it on their uniform, with pride and no one would say a thing. However, personally, I don’t wear patches I didn’t earn, nor do I wear patches that were part of the lodge that I was a member, before I became a member, and I prefer to wear a uniform as it was intended, to promote and show my support for scouting. These are only my thoughts. I hope someone with more knowledge and information about this from Wahissa will add or correct my understanding.