Read this first
- The Guide to Awards and Insignia is the only authoritative source — not memory, and not commercial patch-vendor charts, which can be wrong or outdated. Placements are exact and are revised periodically, so verify every one against the current Guide before you sew.
How to place insignia
- 1Open the current Guide to Awards and Insignia before sewing anything.
- 2Place the rank badge centered on the left pocket; the World Crest above the left pocket.
- 3Sew the left-sleeve set — council strip, unit numerals, position patch (and patrol emblem) per the Guide.
- 4Confirm the U.S. flag on the right sleeve (usually already there).
- 5Use the right pocket for one temporary patch; the OA lodge flap on the right pocket flap.
- 6Double-check against the Guide — placements change; don't rely on old charts.
General orientation (verify in the Guide)
- Left pocket & above — rank badge on the pocket; World Crest above it; medals and knots above the pocket.
- Right pocket — one temporary patch at a time (camp, camporee, event); the Order of the Arrow lodge flap on the right pocket flap.
- Sleeves — U.S. flag on the right sleeve; council strip, unit numerals, and the position-of-responsibility patch on the left sleeve.
- Merit badges — worn on the merit badge sash, not the shirt.
Notes
- Misplaced insignia is the most common uniform mistake — the fix is to use the Guide, not guesswork.
- One temporary patch — resist stacking patches on the right pocket.
- Placements change — verify against the current Guide before sewing.
Going deeper
- Look it up, don't guess. Insignia placement is the one uniform topic where "I think it goes here" causes the most errors — the Guide settles every case.
- One patch, one pocket. The right pocket takes a single temporary patch — the newest camp or event — not a collage.
- Merit badges aren't on the shirt. They live on the sash; the shirt carries rank, unit, position, and awards.
Official source
Scouts BSA Uniform → Guide to Awards and Insignia — Scouting America →The Guide to Awards and Insignia is the authoritative source for every placement. Its wording and diagrams are not reproduced here — the placements above are a general orientation only; verify each against the current Guide.