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When your child gets a new Cub Scout uniform, the uniform itself is usually the easy part. The confusing part is figuring out where all those patches are supposed to go.
Where do the rank badges belong? Can event patches go on the uniform? And what should you do when older photos online show something completely different?
According to the current Scouting America Guide to Awards and Insignia, Cub Scout rank badges are now placed on the left pocket in the order they are earned, rather than following the older fixed-position layout.
Below, we’ll go over the right sleeve, left sleeve, front pockets, Arrow of Light badge, and temporary patches so you can double-check everything before you start sewing.
1. Right Sleeve Patch Placement
Start at the top of the right sleeve.
The U.S. flag is usually already sewn onto a new uniform shirt, so in most cases you won’t need to do anything with it.
Directly below the flag goes the blue-and-gold Den Number. Try to place it fairly close to the bottom edge of the flag instead of leaving a large gap.
If your Pack uses Adventure Colors, place them below the Den Number. If your child does not wear a Den Number, the Adventure Colors can go directly below the flag.
2. Left Sleeve Patch Placement
At the top of the left sleeve is the Council Shoulder Patch. It should sit just below the shoulder seam and follow the curve of the sleeve.
Below that is the red-and-white Unit Number.
If your Pack does not wear a Veteran Unit Bar, the Unit Number goes directly below the Council Shoulder Patch. Packs that have been chartered for 25 years or more may wear a Veteran Unit Bar between the Council Shoulder Patch and Unit Number. The bar is updated in five-year increments.
For three- or four-digit Unit Numbers, it helps to line up all the numbers before sewing. Pin or temporarily secure them first, then sew them down once you know they are straight. That makes it much easier to avoid numbers that sit higher or lower than the others.
The position patch below the Unit Number is for adult leaders. Cub Scouts do not wear an adult position patch on their uniform.
3. Left Pocket Rank Badge Placement
The left pocket is probably where families run into the most confusion because so many older uniform diagrams are still floating around online.
Under the rules introduced with the 2024 Cub Scout program updates, Lion, Tiger, Wolf, and Bear rank badges are worn on the front of the blue uniform pocket in the order they are earned.
The first rank badge goes at the 12 o’clock position.
The second goes at 9 o’clock.
The third goes at 3 o’clock.
The fourth goes at 6 o’clock.
Together, the badges form a diamond shape.
For example, if your child joins Cub Scouts as a Tiger, the Tiger badge goes at the top. When they earn Wolf, it goes on the left. Bear would then go on the right. The bottom can stay empty because there is no need to leave a space for a Lion badge your child never earned.
These badges go on the pocket itself, not on the pocket flap.
Bobcat is also different now. Under the current program, Bobcat is an Adventure completed at each rank rather than a separate rank badge.
So if you see another Cub Scout wearing an older Bobcat badge or the old rectangular Lion badge, that may simply be an older uniform from before the 2024 program changes.
The oval Webelos rank badge does not go into the Lion-Tiger-Wolf-Bear diamond.
Fourth-grade Webelos Scouts will generally continue wearing the blue Cub Scout uniform. When they later move into the tan uniform used for Arrow of Light, the oval Webelos badge can be worn by itself in the center of the left pocket.
4. Right Pocket Temporary Patch Placement
After summer camp, a Pinewood Derby, or another Scouting event, your child may receive a temporary patch.
That patch belongs on the right pocket.
If the patch has a button loop, simply unbutton the pocket, slide the loop over the button, and button it again. There is no need to sew it onto the shirt.
If the patch does not have a loop, it can be centered on the pocket itself. Do not sew it onto the pocket flap.
Only one temporary patch should be worn in this location at a time. When your child gets a new one, the old patch can be removed and saved.
Many families display older patches on a red patch vest, blanket, backpack, or another keepsake item.
You may also come across souvenir patches from ballparks, museums, community events, or other places. If they are not official Scouting insignia or Scouting-related temporary patches, they are better kept as collectibles instead of being sewn onto the uniform.
5. Arrow of Light Badge Placement
When a Cub Scout enters the fifth-grade Arrow of Light year, they move into the tan uniform with blue shoulder loops.
After earning the Arrow of Light rank, the badge is worn directly below the left pocket, centered with the pocket.
It does not go on the pocket itself or on the pocket flap.
If the oval Webelos rank badge is still in the center of the pocket, it can remain there during the Arrow of Light year.
Once your child crosses over into Scouts BSA, the Webelos badge comes off, but the Arrow of Light badge can stay below the left pocket.
It is the only Cub Scout rank badge that may continue to be worn on the Scouts BSA uniform.
6. Common Cub Scout Patch Placement Mistakes
Following an old fixed rank-badge layout
There are still plenty of pre-2024 uniform diagrams online. Older uniforms do not need to be taken apart and redone, but when setting up a new uniform, Lion, Tiger, Wolf, and Bear badges should be placed according to the order your child actually earned them.
Putting an event patch where a rank badge belongs
The left pocket is used for rank insignia. Temporary patches from summer camp, Pinewood Derby, and other events belong on the right pocket. An empty spot on the uniform does not automatically mean another patch can go there.
Wearing several temporary patches at once
Only one temporary patch should be displayed on the right pocket at a time. Older patches can be moved to a patch vest, blanket, backpack, or another display item instead of crowding them onto the uniform.
Sewing before checking the fit
A patch can look perfectly straight when the shirt is lying flat on a table and still look crooked once your child puts it on.
Before sewing, pin the patches in place and have your child try on the uniform. Check them against the shoulder seam, the edge of the flag, and the centerline of the pockets. Once everything looks right while the shirt is being worn, you can sew them down.
Create a Patch Your Group Will Want to Keep
Placement matters, but the patch itself should also have artwork that is easy to recognize and lettering that can actually be read.
If you’re planning custom patches for a youth organization, community group, Pinewood Derby-style race, campout, anniversary, recruiting event, or fundraiser, you can send VeperPins your original artwork along with the size and quantity you need.
We can look at the design and recommend whether embroidered, woven, or PVC patches will work best for the details you want to keep.
Before production begins, we’ll confirm the final artwork with you so you know what the finished patch is expected to look like.
With more than 20 years of manufacturing experience, our goal is to help turn a memorable event into a patch that participants will still want to keep years later.
