New Uniforming Guidelines

[kb6jra]

Hello All,

 

I was at my Woodbadge Staff Development the other day and my buddy, a new DE, just came back from Irving with the news that Nat'l is re-thinking it's (or should I say OUR) "guidelines" on uniforming.

 

Apparantly the current thinking is for the units to wear the new activity shirts (no patches, no ranks, ghosting BSA insignia) in leu of the current uniform shirt during non cerimonial activities. The current uniform in all of its glory will be worn during ceremonies and more formal occasions.

 

I'm not exactly sure why we need yet another uniform, unless it's to drive sales. I understand that the boys between 14 and 17 don't like wearing thier uniform out of the house at times, but is that what this is all about? My friend the DE wore her switchbacks and her new activity shirt along with a t-shirt underneath. The t-shirt was not official which may evoke some emotion among those who love quoting regulations... :0

 

Does anyone have any more info on this? If not, what's your opinion..and please don't quote the insignia guide.

[emb021]

"My friend the DE wore her switchbacks and her new activity shirt along with a t-shirt underneath. The t-shirt was not official which may evoke some emotion among those who love quoting regulations... :0"

 

There are no 'regulations' regarding t-shirts. So, in what way was it 'not official'. As most units, councils, lodges, etc, make their own t-shirts, my feeling has always been if its a 'scouting related' t-shirt, regardless of the source, its ok to be worn.

 

A lot of people wear a t-shirt under the scout uniform (makes it easy to quickly take off the shirt and be in 'class b' or 'activity uniform'.

 

 

Personally, I think this 'new policy' silly. In my area, most will wear a scouting-related t-shirt or polo shirt if they want to be in 'activity uniform'. I don't see a lot of people getting the 'official' activity shirt. Sounds more like an attempt at getting more people to buy the shirt.

 

And as someone involved more with Venturing, why should we get it??

 

[FScouter]

I don't know anyting about "yet another uniform". We have the regular uniform and the activity uniform. Both are described in the Boy Scout Handbook. Activity shirts don't have patches. What is new?

[Crew21_Adv]

Fellow Scouters,

 

Greetings again!

 

kb6jr asked if anyone had new info, or if not, what our opinion is.

 

Well no, I don't have any new info on this. So my opinion. I like the new switchbacks, as well as the current uniform slacks. I like the idea of the new relaxed activity shirt (I haven't purchase one yet though), but not to replace the current uniform shirt. Just as an alternative.

 

As for outdoor activity programs. I have camped feet from my tailgate, camped on the beach, camped on a mountain ridge and I have also hiked a few miles into the wilderness. Sometimes I bathed with a baby wipe before hoping in my Jeep and going to church. On other times, the wife hosed me and the boys down, before letting us into the house. So which uniform to wear and when they are worn. Well it would make sense to me, not to get my uniform shirt muddy, sweaty, smelly, stained. etc.

 

As for a new DE, and saying what National is "thinking" about. I believe we have all heard about what they are thinking about many times, on a variety of Scouting topics. Sometimes these thoughts makes it into actual guidelines, writing, publications and program material. Many times, they only remains a thought.

 

Of all things. On occasion, my Venturing Crew likes to play a game called "Cell Phone", I was in tears laughing so hard, when I found out the game "Cell Phone" was the game "Gossip" when I was their age.

 

My bottom line, the subject may get a little distorted when an original comment is restated too often. Maybe, we should all wait for a new guidance to actually be published.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[Lisabob]

Can you clarify for me which new "activity" shirt we're talking about here? Or is this a unit-level choice?

 

 

[emb021]

The "new activity shirt" being spoken of is the 'action shirt' that National came out with a year or two ago.

 

Look in your scout catalog or the on-line catalog:

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?ctlg=05NDC&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=APPAREL&C3=ASHIRTS&C4=&LV=3&item=615ASL'>http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?ctlg=05NDC&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=APPAREL&C3=ASHIRTS&C4=&LV=3&item=615ASL

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?ctlg=05NDC&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=APPAREL&C3=ASHIRTS&C4=&LV=3&item=615AS

 

To me, it looks like a lame version of the popular (in my area) nylon 'fishing shirts', which I am seeing more and more in Venturing with embroidered logos for Powder Horn or Kodiak, and in a few cases used by some Crews as their uniform.

 

Here is a link to Bass Pro Shop and it's version of the fishing shirt (cheaper then Columbia's):http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=73820&hvarDept=600&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=5&hvarSubCode=2&hvarTarget=browse

 

[kb6jra]

emb021 is correct, that is the shirt. The way she talked about it seemed to me that it IS a new policy, though we haven't obviously heard it yet.

 

The shirt has a ghosted fleur de lis and the initials BSA on the left breast above the pocket, which makes it official apparantly. They're not terribly expensive, but I bet you could find something similar and for less money at Cabellas, Bass Pro or Campmore.

 

It's nice to have something like the long sleeved version for hiking. Warmer when it's cold, keeps the sun and bugs off you in the heat.

 

Regarding the "unofficial t-shirt"...we were at a Wood Badge Staff Development, and as such everyone was to be in full uniform from the toes to the nose. When she showed up, late I might add, we thought she'd just tossed on some civies. Then she got up and explained herself. Of course we all gave her a hard time for the t-shirt, it had to be something so why not the t-shirt. Such is life.

 

 

[kraut-60]

The winter '07 catalog on page 32 shows a youth member wearing a pair of switchback pants as well as the long sleeved action shirt and is holding one of the new Stetson Campfire hats.

 

This photo shows how attractive the new pants, the action shirt and the new hats are as well as how these parts all match and complement each other.

 

I would not hesitate to encourage Scouts to wear such an activity uniform for most outdoor activities. I would wear this myself. I would keep the current field uniform for more indoors or parade wear as it is well-suited for such events.

 

If this combination proves to be popular with Scouts for outdoor wear, then we should get behind it and support it. When we are recognizable as Scouts in the publics eye, it only helps the movement grow as youth who are not(yet)Scouts, may find such a uniform an incentive to join and become an active Scout.

 

It has recently been noted here in these forums that the uniform method is an outdoor method. Wearing this activity uniform would seem to support that claim. I am glad that several options are becoming availible to encourage Scouts and Scouters to wear uniforms that are functional as well as distinct enough to identify the wearer as part of the Scout movement.

[VigilEagle]

I may be mistaken, but as I recall looking through the new Scouting Stuff catalog, I remember seeing something along the lines of "not for uniform wear." I think that sums this up... Plus the uniform stands for a lot more. It's rather iconic to use a cliche.

[eghiglie]

Most troop t-shirts I've seen have some very clever designs on them and the major factor for Scouts is that the price is reasonable and not a budget buster. Our Troop sells them for $8 or so, we get them from a local guy. We also offer a polo-shirt for about $25 that has a full neck and is nicer.

 

The one draw-back to t-shirts though is that they are usually light weight and most don't really offer much sun protection. There is also no pocket.

 

Having a collection of fishing shirts that I wear to work, fishing, camping and hunting I like them a lot better. I don't have any issues being in the sun but I also don't go looking for sunburn.

 

So maybe there is a safety factor here. Its also quite possible that this is being done to drive sales.

 

I've been getting used uniform shirts on eBay for years and rarely spend more that $10. With my sons growing like weeds its been a big money saver.

 

 

[FScouter]

What is being done to drive sales?

[EagleInKY]

I've been hearing the rumor about the action shirt replacing the uniform for over a year now. I was told we'd hear something in 2006, then 07... latest I heard was 07 or 08.

 

The only difference to the rumor that I heard was that it was replacing the uniform altogether and that they were looking to "Dress up" the action shirt a little more (rank insignia, patrol insignia & position insignia) and possibly an optional necker for dress wear. I'm not sure what would happen with things like MB sashes. I guess I'm evaluating the ideas before really weighing in. I really would like to dump the current shirt, however. But I also think if we lose a lot of the items on the current uniform, we lose both individual recognition and esprit de corps.

 

I guess this is a little like the telephone game. We'll keep hearing different stories until we hear the truth. Who knows, maybe National is circulating these ideas and reading websites like this for feedback.

 

There seems to be some evidence to back up the rumors. Did you notice in the new catalog that there is virtually nothing about the existing uniform parts? Try to find it... most is not there or hard to find. And, the "new" action shirt is prevalent.

 

As for me, I like the action shirt. It's a little pricey but very comfortable. I have had others similar and find it to be of equal/better quality.

[Gonzo1]

A potential problem with having more uniform options is that "uniform" goes away. It's hard enough to get Johnny in green uniform pants and now they want to throw in a different shirt? With T-shirts, Brian fave, the red polo, the tan shirt now this new shirt, but only for otdoor stuff. Someday "Johnny" will show up in the wrong "uniform" and say 'but I didn't know', no one called me. The other one is in the laundry, my dog ate the tan shirt, etc. I we keep changin our uniform, we'll look like a mob.

 

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Well then, we will be a motley crew at last...

 

[CNYScouter]

 

Is a motley crew a "High Adventure" or "Arts and Hobbies" Venturing Crew?