Stump The Chump, Scouting Magazine, Jan-Feb 08

[purcelce]

At least it is a "real world" Scouting picture, and not a posed one.

My hat is off to that SM for what he has done.

 

[Rip Van Scouter]

I too feel that this is inappropriate "nitpicking". As a Pack Trainer, who does care about proper uniforming, I walk a fine line between offending/insulting/hassling parents and even other leaders about proper uniforming and informing and educating them. Some people are grateful for the correction, but it must be done in the proper manner. We must keep in mind that some parents are just looking for an excuse NOT to continue with Scouting, since it requires actual WORK on their part and they are continually being asked to HELP. These are the parents of kids who need Scouting the MOST, since they obviously are not learning good values at home!

 

In fact, rather than look for faults in their uniforming I applaud these scouts and their leaders for several things. First of all (and I do not have the picture in front of me) as I recall, almost everyone was wearing a distinctively and uniform (in that they were all the same) piece of headgear. It is not unusual to see troops with non-official headgear. What is unusual is to see them all wearing the

SAME cap! When I see my older boy's troop in the field or walking into meetings their headgear runs the gamut of nothing at all (usually around half) to all sorts of Baseball and other caps in various colors and styles. The same can be said for their choice in legwear, i.e. pants/shorts. Until the more popular "switchbacks" came out, it was rare to see more than a handful of boys in "official" pants or shorts, let alone anything approaching olive green. Mostly bluejeans predominate, even with the leaders! Thankfully, Troop 2000 and its leaders seem to take the lower half of their uniform as seriously as the upper half!

 

I actually find the troop's choice of a tasteful brown basball cap with what appears to be an official embroidered emblem applique (that is available in the scout shop) to be highly commendable. It would actually be nice to see something like this adopted as the official headgear rather than the ugly red and olive cap now being sold. Look how nicely these hats complement the official brown campaign and expedition hats. Could it be these ARE new hat designs being field tested? If so, BRAVO!

 

I would love to see Cub Scouts go back to a single design (maybe two, keeping the current Webelos cap) blue cap, possibly with a small Cub Scout logo embroidered in gold, rather than different caps for each year. Really, that is just too much to expect parents to buy a new hat EVERY year, and most don't. I think the switch to yearly neckerchief slides was a mistake also. At least the dark blue generic slide should have been kept as an alternate. What will future Pack leaders wear when no slides are available except those designating an age level? Personally, I selected the NO NECKWEAR option, except with the long sleeve shirt, for which I obtained one of the discontinued but still approved olive leader neckties. (I hate bolos! Let the cowboys wear them, not Scout leaders! Making them offical and discontinuing the necktie must have been part of the BSA HQ move from NJ to TX! *grin*)

[local1400]

Maybe an instruction sheet showing proper patch placement and uniform regulations from the IG could be included with each uniform shirt sold. End of the guessing game.

[SWScouter]

Local1400, it's already in all the handbooks.

[local1400]

Yes. And it has been for a long time. That doesn't mean when Johnny asks mommy to sew the patches on, they consult the handbook.

[SWScouter]

Alright, local1400, it actually is on a tag on the uniform shirt! At least one I have hanging in the closet. I got a brand new longsleaved shirt for my son off ebay ahile ago but it is still too big for him. The "Scout Uniform" tag opens up and has the diagrams for patch placement for the left/right sleeves and the left/right pockets.(This message has been edited by SWScouter)

[Hunt]

I don't think this nitpicking is too bad as long as it isn't mean-spirited. I've rarely seen a photo of Scouts or Scouters without at least some minor uniforming flaw--indeed, it's almost inevitable since some of the rules are pretty arcane. Case in point: the Tot'n Chip patch, which is shaped like a pocket flap, but can't be placed on a pocket flap. Why is it shaped this way?

[le Voyageur]

 

 

Being one that tends to modify his uniform to fit his own taste that is out of the norm, I'll elect to say kudos to Scoutmaster Coronado for a job well done in providing a scouting program to boys that traditionally are not a part of scouting....

 

a tip of the tuque to Scoutmaster Coronado....well done