Flag achievement

Help me understand something....

IN the RK Fox quarter one of the Achievement patches in the "flag" patch. The Spiritual requirement is to learn the pledge to the US flag.

How is that Spiritual? Granted, the pledge says "...one nation, under God..." I think that's kind pushing the limits though....

I am trying to Canadianize this achievement, I'll have to design a patch and get National to OK my boys to wear it.

I think that you could almost make an improvised Bible Lesson, talking of how we were founded as a Nation Under God, and that people came here to worship freely.

However,

You are correct, in that if they just memorize the Pledge and say those two words, it makes a pretty light Spiritual Meal.

Canadarangers wrote: I'll have to design a patch and get National to OK my boys to wear it.

Always easier to get forgiveness than permission. A lot faster, too. When RR in the states dropped the US flag from the uniform, I found my own supplier and kept doing it. National doesn't always know what's best.

My Dress uniform (My old Class B uniform) still has the US flag patch on it.
Collar bars too

I feel given the division the flag patch was creating it was best to return to pre Marriott days of no patch. We still show flags in the rooms though.

A problem with the flag on the shoulder was that, while it was well-intended, U.S. Protocol dictates that nothing shall be mounted or flown above the U.S. Flag.

And the way that National HQ dictated the flag be added to the uniform was in violation of Flag Protocol.

In order to comply with that Protocol, the shoulder patch would have to be removed and placed below the flag.


Good Intention; Logistical Hassle.

Claymore wrote: U.S. Protocol dictates that nothing shall be mounted or flown above the U.S. Flag.

Flags, patches, whichever. Anyway, the only exception to the above that I'm aware of is onboard Navy ships: When a service onboard is being led by a chaplain, the church flag goes above the ensign. At least, that's the way it was as late as 2001. Who knows what may have changed since then? "Excuse me, sir, that's the head for females, and...oh, excuse me, zir, or whatever you want to be called."

Even national HQ wanted to incorporate the flag into the upper part of the Dist geo patch it was a big deal because it was curved.

I did ask National about putting a Canadian Flag on our Uniform but it got shot down right away. When the Canada Region get enough and forms it's own head office that will be one of the changes made to the uniform.

We do have a Canadian flag in our Rooms.

I think that it was kind-of a neat idea - even if you are, technically, under the Chain of Command for the U.S. R/R.

While wearing a uniform in the American Pattern, it would give your folks a special sense of distinction and identity.  I think that it would especially get positive attention at District and National Events.

It seems to me that, during WWII, when Canadian forces were part of the U.K., your troops had their own distinctive tab on the uniform.

I believe that JoeCool was correct on this one, "......better to seek forgiveness, than permission...".

Claymore wrote: ...during WWII...Canadian forces...had their own distinctive tab on the uniform...

At a park right here in my town is a monument/display that celebrates the First Special Service Force that trained here and later fought in different theaters during WWII. It's shoulder patch was a red arrowhead with "USA" and "Canada" on it. Many feel that this multi-national group was the first special forces unit.

More than just FEEL it:

"The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) was first constituted as the 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Special Service Force on 9 July 1942 at Camp William Harrison, Montana. This specialized Canadian-United States unit was organized and trained to conduct commando raids against Nazi Germany's fledging nuclear weapons capability in the the Scandinavian region of occupied Europe. However, the unit was diverted to the campaign in the Aleutian Islands, where they were confronted by not only Japanese, but the brutal arctic climate.

Upon successful culmination of the Aleutian Campaign, the 1st Special Service Force was transferred to the European theater where they fought with distinction in both southern France and Italy, earning the nickname "The Devil's Brigade." The unit was awarded 6 campaign streamers for participation in the Second World War. The 1st Special Service Force was disbanded in France in 1945. It was reconstituted on 25 September 1953 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as the 77th Special Forces."

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/7sfg.htm

[quote="Claymore"] The 7th Special Forces Group [quote]

And if memory serves me right, the surviving members were awarded Congressional Gold Medals a couple of years ago.

When we started our outpost a few years ago, I would ask the then District Commander about different things to which he would tell me that he viewed outposts as being fairly autonomous. He told me to make the outpost what it needed to be to fit and reach the boys in our area. So I did...

DE-CENTRAL-IZED TRAINING!!

While the District/National Organization should be the source of Information and Training Materials, I have had the best fortune in tailoring the operation of our outposts to the skills of the Leaders and the needs of the boys.

My son told me that, back in Milwaukee, he went to a District Event, and a boy from another outpost asked my son what he did at Rangers. The inquiring boy was from a good church & outpost that ran the meetings "by the book". He had beads and leather-craft and other activities directed by the Program.

My son said, "We go Rappelling, do Compass Courses, Cross Country Skiing, Pugil Sticks, and shoot .22 Rifles.

The other kid said, "Boy! You guys are lucky!"

Amen. You guys are "Living the Adventure" So many outposts are loosing out on not taking these boys and girls outside the walls of the church and actually Living the Adventure. What we do in our meetings should be tailored after our next event. It only makes sense.

If we teach camping they will camp. If we teach hanging out in church that is all they will do. Our focus needs to move back to successful methods. Program feature should be built around what your getting ready to go and do.

I visited with several folks this past weekend at Fall Trace. Many of them want to get back to the things that work. What we have today isn't working. Our lowest attended FCF Fall Trace in Years and Years.
We have to get back to showing them how to camp in the rain and make it enjoyable. Otherwise they just stay home and look at their cell phones.

Tell your guys they are doing a great job. It takes work and it takes time and resources but once it get's to rolling you will find Rangers exciting and Living the Adventure is way cool ministry.

Mark Jones