HISTORY OF COMMUNITY STRIPS
Information from the book by Mitch Reis, "A Guide To Dating and Identifying Boy Scouts of America Badges, Uniforms, and Insignia", 5th edition, 2021. A wealth of information can be found at mitchreis.com.
The arched community strip first appeared in 1929, with colors to match those of the Boy Scout uniform (red letters and border on tan cloth). As more programs were initiated by the BSA, other strips were created to match those of the program's color.
Red on tan cloth (TAN) Boy Scouts 1929 - 1945
Red on khaki cloth (KRS) Boy Scouts 1946 - 1953
White on dark blue felt (WBS) Sea Scout/ Sea Explorer 1930 - 1953
Dark blue on white cloth (BWS) Sea Scout/ Sea Explorer 1930 - 1953
Brown on dark green cloth (GBS) Explorer Scout 1947 - 1953
Dark blue on light blue cloth (BBS) Air Scout/ Air Explorer 1942 - 1952
Yellow on navy blue cloth (BYS) Cub Scout 1930 - 1952
White on red cloth (RWS) all programs 1952 - 1978
Varieties can also exist, such as the color of the backstitch on KRS strips, twill direction, or the width of the name on the RWS patches. There are fabric differences in strips created during World War II that may also appear in strips from that era.
Smaller strips were created for States or territories in 1937, worn underneath the community strip.
Red on tan cloth (TAN) Boy Scouts 1937 - 1945
Red on khaki cloth (KRS) Boy Scouts 1946 - 1953
White on dark blue felt (WBS) Sea Scout/ Sea Explorer 1939 - 1953
Dark blue on white cloth (BWS) Sea Scout/ Sea Explorer 1939 - 1953
Brown on dark green cloth (GBS) Explorer Scout 1947 - 1953
Dark blue on light blue cloth (BBS) Air Scout/ Air Explorer 1942 - 1953
Yellow on navy blue cloth (BYS) Cub Scout 1938 - 1952
White on red cloth (RWS) all programs 1952 - 1978
The arched community strip first appeared in 1929, with colors to match those of the Boy Scout uniform (red letters and border on tan cloth). As more programs were initiated by the BSA, other strips were created to match those of the program's color.
Red on tan cloth (TAN) Boy Scouts 1929 - 1945
Red on khaki cloth (KRS) Boy Scouts 1946 - 1953
White on dark blue felt (WBS) Sea Scout/ Sea Explorer 1930 - 1953
Dark blue on white cloth (BWS) Sea Scout/ Sea Explorer 1930 - 1953
Brown on dark green cloth (GBS) Explorer Scout 1947 - 1953
Dark blue on light blue cloth (BBS) Air Scout/ Air Explorer 1942 - 1952
Yellow on navy blue cloth (BYS) Cub Scout 1930 - 1952
White on red cloth (RWS) all programs 1952 - 1978
Varieties can also exist, such as the color of the backstitch on KRS strips, twill direction, or the width of the name on the RWS patches. There are fabric differences in strips created during World War II that may also appear in strips from that era.
Smaller strips were created for States or territories in 1937, worn underneath the community strip.
Red on tan cloth (TAN) Boy Scouts 1937 - 1945
Red on khaki cloth (KRS) Boy Scouts 1946 - 1953
White on dark blue felt (WBS) Sea Scout/ Sea Explorer 1939 - 1953
Dark blue on white cloth (BWS) Sea Scout/ Sea Explorer 1939 - 1953
Brown on dark green cloth (GBS) Explorer Scout 1947 - 1953
Dark blue on light blue cloth (BBS) Air Scout/ Air Explorer 1942 - 1953
Yellow on navy blue cloth (BYS) Cub Scout 1938 - 1952
White on red cloth (RWS) all programs 1952 - 1978
BIG THANKS to those that have contributed scans and information for this website:
Mike Daley
Scott Peck
Mike Baker
Gary Johnson
Steve Yon
David Weda
the Central Florida Council collectors that created their collection
Suwannee River Area Council collection at the Wallwood Scout Museum
Mike Daley
Scott Peck
Mike Baker
Gary Johnson
Steve Yon
David Weda
the Central Florida Council collectors that created their collection
Suwannee River Area Council collection at the Wallwood Scout Museum