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Which Hat???


Balding Eagle

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I have seen some cub scouters wearing the same cap as their boys. You can wear any of the hats in the BSA catelog for "scouters". My preference is for the "Indiana Jones" style hat with the adult-leader pin.

 

I recommend getting a BSA insignia guide from your scout shop the next time you are there. Life is challenging if you are actually trying to follow the rules. I keep a copy in my scouting briefcase and refer to it often.

 

CE

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Since the Cubs boys hat is keyed to the rank, wouldn't wearing the same hat as the boys indicate that the den leader is a Wolf? Is he a Wolf? And when the boys move up to Bear would the den leader have to change to a Bear hat too? I have looked through the Insignia Guide and can't find anything on that. In my years as a Cub leader in San Diego I have never seen an adult wear the same type hat as the boys.

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The default uniform for adults is the boy scout tan/green uniform. You have an option of 3 hats. Ball cap, "Indiana Jones hat" and campaign. The Indian Jones hat is an approved "activity hat", but since you wear the tan/green on activities, this is approved. I can't nail down either what ball cap you wear but I never seen an adult wearing the same hat as the youth (except for a female den leader and it looked good with the yellow shirt). As a cubmaster, I wear the campaign hat and the kids really dig it. I have 2-one official BSA for meetings and parades and a cheaper army one with BSA leather on it that I wear camping and hiking-even was thrown into a lake with it on and it still held its shape.

 

In the end, it really doesn't matter, so long as you look good.

 

Good luck!!!!

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If it is a small den you should be able to get by with a baseball batting helmet or construction hard hat. for a larger den I'd say a bike helmet atleast... you may even want to go the whole nine yards and get blus and gold motorcycle helmet. You can never be too safe!

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BE -- you may have noticed that folks here have trouble dealing with ambiguity.

The bottom line is that the official publications have not caught up with the recent uniform changes. The Insignia Guide (which is due for an update by next year) is silent on what headgear Cub leaders should wear. The male leader inspection sheet says Cub leaders should wear either the Webelos or the blue and gold Cub Scout visor hat, the latter of which has now been replaced by the Wolf and Bear hats.

Divining the underlying principle from the above, logic suggest that den leaders wear the hat corresponding to the level of the den they serve. I'm assuming all those hats come in adult sizes (I don't have a catalog handy.) Hats for Cubmasters and other unit-level leaders is a bit more problematic. In that case, I'd say pick one.

I will note that our local scout shop still stocks the old generic Cub Scout hats in adult sizes. I don't know if they are intended as official adult Cub Leader hats, or if it is a matter of working through the stock of old hats.

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Lately, I have seen the Expedition hat on more scouters that any other hat. I will also note that I see it worn more with the "Field" uniform than with an activity shirt / Class-B (just to irritate FOG)

 

I rarely wear any hat with the field uniform, because I don't like any of the approved options. Is there anyone out there that would be against making the Expedition hat part of the field uniform.

 

CE

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Hi

 

When I started my first Tiger den, I got an adult Tiger hat, so no problem. However, the Wolf and Bear hats do not come in adult sizes, and I have a big head, so I just wear the BSA baseball hat. Most of the Cub Scouters I know do the same.

 

But the hat I LIKE to wear is the Expedition hat (some of you call this the Indiana Jones hat). I LOVE this hat - in fact it is the only hat I've ever owned in my 40+ years that I think I look good in. It is durable and comfortable, and when you don'r want to wear it you can just hang on your back with the cord.

Regarding whether it is an official uniform hat, I believe it is not, as it says in the catalog that it is an approved activity hat. However, I wore it all through my Wood badge training and wasn't yelled at.

 

YIS,

Mike

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  • 3 weeks later...

The Exp hat is the best hat BSA has made since the little fold-able one I wore as a kid in the early 70s. I liked that hat because I had a picture of my dad with a uniform on from the mid 50's. I don't know if the picture was taken in Japan or Korea, but you get the idea.

 

I have worn my exp hat on a trip to Philmont, on a trip to Northern Tier, to various trainings (I've been on Woodbadge staff and was able to wear it there without even batting eyes, well until they handed out the troop hat). It's been a great investment, and frankly a good friend.

 

Now what's all this noise about "smokey's are good, and Indiana Jones' are bad???" Come on guys let's think this through!

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