Guess How Many Scouts were in Uniform at Campout this Weekend.

[Backpacker]

WOW WOW WOW

 

This is truly a first, pigs must be flying, because I agree with Bob White 100% on this issue, if you want to blame someone it starts with the unit leaders. Touche Robaire!!

[Bob White]

Welcome back Backpacker you left suddenly without responding to my questions after I answered yours and offered to answer more.

 

What class did you take at PTC in 2002 where frank was your conference leader, and what was the most imortant thing you learned from the course?

 

You asked what my unit position was but did not expalin how it would affect your opinion of my posts.

[Eamonn]

I had a dream that that there was 250 -300 Scouts all in uniform and I only wore the shirt! Boy did I feel silly. I wanted to sue that darn Council, how dare they allow me put myself in such a predicament!! It just isn't fair. I hope that their Scout socks rot.

Eamonn

[evmori]

We as adult leaders must set the example. We need to be in full uniform when necessary. That is part of the problem. The other part is the BSA doesn't require anyone to own let alone wear the uniform to be a member. I feel if you change this, you will see more Scouts and Scouter's in full uniform. But until that happens (when pigs fly) then we as leaders must still set the example by being in full uniform when necessary.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Its Me]

If a car slid off the road and detectives Bob White were to investigate he would conclude that the car slid off the road because the tires lost traction. Poor performing tires. But the reasons for this wreck go beyond where the tires contact the road. Root cause could be pavement conditions, driver error, speed, brakes, signs...

 

What I am saying is that the problem of non-uniform goes beyond just where the organization contacts the Scout at the volunteer level. There is no council driven effort to change this. Here at this campout as, I said earlier was a chance to identify scouts in 100% uniform compliance, even identifying leaders and packs in full uniform.

 

I suspect that the reason this is not done is that council is afraid that a strict uniform policy or even a hint of a requirement will drive scouts away.

 

 

(This message has been edited by Its Me)

[Bob White]

Actually, unless you could prove that the car had a mechanical difficiency created by its designers, or that the road had not been successufully traveled by cars previously, then detective Bob White would conclude driver error. Operation and maintenance of the vehicle is the driver's responsibility not the dealership's.

 

You do not know me well enough to second guess me. You do not understand personal responsibility if you blame the council for how grown adults dress themselves in the morning.

 

 

[acco40]

At the Cub level, the main reason the boys are not in uniform (no such thing as "full uniform") is due to a lack of effort. A lack of effort on their parents to go buy the uniform. A lack of efforts aonthe volunteer leaders to set the example. The boys usually do not balk at wearing the uniform.

 

At the Boy Scout level, some of the boys do balk at wearing the uniform even when they own it. Again, the adults that they most often come into contact with - unit leaders, should set the example.

 

Now, the field uniform is not always appropriate attire in the great outdoors. The BSA addresses this and does not suggest that the field uniform be worn for all occasions. The uniform should not be "required" any more than the patrols, adult association, outings, advancement, etc. Learn the program you pledged to deliver and then deliver that program. YOu owe it to the youth.

[Its Me]

Bob, where is the system to correct this? Where is the adult peer pressure? Outside of this forum it doesn't seem to exist.

 

 

[Bob White]

"Bob, where is the system to correct this? Where is the adult peer pressure? Outside of this forum it doesn't seem to exist."

 

And to what depth of experience, and through your exposure in how many councils, do you attribute your evaluation?

[dsteele]

Where is the adult peer pressure?

 

Your District's roundtables, commissioner staff and training.

 

It's Me, I think it speaks volumes about the problem when you saw no problem criticising 200 Cub Scouts and their parents and your council, when you weren't even wearing your own definition of a uniform.

 

My understanding is that there's a relationship between stones and sin . . .

 

Unc.

[1986OSChamp]

Ok,

 

I guess I am guilty of comming from the "Old School". I am a Eagle Scout, Arrow of Light. I was tought that you wear your full uniform at all meetings, on the way to campouts (traveling), at flag raisings. I am a Tiger Den Leader and when I go to a Den Meeting I make sure my Son and myself are in FULL Class A uniform from head to toe. My son is 7 and at this point he thinks it is cool to get dressed up with dad and go to the meeting.

 

When I accepted the Den Leaders job my wife kinda got mad because I insisted on buy a new Scout Uniform. I ended up having to buy it in peices because of price. But I did not put one on until I could put the whole thing on.

 

This past Saturday night I took him to a OA family banquet and he was the only Cub Scout there in uniform. But again it was cool to go to a dinner with dad. We even had remarks on the way he was dressed.

 

So I feel that if you are going to be a leader you need to lead by example. 1st example (1st impresion) is the way you dress.

[577d5]

I'm old school also but I didn't get to be a boy scout. I was a cadet at Norwich Univerity. Some of the comments in the "design a uniform" tread might shead some light. The Current uniforms for both Boy scout and Cubs are not design for the outdoors and are costly. Most kids have one shirt, one hat and one scarf. Mom has carefully sewen on the patches. Badges and pins are carefully applied. There is a lot of time, effort and money in that shirt. Having more then one is a luxury for many families.

 

As a Leader I agree that we need to lead the way. Begin a father of two I have a budget so my uniform is being built over time. In look at my son's uniform from a military and a mountain rescue team background I see room for improvement. The uniform is good for the playground but not the woods. The hat is not very serviceable in temperate to cold weather. The use of foan and mesh make is easy to be crush into a unflatering shape that can never be restored from. The pants are not strong (we opted for the ole blue denim in our pack). The shirts are not very outdoor friendly and there is no approved coat/jacket that is affordable.

[1986OSChamp]

I agree wholeheartly with you. The uniforms are not durable. The uniforms should be for show etc. like you wear a suit to church. I opt for my son to wear the blue jeans to work activities.

 

I also agree wholeheartly that they are TO COSTLY. So does my wife. I tell you what I did find at Wal-Mart was a pair or green cargo pants I wear to OA Function because of the durablity of them. I just believe that if you start excepting less you will get less.

 

BSA needs to Design a uniform that is more durible and less expensive.

 

Lets Start a Campaign to get them to look at it.

 

BTW. The Green Cargo pants I got from Wally World look exactly like BSA pants. Not a dimes bit of difference in them.

[kraut-60]

1986oschamp, you stated just previously you were taught to wear a FULL unifrom to Scout meetings, functions,etc... So tell me, how does a pair of similar styled but not UNIFORM pants from Wal-Mart qualify as part of a unifrom? Ok, they are similar appearing in style and color, great, whoopee even, but they are not uniform. When we as Scouters show the Scouts we serve that "good enough" or "its close enough" is our standard, then can we be dissappointed when they start doing just "good enough' and/or "enough to get by"? Think about it, the Scout uniform is the easiest standard to achieve, one must buy the uniform and wear it properly. That is whats meant to be uniform. No item of civilian clothing I own can give me a feeling of belonging any better than a Scout uniform. The clothes I get at Wal-mart are affordable yes, but is it so much to shell out the bucks to be what we should be, or just "good enough"? Oh, and while I'm at it here, any denim pants would wear wonderfully, but try wearing them after getting them wet. I've yet to see a pair of jeans get reasonably dry once a kid has got them wet, wether soaking or somewhat wet, the denim seems to stay wet all weekend. BTW IMHO jeans as an alternative(and un-authorized) Cub Scout dress option are one of the many things that seem to be keeping many Cub packs mired in mediocrity with parents and new leaders who continue to feel the need to second guess the ways of the BSA as they are so positive they know better, and whats it harming anyway?

[Its Me]

The purpose of this thread was to stimulate discussion on why so many packs from various districts would chose not the wear uniforms.

 

The "as it is written so it shall be" crowd is losing the flock while they preach choir. Also the boys reasons for not wearing their uniforms at this campout go way beyond whether my olive-drab pants had the officals BSA seal. I agree with many of the analysis about the unforms being too precious for typical scout outdoor activity.