Long sleeve undergarments?

[saustin]

Is long sleeve t-shirts/sweatshirts allowed to be worn under short sleeve uniform shirts? I see many who do this so the shirt can be worn year round.

 

Thanks, been out of scouting for long time and haven't read the books yet.

 

Sam

[orennoah]

I've never seen a rule against it. (Note to Uniform Police: Such a rule MAY exist and, if so, I'm sure you'll enlighten us all. But I haven't seen it.)

 

However, I'd want the undergarment to "match" the uniform in some way. Otherwise, it would look way funky.

[FScouter]

Your attitude is showing.

[Hunt]

OK, here's a straight answer. Look at:

 

http://www.scouting.org/forms/34283.pdf

 

There is nothing explicit about this subject. The only potentially relevant point is that the scout should be "neatly dressed."

 

Now, putting on my lawyer hat, I will tell you how to use the term "neatly dressed" and general principles to either (1) ban or (2) allow the wearing of long-sleeved undergarments under the short-sleeved shirt.

 

1. Ban. Because we are talking about a uniform, it is obvious that for the Scouts to be "neatly dressed," their appearance must be reasonbly uniform. Having long sleeves of different colors protruding from the short uniform sleeves creates an un-neat appearance for the troop as a whole. The clear purpose of the short-sleeved shirt is to allow for bare arms, and the long-sleeved shirt is available for those who wish to cover their arms.

 

2. Allow. There is nothing inherently "un-neat" about wearing long sleeves under the short-sleeved Scout shirt, as long as the other garment is neat, clean, and in good condition. This practice also promotes thriftiness, because it enables Scouts to use the short-sleeved shirts in colder weather. Also, since scouts may wear various shirts, pants, patches, etc., their appearance is not totally uniform anyway.

 

My final advice: if anybody really cares about this, turn it over to the PLC for a decision and keep the adults out of it.

[eagle90]

I wear a long sleeve t-shirt, sweat shirt, or thermal under my short sleeve shirt many times, expecially during the cold fall camping season. It allows me to still wear the uniform shirt on top and let it show. Better than covering it up with a sweatshirt.

[starwolfmom]

My son often wears a long-sleeved shirt under his short-sleeved Scout shirt. He has two: one is a dark green the same color as his Scout pants, the other is red, the color of his epaulets and neckerchief. I think either one looks good.

 

Elizabeth

[FScouter]

How about wearing a long-sleeved uniform shirt. Hang up the short-sleeved shirt until summer.

[msnowman]

"How about wearing a long-sleeved uniform shirt. Hang up the short-sleeved shirt until summer."

 

Sounds simple enough, but when money is an issue it isn't always that easy. I would think wearing a clean LS tshirt/thermal, etc under the short sleeve shirt would be better than not wearing any uniform shirt at all. Ebay has helped stretch the family uniforming budget, but for some families that would still be hard.

 

YMMV

Michelle

[VentureScoutNY]

As a Boy Scout I wore the long sleeve Uniform shirt. That basically solved the problem of the undergarment issue.

 

BUT

 

As a Venturer, when I bought my Uniform I was amazed they only offered it in short sleeves! Now in the Autumn and Winter months I wear an undergarment under the short sleeves...When will the Uniform Police campaign for a long sleeve Venturing shirt!? Please hurry, I'm freezing!

 

YIS

[Lynda J]

Our troop wears long sleeved red turtle necks under our short sleeved uniforms. They match our scarves.

We do want to be warm but we also want to look nice.

[acco40]

I own both long sleeve and short sleeve uniform shirts. My long sleeve shirt is my commissioner shirt - primarily a September through May shirt.

 

My short sleeve shirts are used year round in our troop. In the summer, the temps get to over 100F (Jambo) in the extreme but easily are in the 85 - 95 degree range for summer camp, July and August outings in Michigan. In December, we participate in our local Christmas parade. The crowd wants to see boys in uniform, not with winter coats on. I have a short sleeve shirts (large) that I wear in the summer and indoors. I have other short sleeve shirts (x-large) that I wear on winter outings with room for thermal and other long sleeve items to be worn under the uniform. Now, for 95% of the time in the outdoors I wear the activity uniform in the summer and maybe 50% of the time in winter. Scout pants and socks don't work real well for Michigan winters.

 

Heck, I've seen Scout shorts worn over thermal "long johns" so I have no problem with long sleeve undergarments worn under a short sleeve uniform shirt.

[FScouter]

"Sounds simple enough, but when money is an issue it isn't always that easy."

 

Actually it is incredibly simple. Send the boy over to my house Saturdy morning and I'll hire him to mow my lawn. "A Scout earns his own way."

[Hunt]

But FScouter, why should the Scout mow your lawn to earn money to buy an unnecessary item? What exactly is your objection to the protruding sleeves? Would your objection be eliminated by a practice like that described by Lynda J, of wearing a troop standard garment or color under the shirt?

 

On the other side of this, I will say that I did a double-take when I saw a boy with long pants on under his Scout shorts. One would be hard-pressed to defend that as "neatly dressed."

[fgoodwin]

When I was at NCAC (MD and No. VA), the Scout Shop there sold two BSA-issue mock-turtlenecks: a red one and a blue one. Both had a gold FDL embroidered into the collar.

 

These long-sleeve shirts were to be worn under the short sleeve field shirt in cooler weather in lieu of a long-sleeve field shirt.

 

At the time, I had both types of field shirt, but I only wore the long-sleeve for things like winter Pack Meetings, etc. I wore the mock-turtle under the short sleeve field shirt for winter outdoor activities (layering, right?).

 

I still have the two mocks, but I rarely get to wear them in the more moderate Texas winters. I also notice that they aren't available from National Supply anymore. The idea makes so much sense, I can understand why they were discontinued . . .

[FScouter]

Whether an item is necessary or not is in the eye of the beholder. In my mind, a long-sleeved shirt in cold weather is necessary. For others, a belt, socks, and pants are considered unnecessary.

 

My objection is more to the comment that stretching the uniform budget is not easy. Any boy that wants to own a complete uniform with no compromises is welcome to come mow the grass.