Troop Seventeen’s distinctive circular coat of arms was designed by Scoutmaster John Pope Baker II shortly after merging his Troop 31 into Troop 17 in February of 1942.

The two shields represent each of the two troops:

Troop 31

The left shield, dark blue in color, is emblazoned with the Troop 31 eagle crested with a Scout trefoil and holding a broken arrow in its claws — an Indian symbol of war. The eagle was prominent on Troop 31’s attractive marching guidon flag.

The 17 stars represent the 17 uniformed Scouts and Scouters from Troop 31 who were serving at that time in the armed forces of WW II.

The powder horn above the shield represents the Pioneers, Troop 31’s older boys outdoor group at that time.

troop 17

The right shield, powder blue in color with two dark blue bands, is the shield of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution, Troop 17’s sponsor at that time. Centered on the shield is a “cockade” — the cloth rosette worn on the hats of Revolutionary War officers.

This attractive shield is still worn today on the right shoulder by those troop leaders who have distinguished themselves by their excellent leadership and service to the troop.

Surmounting the shield are arrows in a balanced arrangement of “XVII” — the Roman numeral for the number “Seventeen” and supporting the universal BSA Scout emblem.

The two scrolls across the bottom are:

Enclosing (or merging) the two troop shields is a belt with the troop motto: