RAFAC Heraldic Badges

Adult Staff
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Hello everyone,

I’ve been appointed to HQ to deliver work on supporting the uptake of authorised heraldic badges for RAFAC units (ATC, CCF, and VGS).

Our right to apply for a bespoke badge for use in place of our organisational badge is an incredible privilege for a youth organisation (ultimately granted in HM’s name as they are via the College of Arms), and so I’m keen to celebrate the practice and safeguard it for the future.

I wanted to start a thread where, as momentum starts building once more (I’ve a large list of applicant units to work through), we can foster interest in, and discussion around, the subject and perhaps improve education on this hidden world of heraldry and the process undertaken by an applicant squadron.

For anyone who may happen to be on my list (contact now made and you’ll have been added to my new teams site so I can keep you up-to-date), you’ll be pleased to know that swift progress is being made with those badges on which I’m currently working.

I’m aware that £650 (modest as that is for this stuff — check the College of Arms website if you don’t believe me) is not accessible to all units, and so please be assured that I’m working on proposals to help remove barriers for all units in the longer term.

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Any chance of sharing a link to join the teams group?

I’ve been following along with interest on the VoP thread that was discussing this previously!

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Certainly!

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This is something we’ve started to look at. I understand there are quite strict rules about what can and cannot be used on a badge, but I don’t know what those rules are!

If there is a simple FAQ you could point to it would be a great help.

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Its nice to see it with a burst of energy! We are looking at grants and what not for the money for it.

I’m still a great believer of their should be two level. One which everyone should do where it is approved by HQAC (there’s some clear rules in the policy but a large amount don’t comply with) and is free.

Then for those who manage to sort the money out can go through this route.

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Glad you’ve been allowed to ‘take the reigns’ on this. It was one of those things that seemed to have ground to a halt previously! Fingers crossed we’ll see lots of new Sqn badges soon.

As an aside, I thought I’d link this facebook page and website:

Not sure who runs this, or used to run it, but there’s loads of great examples from across the RAF and RAFAC.

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I haven’t managed to get comms with the owner. It’s not all legit (lots of unauthorised badges — easy ones to spot have non-white backgrounds), but it’s a great repository and fantastic that someone was prepared to make lovely digital files for cadet units.

I hold out hope of making contact and working with them.

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I’m looking at a route for what would essentially be bespoke “holding badges”. Generic, but personalised.

That would mean each unit at least had a legitimate way to display something with their name on it.

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One concern is that I make sure I don’t give people a blueprint for making stuff up.

However, I totally see the value of this, not least for aiding people going through the correct process, so I’ll see what I can do!

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I’m all for having properly authorised badges for units, but when you’ve got Regions (and other units of the org) using absolutely gopping “badges” I struggle to have any motivation to do it myself.

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Does this mean that the previous incumbant of this role is no longer with the organisation?

I sent emails to them last year, as it would have been good to have an official badge organised for an anniversary year.

Radio silence.

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I understand what you’re saying. A huge part of my ambition for the role is to reignite that passion and interest in authorised badges so that we can change perceptions and uptake in a positive way.

That said, while I’ve met people who say they have no interest in / time for official badges, I have a very long list of units eager to start their journey, so the future is bright!

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Please email me and I’ll be happy to support you to pick this up again.

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To your 100 account, or a specific role account?

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Don’t have a role account for this one (yet), so personal or Oc.1324 is fine.

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On the cost side, we sought to use elements from our town council crest and they gave permission plus half the cost.

Anyone sticking to the idea that it should be specific and relevant to their unit could have similar options.

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I would have to explore the detail, but an organisation giving such permission might not mean it’s doable.

But I’m very happy to find out the answer when taking a unit through the process.

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Ours passed with that aspect known :man_shrugging: and I’ll add that it’s not a direct copy in entirety of the badge.

It’s also an aspect that has been used by multiple schools in logos, though those wouldn’t have been through CoA. If it’s not copyrighted or trademarked (I don’t actually know) then the permission element becomes more of a courtesy. It wouldn’t even need to be a council or existing heraldic symbol.

Seems odd that it wouldn’t be permissable to utilise symbolism instantly identifiable as part of the local history and identity.

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Oh fantastic news! Sorry, I mis-read as though you hadn’t actually gone through the whole process. I’d be interested to see it so I can learn from that example, if you’d be willing to share (even privately).

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I suppose the question would be “what makes it recognisable?”

Schools are a funny one. Technically, any school (or other body) putting a design on a shield is being naughty if it hasn’t been granted by the College of Arms.

There’s a Court of Chivalry and everything!

And I think it’s classed as intellectual property. Donald Trump got into trouble when he was last in office, I think. That was with the Lord Lyon in Scotland, as he owned a golf club with arms on the gate etc and he just started plastering it everywhere, as though they were his.

I confess I’m no expert.