Figure 1.--Here we see some U.S. Boy Scout plumes. I'm not sure howthey were worn. I don't recall them in the 1950s when I was a Scout.

There are a variety of uniform accessories. Perhaps the most common is the neckerchief slide. British Scouts call them woggles. The BSA has authorized a wide variety of badges and patches. An important part of Scouting is earming merit badges. Besides the merit badges there are different kinf=ds of pateches. Scouts wear a patch identifying their council on their left sleeve. Collecting and trading these patches is a popular hobby among Scouts. Under thgeir council patch they wear troop idetfiers. On their right sleve they now wear the American flag. Many other patches are worn, including patches for camps they have attended and the internatiinal Scouting badge. One item we are not familiar with is Scout plumes. Nor do we know where they were worn on the uniform. Hopefully current Scouters can explain how they are used. A British Scouter writes, "The Scout movement in Britain used these hat plumes as badges of rank for the British adult Scout leaders. The various colours denoted different ranks all the way from Assistant Cubmaster to Chief Scout! They may be used in a very different role in the USA, but, I suggest that this may be a good starting point."