What Can Go on a Boy Scout Sash?

When and Where

The sash component of a boy scout’s uniform is worn only for special occasions. It should never be worn over the belt. If a scout is wearing the merit badge sash, he shouldn’t also wear the Order of the Arrow sash, which signifies Arrowmen rendering special services.

Merit badges are distributed by scout leaders. The Boy Scouts of America organization regulates the number of merit badges available nationwide at one time; typically there are between 100 and 130. Merit badges cover a variety of disciplines, but there’s no regulation as to the order scouts wear these badges on the sash. Merit badges are placed starting from the top of the sash and proceed downwards in rows.

Sashes are necessary when a scout has seven or more merit badges to display. Boy scouts are allowed to wear a maximum of six merit badges on their shirt sleeves. However, when a scout earns his seventh badge, he must wear all his badges on a sash. Scouts can wear badges on sashes even if they possess less than seven awards, however. How the badges are displayed depends on the width of the sash. If the sash is a narrow, two badges are placed side by side, while wider sashes allow for three badges in a row.

Some boy scouts participate in the Varsity program, and receive the Varsity letter badge. This special badge can be worn on the bottom front of the sash, alongside any merit badges already displayed there -- as long as the scout continues to actively take part in the Varsity program.

Some boy scouts receive badges as a result of participating in certain national events or District programs, for instance. These are termed temporary insignia by the Boy Scouts of America organization. If a scout has such a badge, he can wear it on his sash, but not on the front with the merit badges. Instead, temporary insignia are placed on the back of the sash. Service stars, aquatic emblems and camp patches don’t count as temporary insignia for the purpose of the sash and can’t be worn on the garment.