Are the Red Berets still valid?

[John-in-KC]

Berets.

 

A classic example of form over function.

 

Give me a boonie hat in the spring and summer, and a watch cap in the late fall and winter!

 

DING DONG THE BERET IS DEAD...THE BERET IS DEAD...THE BERET IS DEAD...(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[Trevorum]

Actually, the best hat in the summer is a straw wide-brim cowboy hat (the classic example of function over form). Shades the face and head, ventilated and cool. The only problem is that it isn't crushable.

 

For really cold winter weather, you need your ears covered. A balaclava is good (or is that a Turkish pastry? I always get those confused...)

[jwmerica]

Mea Culpa,

Thanks for the welcome. Didn't really look at the dates. I thought it was an interesting thread and I wanted to make a contribution to it. Two cents as a matter of fact.;-)

I get asked about my beret all of the time. There are definitely many different schools of thought on the wearing of the red beret. I've been told it looks dashing and have been called a fascist while wearing it. I don't really give a hoot what people think of it. I wear it because I like it and its still valid class A headgear. I have all the class A headgear except a campaign hat and I couldn't be bribed to wear one of those! They're heavy, expensive, have to be stored in a press to keep them nice and cost a fortune to clean.

As to the practicality of the beret, its wool and keeps my head warm when its cold. Its stays warm even when its wet. In hot weather I can soak it in cold water, wring it out and have a pretty efficient evaporating cooler on my head. If I'm not wearing it I can roll it up and shove it in an epaulet. Finally, it fits over my headlamp. ;-)

A word to the forum moderators, if folks feel "haunted" by old threads, why not delete them after six months or so and use the drive space for something else? Scouts is supposed to be thrifty...

Cheers.

[dan]

jwmerica

Welcome

Do not worry about bumping old threads up.

This one seems to get bumped up every year or so.

Unless one of the moderators says something about bumping up threads do not worry about it.

And I really think Old Grey Eagle really loves to see this one bumped.

 

Reviewing this thread whatever happened to eisely?

 

 

 

[CalicoPenn]

jwmerica,

 

Allow me to echo the Welcomes to the forum - and to say don't worry about bumping up this thread again - I'd be willing to bet (if that were allowed in the BSA) that the folks who didn't want to see the thread again are the grumps that didn't like the red beret in the first place (extra wide grin).

 

Great advice on breaking in the beret, by the way. Of course for those scouts without the patience to spend an hour or so with a wet beret on their head, sleeping with the thing works wonders as well.

 

CalicoPenn

[John-in-KC]

jwmerica,

 

Let me also welcome you to our campfire. The coffee and cocoa pots are just far enough away to be hot but off the boil.

 

There are elements of Scouting which are PRESCRIPTIVE (G2SS) comes to mind, elements which are descriptive (the Methods of the programs come to mind, although they have elements of prescriptiveness too), and elements which are just plain fun...

 

Playing "zing the beret" is one of the fun elements for more than a few of us.

 

Trev, your Texan is showing ... but a wide brimmed straw hat is indeed one of the coolest forms of headgear for summertime wear. I've found a place online which does a straw campaign hat. I'm seeing if they have it in natural or khaki color, vice the green my father wore in the summer of 41.

 

[jwmerica]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the welcome. I like zinging the zingers. ;-) Folks get their panties in a wad over the darnest things. I just scored the "new" beret I've been wrangling over on Ebay. Now I'll have two. My "working" beret and my "Sunday, go to meet'n" beret. I don't know how I came to like or even start collecting berets, maybe it goes back to wearing the beret when I was a boy. I developed a love for these funky, little hats over the last 34 years that I can't shake. Some of my favorites in my collection are/were an Irish Guards beret that I lost to a woman who snatched it and dropped me; a plain black Bancroft that was my everyday headwear all year round. I'm currently bidding on a Green Foreign Legion beret, 2nd REP (Regiment Etrangere Parachutist)complete with flash/insignia. Weird hobby.

Cheers,

jwmerica

[Crew21_Adv]

JW,

 

Greetings again!

 

Please don't take my earlier comment as a zinger. Just only meant it as a thought to consider. (Bringing up an old topic shouldn't hurt anyone, but sometimes it is like groaning at an old joke around the campfire...lol)

 

BTW... I haven't worn it years, but my Red Beret sits on the shelf by my Australian Scout Association "Aussie" hat.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[dsantos]

I have a red beret and a blue "den mother's" cub scout beret. I usually wear the blue one because I'm a cub leader, even though it is "technically" a "woman's" piece of headgear. However, when I wear either beret I roll and stow it under my left shoulder epaulet if it is not on my head. I was talking about this beret at round table last night with one of the "Ol' Timers" and while he didn't really care about the "gender issue" he did ask me if I was "supposed" to wear it on my shoulder. I replied that this is what I have seen on numerous scout websites (domestic and foreign) and that I have never seen any direct "regulation" prohibiting it. Now, this gentleman is definitely not a UP'er (and I'm not talking Michigan, either.) He, like myself, takes pride in the proper wearing of the uniform as a tool to instill pride in appearance and pride in scouting into the boys (and other leaders.) My question is, is the wearing of the beret rolled up on the shoulder "against uniform regs?"

 

Somewhat related: I have heard that sashes and "garrison caps" may not be work draped over the waist belt so it wouldn't surprise me if someone veto'd wearing the beret rolled on the shoulder.

[kraut-60]

dsantos; The field cap AKA "flat hat/garrison cap" was /is intended to be draped over the belt of the uniform with the emblem visible. This comes from the uniform regs during the period when this cap was availble from the Supply Division.

 

The sash should NEVER be worn draped over the belt of the uniform. The sash is only worn over the right shoulder with its lowest part resting across the wearers left waist/hip area.

 

While I havent found any documentation to suggest where the Scout red beret was to stowed on the wearers person when not being worn, I would feel that it would be stowed best under the shoulder strap of the uniform shirt..left seems to be most popular .

 

The beret was originally brought into use while we were still wearing the older olive green shaded uniforms. These shirts did not have shoulder straps, so Scouts were left to their imagination as to where to "park" their beret when it wasnt on their head.

 

I never had a beret as I was and still am a flat hat wearer. I tried a beret on at the local JC Penneys (remember.. they used to sell uniforms) and didnt care for how I looked with it on. Glad to hear of another Scouter keeping older uniform traditions alive...our pal John from KC does say the beret is dead. From your post it would seem its still kicking....ITS ALIVE!!!Run for your boonie hats!

[emb021]

"I replied that this is what I have seen on numerous scout websites (domestic and foreign) and that I have never seen any direct "regulation" prohibiting it. Now, this gentleman is definitely not a UP'er (and I'm not talking Michigan, either.)"

 

Some things to keep in mind.

 

* Just because others do something, doesn't make it correct to do so.

 

* When it comes to 'uniform regs', the Insignia guide by and larges follows the concept of dealing with who can wear what in what location on the uniform. Pretty much if you are not 'listed' as one of the people who can wear an item, or you are not wearing it in the location indicated, then you're not following the 'regs'. There is very little of 'you can't do X' in the regs. Sashbacks on the OA sash, wearing sashes on the belts, etc, are amoung the *very* rare exceptions.

 

* The red berets were rolled out in the early 70s and dropped as an option when the current uniform shirts were rolled out. The shirts at the time the red beret was around had no epaulets. And as the red beret was no long an available option for wearing with the new tan shirts with epaultes, no policy, one way or another, was put forth as to the acceptability of wearing the red berets under the loops. IF the red berets had been still available when the shirts were, I am sure National would have said if it was ok or not.

 

My own take would be not to wear them under the epaulets. But that's me. I personally think its too 'militant' a look, and would avoid it.