HIGH cost of official BSA uniform

[Eamonn]

Volker,

You can see a copy of the illustration at:

 

http://www.normanrockwellvt.com/BoyScouts.htm

 

I'm happy to hear that Clemens and the Scouts in your part of the world are enjoying the program.

One of the great joys about being an adult in Scouting is seeing Lad's grow and manage the challenges that Scouting offers.

Eamonn.

 

[Gold Winger]

"Bob, I think you may be a bit out of touch with Cub Scout roundups and Boy Scout recruiting among lower income families."

 

It is all a matter of priorities. I'm not high income. In fact, i'm pretty low income. I know plenty of low income families who always have money for smokes or beer but don't have money for gas or electricity. Got the big screen TV but can't buy a new trash can.

 

Boy Scout uniform? That would mean they might have to give up their beer for a couple weeks.

 

Not everyone is like that but quite are few are.

[Stosh]

The "can't afford a uniform" argument is bogus. A savvy QM with a little scrounging can put together a uniform where the most expensive part is the patches. I'm sitting right now with a pile of pants next to my computer that cost me $3/each. Ok, ok, that's less than a pack of cigarettes, but hey! that might be a tad more than a single tap too.

 

Generally I pay $10-$15 for pants, $5 for belt, and $5-$10 for shirt INCLUDING SHIPPING on E-Bay. Yes, it takes some time, some diligence, and a little luck, but it can happen. With patches, I can generally get a boy completely outfitted for what most people pay for shirt alone at the Scout Shop.

 

If one doesn't want to go through all the hassle of E-Bay, just call up the parents of the scout that just quit and ask if the uniform is for sale. Most of these uniforms have the patches and are stored away for whatever reason in some closet going to waste. If the boy quits, surely these items don't make much of a treasured memory keepsake. This is especially true for the Webelos boys that buys the tan shirt and then never cross over. The parents can put the old blue uniform together as a momento and sell you the tan.

 

A Scout is Thrifty.

 

Stosh

[Bob White]

Gold Winger

Most Scouts still come from a Webelos den already in at least the uniform shirt.

 

Slouchhat

I do not understand your point. If you are not a BSA unit, then what does it matter that you can spend less money to not look like a Boy Scout than a Boy Scout spends TO look like a Boy Scout?

[Secret DE]

The high cost of a uniform is actually just a little bit of a cop out. When my 3 year old son signed up for Soccer this year we paid $50.00 for his membership and a t-shirt. How many parents complain about the cost of a Scout uniform, but spend big $$$ on hockey equiptment or football gear? Did I complain about the fact that I was buying a $40 t-shirt? No.

 

Besides, and most leaders should know, if a child is truely in need of a uniform, your DE has the resources to help. Most Goodwills turn over Scout clothing to local councils for just that reason. If that is not an option, I know many Scouts and Scouters who are willing to donate a shirt. I even know of some units and districts that have a uniform bank to help Scouts strech the value of a dollar.

 

SDE

[Slouchhat]

Bob, my point is that it is possible to get the troop uniformly clothed in a good quality shirt and trousers, even in the BSA colours, for significantly less than what the official sources would charge you.

If you buy right, you can look the part, pay less and still have a good quality kit.

 

My approach is that for the beginner scouting isn't necessarily a cheap thing. I don't feel well to talk about spending money every other week: this time it's the uniform, next time it's the sleeping bag, rucksack, other bits of kit which the scout will need to come to a campout or trek with the troop. Then there might be travel cost, admittance, share of the food, etc.

It simply sums up.

 

best regards,

Volker

[Gold Winger]

Unfortunately, BSA doesn't give us the option of buying something that is "close enough" and wearing that. However, many do go the rout of buying olive drab pants and wearing those with their Scout uniform.

 

I avoided official American made Scout pants for years because they never fit my chubby body right. Strangely, the Chinese made Switchback pants fit me well enough.

 

When it all comes down to it, for most it is just a matter of priorities. I know parents who think nothing of buying their son a $400 cell phone but balk at $4 for a pair of uniform socks.

 

Just as bad are the parents who'll buy their sixth grader a shirt that will fit me so that "he can grow into it."

 

 

[Bob White]

No one said the uniform had to bought new. There are an ample supply of uniforms available on e-bay, through garage sales, thrift shops, neighbors who had kids in scouting, that finding a useable experienced uniform is not that hard to do.

 

Just having the people in a single unit dressed uniformily is not the purpose of the Boy Scout Uniform.

[Lisabob]

This argument always makes me shake my head. Whatever you may personally think or believe you know about a person's financial situation is really irrelevant in the end. If a parent tells me they are having a hard time affording the uniform and I respond with a litany of (judgmental) comments about their lack of priorities, this is not going to change the fact that they view the uniform as too expensive and hard to obtain. In addition they may view me as rude and stuck up for having responded that way to their expression of concern and chances are good they'll simply decide not to join after all. At that point we have missed an opportunity to provide scouting to an eager young man who probably would have benefited a good bit from the program.

 

In my experience the problems are greatest at two stages. One is when boys first join cub scouts and parents face uniform sticker shock for the first time (well before they've bought into the value of scouting, and when they still see scouting as simply another activity that their son will try out for a little while). The other is when boys transition into troops. Often they need not only new uniform parts but also additional gear, plus payments for monthly campouts, higher summer camp fees, etc. And while a lot of gear/uniform parts can be borrowed or purchased used for less money, many parents are ill-informed about their options, overwhelmed by the variety of choices, and just don't know what to do. Consequently, if the pack or troop does not help parents identify options, many will simply assume they are priced out of the market.

 

My son is in a "full uniform" troop. Every year we spend a good bit of time helping new scouts and their parents with these matters. Every year we get a few thankful parents who tell us that they don't know what they'd have done if they'd had to pay full price for new gear. After the first couple of months we practically never have boys who don't have a uniform. So I know it can certainly be done, but it takes effort on the part of the leaders to make it accessible and it takes a lot more than just condemnation of those who have to stretch every dollar they have at their disposal.

 

 

[Trevorum]

Lisa, your observations are spot-on. Clearly, you have been to Cub Scout roundups and Boy Scout recruiting events recently and have taken the time to talk with limited income families.

[Gold Winger]

Whether you tell them or don't, it's still a matter of priorites for most people.

 

I have a coworker who has no internet, computer or cell phone. Why? He says that he can't afford them. However, he has cable TV with all of the add ons that runs about $100 a month and he and his wife dine out at fine restaraunts weekly before they go to the theater. It's all a matter of priorities.

 

 

[Eamonn]

I do tend to get very... Shall we say defensive when people try and tell me how I should spend my hard earned cash.

Of course sometimes people do tell me that I do need too open my bill-fold and part with a few dollars.

Last time I had one of the cars inspected, the guy doing the inspection said I needed a new tire and without it the car wasn't going to pass the inspection.

I could of course have not bought the tire and parked the car on my property. But I did spent the money and bought a new tire.

Years back when things were a little tight I did try buying recaps. They didn't seem to last and I didn't see much of a saving.

As we know a uniform is not required for BSA membership.

It is a method of Scouting. We in this forum ave given the subject a lot of discussion.

I see the method as a goal. The goal being that the Scout should want to wear the uniform with pride.

I'll admit I was a little sad when someone sent me a photo of the Patrol that won the District First Aid Competition to see that all the Patrol were earing jeans. I was happy that they were good at first aid!!

I have suffered from sticker shock.

OJ, needed two pair of new BSA shorts for the last NOAC.

I paid the $38.00.

I moaned and groaned.

I was happy that he was going to NOAC and that the OA was holding his interest.

I knew the group he was going with.

They are a fine group of fine young men.

If my paying a little over the top for a few items of clothing is going to help ensure that he is going to hang out with kids like this. I'm willing to pay it and yes I'll still moan and groan.

I suppose I could have said that I wasn't going to buy the shorts and he could have stayed home.

He wouldn't feel very comfortable wearing "BSA knock-offs"!!

On thing about a uniform is that it should be uniform.

The Patrol who won the first aid competition are still good kids, not being in uniform doesn't change that.

Who knows maybe some of them will want to attend the Jamboree and will want to wear the uniform with pride?

Maybe they don't have the money?

Maybe a lot of things?

Getting them a uniform is one thing, getting them to want to wear it, is another!

Eamonn.

[davlafont]

Hello all. The original post seemed to question why the official shirt costs so much more than a similar item at WalMart. While there has been comment on the quality of less expensive shirts and there has been comment on whether or not people should complain at all, I'm surprised that no one has considered the benefit of BSA making a killing.

 

I'm new. I don't know the politics of National vs. Councils vs. Troops. And I'm not versed in BSA's budget. But doesn't it make sense that we should want to support the program with a premium on uniform items? Even if the articles were identical from the exact same manufacturer (therby removing from the debate the whole outsourcing discussion) shouldn't we consider the price difference as a contribution to the program which in turn uses those proceeds to support our boys?

 

For the record, I will be taking an active role in my son's Cub Scout Pack and just bought my own uniform items off Ebay. I'm just surprised that no one is defending BSA's stream of income.

(This message has been edited by davlafont)

[OldGreyEagle]

Davlafont,

 

Its a matter of scale, when Wal-Mart decides to sell a shirt, it has a much larger market than does the BSA. With 301 million people in the US and I will say 150 million are males and half are either too young, old, or dont want to shop at Wal-Mart. That leaves 75 million who may want to buy the shirt. Compare that to BSA numbers, of just around a million to buy the khaki shirt (I could be off on the numbers, but still the numbers speak for themselves).

 

I am not sure I would say the charge is as much a revenue stream as it is a "novelty" item that just doesnt sell a whole lot of units when compared to other clothing items.

[Lisabob]

Interesting take on the issue, davlafont. I guess my thought is that the BSA shouldn't be making a premium on an item that those who are less fortunate cannot get elsewhere. It is one thing to ask people to voluntarily support the BSA with an extra $10 or $20 (or more) and to decide for themselves whether they are able and willing to do so. It is another to build that expectation into the cost of the uniform, knowing that some families really don't have the extra cash on hand but they still want to support the uniform as a method and symbol of scouting. In that case, families have no say because they can't get the uniform from anywhere else. So if in fact that were the explanation for why the BSA shirt is so much more expensive, I'd find it to be a rather poor policy in need of revision.