Thursday 24 October 2019

Remembrance Badges for whom?

In the past, different companies have produced their own cloth poppy badges (and other poppy-decorated products), and marketed them directly or indirectly at Guiding Leaders.  And I've tended to be uncomfortable with them, mainly because in most cases it was not clear whether they had gained permission to use poppy logos, Girlguiding UK ones, or both, nor what proportion of the proceeds (if any proportion) were going to the relevant charities (both RBL and PoppyScotland, not just the former).  I feared, rightly or wrongly, that the companies might be more focussed on profits for them rather than proceeds for the cause.

This year, Girlguiding UK have produced their own official poppy badges, and have stated that all profits will go to the relevant poppy charities.  So the concerns about copyright design, and about destination of funds, have been dealt with.

But for me, one concern remains.  Who gets a badge - and who doesn't?

Ideally, each unit thinking of issuing them would do some sort of activity about remembrance, however brief, and then issue them to all members who had thus participated in remembrance.  Or at the first meeting after the 11th, the Leaders would ask each girl whether they participated in the silence either on the Sunday nearest, or on the morning of the 11th itself, regardless of wherever they happened to be when doing it - and would then issue the badge to all who had taken part in one or both of the silences.  Whether that was in a place of worship, at school, at home, or somewhere else.

But I fear some units will only be issuing it to those who opt to take part in the one specified remembrance parade and/or service nominated by the Leaders.  Regardless of whether some of their members may have taken part in other parades or services on the day, and regardless of whether some of their members may have marked the silence in other locations and in other ways.  And there is an immediate problem, because even if there is an option of just the parade and not the service in the church, many of the ceremonies held at war memorials include Christian prayers and/or Christian hymns, which can be a barrier for any girls or Leaders who are not Christians.

The implications of the badges only going to those who parade?  That there is a reward issued to those who mark remembrance in one way, and no reward for those who mark it in any other reasonable way.  No badge if you attend a remembrance service or ceremony at another war memorial or in another religious building, instead of the chosen one.  Or you maintain your regular commitment to your Sunday morning class or club, rather than truant it, perhaps having checked that they plan to pause at 11am to have a silence.  Or if you visit a war veteran relative, or the grave of a relative injured or killed through war.  Or if you respect your family's view that a public parade with flags and bands isn't the right way to remember the war and it's effects, in general, or on your family in particular.

So while I am glad that there is now an official badge we can get and issue without having to worry about whether the proceeds are going to charity or to private profit, I don't feel that all the difficulties are resolved.  Because I believe that either the badges should be issued to everyone who remembers - or to no-one.  Not only given to those who remember in one particular way.