Ellis Embroidery Border Color Non-Issues
From 1982 thru 1991 there are multiple Middle Tennessee Council patches which have surfaced with a different border color than the patch had when issued. It hit it's peak in 1983-84 with 9 of the 18 known ones that are dated being dated in that two year span. I have been told that these patches were all made by Ellis Embroidery Company of Alabama and that the company liked to put odd border colors on the patches to see what they would look like. Perhaps that is true but other possibilities exist. Maybe they were done as samples for the customer to choose which they liked best. Another possibility is they were done because the patch didn't pass muster and putting the different border on it ensured it didn't get in the stack sent to the customer. Several of the ones with the non-issued border color do seem to have other "issues" that would have made them unacceptable finished products. It's possible these were never intended to see the light of day but manufacturers' overruns / rejects / samples sometimes get out as happened with the rejected 2001 Wa-Hi-Nasa Winter Banquet patches.
I will say that I do not have direct knowledge of these facts about Ellis Embroidery. But it is clear that something was going on during this time period where odd border colors were being produced, and it seems logical that whatever it was happened at the manufacturer.
As you would expect based on the above, the majority of these patches with the incorrect border color are quite rare with only one known (to me) example. There are a couple of exceptions. Generally I do not consider these patches as actual issues of Middle Tennessee Council as I do not believe MTC, the districts, Wa-Hi-Nasa Lodge, etc ever purchased or issued the patches with the incorrect border colors.
I will say that I do not have direct knowledge of these facts about Ellis Embroidery. But it is clear that something was going on during this time period where odd border colors were being produced, and it seems logical that whatever it was happened at the manufacturer.
As you would expect based on the above, the majority of these patches with the incorrect border color are quite rare with only one known (to me) example. There are a couple of exceptions. Generally I do not consider these patches as actual issues of Middle Tennessee Council as I do not believe MTC, the districts, Wa-Hi-Nasa Lodge, etc ever purchased or issued the patches with the incorrect border colors.
