What to do when a bakery tells you it won’t put a trademarked BSA logo on your cake

Via Rusty L. of Troop 380, Arlington, Texas.

Plans for the Eagle Scout court of honor were chugging along until the parents started looking for a bakery to prepare an Eagle Scout-themed cake for the big day.

Bakery after bakery told them they wouldn’t put any trademarked BSA logos on the cake.

It’s common for bakeries to take that approach with trademarked logos and insignia, requiring you to take additional steps before they’ll make a cake featuring an MLB team, Marvel character, the Coca-Cola logo and more.

That’s why the BSA developed a simple process so bakeries can make that BSA-themed cake for you. It’s completely free, but you’ll need to allow two or three days for the BSA to process your request.

Use the steps below for courts of honor, blue and gold banquets, district or council dinners, or any other Scouting celebration involving edible BSA-decorated or BSA-themed cakes.

I spoke with Greg Winters, team leader of licensing for the BSA, to uncover each layer of this sweet process.

Step 1: Plan ahead

The BSA gets a ton of requests, so Winters suggests allowing two to three business days for his team to process the cake release form.

That doesn’t include the several days’ notice the bakery will need to make the actual cake.

Step 2: Find your bakery

Select a bakery and make sure they’re able to produce the design you want for your special Scouting day.

The BSA does not provide artwork to bakeries, so make sure the bakery can create the sugary dessert themselves. For a visual guide, consult this repository of BSA logos.

Once you’ve found a suitable bakery, be sure to get the name of the bakery and the bakery’s mailing address. You’ll need that for step 3.

Step 3: Complete the form

Found the perfect bakery?

Next, complete the form found at http://licensingbsa.org/trademarks/cake-request/.

Filling out the form takes about three minutes. You’ll need the bakery’s name and address, the date of the event, and the name of your council.

Step 4: Wait for the form and take it to your bakery

Within two to three business days after the form has been submitted, the BSA will send you an electronic document you can take directly to the bakery so they can get started on your order.

Step 5: Pick up the cake; eat the cake

Go ahead and grab an extra piece. You earned it.

Oh, and be sure to send a picture of the cake to Scouting magazine.


About Bryan Wendell 3281 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.