John Pannell has an interesting post on what makes a patch an official issue.
There are those of us who worry and debate over how patches should be classified.  In most cases this is very easy: a 3″ round is an “Râ€; a chenille is a “Câ€.  Sometimes it’s a bit harder: What makes a patch a “P†or “Jâ€?    Is a triangular patch on a neckerchief an “X†or “Pâ€?  Is a 5″ round patch an “R†or “Jâ€? How do you classify the very odd-shaped “flaps†issued by some lodges, that will likely never be worn on uniforms?
Beyond all this is one subject that can inflame passions more than all the rest:  What makes a patch an official issue?
It is an interesting read and currently has 10 comments as I write this. He has examples of 8-10 patches some of which are currently listed in the Blue Book as lodges issues and some not. It also includes the 95 ZA1 I recently wrote up on this site.
