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Boy Scouts of American Supply Division National Distribution Center P. O. Box 7143 Charlotte, NC 28241-7143 Well, I was warned that Supply might not reply. I mailed them the letter I posted on May 9th, but have not received a reply in three weeks. From the letters posted, it seems no one is complaining about having an official Boy Scout Uniform. The focus on the letters seems to be an appeal to the BSA to change the uniform to be more durable, comfortable, functional, and look nice enough for wear to a Court of Honor. Does such a multifunction pair of pants exist? Yes, and at a price lower than the Scout Shop sells the official uniform. For the many people who have posted concerns about the pants, how many people have the same feelings but not posted a message? Even worse, if the BSA Supply is not going to respond to inquires from the volunteer Leaders, do they even listen to us? Thanks.

Hello, JR, Someone else suggested returning the pants to the Scout Shop since they have a Satisfaction Guarantee. I took mine back on Saturday and got a full refund. What does "Thrifty" mean in the Scout Law? If it means getting value for your money, then the current Official Pants violates the Scout Law. Maybe if enough people attempt to return the pants, the Supply Division will hear our efforts to get a functional pair of Official Uniform Pants that satisfy the requirements of: 1. Comfort 2. Fit 3. Design 4. Durability 5. Cost On this thread, I've read others complain about the durability of the pants, the cut of the legs being too tight, pockets too small, and the high cost. Hello, Supply, Do you hear our request? Thank you. Just my 2 cents worth. The fabric looks ok and fits ok, it is just not very durable. The fabric on my long pants starts wearing thin on the inside of my thighs after only a few months of wearing them to meetings. I gave up on wearing them on campouts a long time ago because they are just not durable enough. I also think the price is excessive

LISTEN UP EVERYONE!!!! Someone suggested taking the pants back to the Scout Shop and getting a refund. Thanks for the suggestion. They honored the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and I got a refund. I'm still waiting to hear from the Supply Center regarding any possible uniform change. Here's a question to ponder: "Does the Official Scout Uniform supercede the Scout Law?" How would Baden Powell feel about purchasing Official Scout Pants at an inflated price in comparison to other commercial hiking/camping pants or other uniform pants? Are we communicating contradictory concepts to the Scouts when we say "Be Prepared" but wear pants that are not comfortable for Scouting? I'm all for a uniform, I'd just like it to be comfortable. Thanks.

Hello, Hunt, Thank you for the support that fscouter was not attacking me exactly. He stated: "It is inflammatory and misleading to publicly post that the price is "$55.00, $56.60, $59.55", when that is not correct. But if you go to the 2005 catalog, those are the exact prices listed so how was I being misleading to the public? Thank you for presenting that nothing has been said criticizing a uniform, merely positive feedback to offer a better uniform. No complaint has been made about wearing the uniform. With regard to when Scouts are seen in uniform, when we have Scout Night at an activity, all Scouts wear Class A uniforms. When we are involved in an activity, we all wear Class B uniforms. When I look back on my years in the military, for Fscouter to have anything to say to me about uniforms is a joke. Ive seen many Scouts wearing the Official Shirt and commercial pants on hiking, camping, and climbing trips, and they feel comfortable in the uniform, the uniform satisfies the needs of the activity, and they look like Scouts. So thank you for your support.

FScouter wrote: "It is inflamatory and misleading to publicy post that the price is "$55.00, $56.60, $59.55", when that is not correct. 2005 Boy Scouts of Americ Official Retail Catalog, Page 1 of Leaders' Section lists the above prices: Item C582 $45.80 Item C992 $56.60 Item C960 $59.55 Since I purchased my pants from the District Scout Shop, I did not buy something "non-standard." This week I will see if they will honor the Satisfaction Guarantee. FScouter wrote: "One more comment is that the Boy Scout uniform was not designed for hiking, backpacking, or 10-day 65 mile Philmont treks. It is not reasonable to expect that uniform pants fulfill that function. BSA does not make such an animal and it's not fair to complain that the pants don't work for those activities as well as a high-tech product from Columbia or elsewhere." I've been involved with Scouting since the 60's. During my two trips to Philmont, the entire crew wore the Official Uniform throughout the trip. At that time, the shirts and pants were all cotton. Today, more versatile materials are available which. As for complaining that the pants don't work for activities like "hiking, backpacking, or 10-day 65 mile Philmont treks," I find the Official pants uncomfortable to wear when I'm attending the Scoutmaster's Round Table. In contrast, there are many commercial brands that look as nice or nicer than the Official Pants, are available in varying weights of material, are available as trousers, shorts, or convertible pants, are less expensive, and would serve the many Scout functions which by your own admission, the Official Pants don't serve. Stay focused on the issue and stop trying to attack me.

I see that FScouter is attacking the person rather than discussing the topic. The topic was the comfort, cut, design, durability, and cost of the Official Scout Pants. Personally, I am very easy on my clothes so for the pants to be knitting up with the limited number of hours of wear and with less than 10-washes, these pants are not as durable as less expensive pants from commercial camping stores. As for the price, I remember the price tag of $55, but whether it was $55.00, $56.60, $59.55, or whether it was $66.55 (Venture Pants), the cost is rather steep. No, FScouter, I was not trying to bolster my case by padding the numbers. Would "padding the numbers" be a form of lying? If I were lying, would I be breaking the first Scout Law? You discourage input if you attack the individual rather than the issue. Whether it is me or the numerous others who have written giving feedback about the quality and cost of the uniform pants, stay focused on the issue. Your attack on the individual is reminiscent of the elementary school bully. I had not read the Satisfaction Guaranteed, but I will take the pants back and attempt an exchange for the All Cotton Trousers even though they are $56.60. Yes, I would like to wear the Official Uniform. But, I'd like the Official Uniform to be a value both in price, function, comfort, and appearance. All of these characteristics are available from commercial manufacturers. And yes, my input through this forum with letters to BSA Supply have been efforts to follow channels to improve Scouting.

In an effort to change the uniform or the uniform policy through Official channels, here's the address to the Supply Division. Boy Scouts of American Supply Division National Distribution Center P. O. Box 7143 Charlotte, NC 28241-7143 RE: Changing the Scout Pants Dear BSA: As a former Boy Scout, retired Army Officer, and now Scoutmaster, I am comfortable wearing a uniform. What is the procedure to address changing the current Official Boy Scout Pants? A search at http://www.scouter.com/members/default.asp reveals that many other Scouters are displeased with the cut, design, pockets, material, and price of the Official Pants. When I bought my Scoutmaster uniform, I had never paid as much for a pair of trousers as I did in making the $55.00 purchase. Since I only wear these pants for 1-1/2 hours on Monday nights, I was disappointed that after 9-months (36 meetings or 54-hours of wear), the pants are knitting up. Since commercial manufacturers like Columbia and North Face make hiking/camping pants of varying materials for prices much less than what the Official Boy Scout Pants sell for, are violating the Scout Law of Thrifty? If only one manufacturer is producing the Official Pants, we have eliminated any competition between uniform manufacturers to produce a better uniform at a better price. The Army offers uniforms in varying materials based on the assignment local. Similarly, the Boy Scouts could offer Official Pants of varying materials depending on whether the Scout is hiking in the summer on the Appalachian Trail, in the winter where there is no trail, or in some other conditions where some type of convertible pants or shorts are desired. What is the procedure to get the BSA to consider a uniform change? As one letter at Scouter.com stated, todays uniform is for Parlor Scouts so they can look good at a Board of Review or a Court of Honor. Another letter stated the Official Uniform was not designed for camping or trekking at Philmont. Thank you,

As a youth, I remember playing baseball in the summer. All we needed was a glove and maybe a cap. Today, my son has to have a full uniform and each summer, the uniform may change. After playing in different leagues, it seemed the drive for a "major league appearance" came from the egos of the parents than from the needs of the kids. It seems the Scout Uniform is going in the same direction. As one writer described, the Class A Uniform is for "Parlor" Scouts, Board of Reviews or Court of Honors. In the Army, I had to buy Dress Greens and Dress Blues. A lot of money spent for uniforms I rarely wore. As for promotion ceremonies, they were conducted in BDU's as were Change of Command Ceremonies. In looking at the commercially available hiking pants, there are many that look as nice as the Offical Scout Pants, but are more comfortable, more practical, and less expensive. One Assistant Scoutmaster stated that in his previous Troop, if the Scout did not come in uniform, he was sent home. If the Scout could not get to the meeting on time, he was sent home. Both of these positions miss the point of providing an opportunity for the Scout. One person responded that the Scout Uniform was "not designed and not intended for camping or Philmont treks. One would not wear high tech hiking clothes to a court of honor or a troop meeting. The uniform is perfect for the activities for which it is intended." Who is the uniform for? Is it for the Scout or the parents? Why does an 11-18 year old need a "Dress Uniform?" The Scout Meeting agenda suggesting inclusion of some physical activities. Who enjoys playing in their Dress Uniform. Let's put the fun back into Scouting. Let's have a practical, comfortable uniform that looks as nice as the Official Uniform. Thank you.

The cut of the pants are uncomfortable, the pockets are too small to be functional, the fabric is inferior to other available hiking pants, and the cost is excessive. I'm familiar with uniforms from 28-years in the service. I've never paid as much for a pair of uniform pants as I did when I bought my Scoutmaster pants. I'd rather buy a pair of commercial "Columbia" or "North Face" pants and give a tax-deductible contribution to the Scout District then waste money on the Official Scout Pants. That seems to be a contradiction to the Scout Law of being "Thrifty." As my son and I shopped for what he needs for Philmont, we weren't shopping at the Scout Shop. The quality isn't there and neither is the value. With hiking and camping as popular as it has become, with commercial competition to produce a better product, the BSA needs to apply the Scout Laws to the Official Uniform and adopt more practical uniforms such as: 1. Columbia's Omni-Dry Venture Convertible Cargo Pants and Shorts 2. Columbia's Challenger Pants 3. Columbia's Cliff Lake Shorts 4. Columbia's Roc Shorts 5. Mountain Hardwear's Convertible Pants 6. North Face's Meridian Convertible Pants 7. Morth Face's Meridian Cargo Shorts 8. Campmor Trekmor Convertible Pants Many inner city would be scouters are excluded because of the expensive, impractical uniforms. I've said my piece.