The new uniform.

[FScouter]

Take a look at the PDF flyer lined by Eagle 92 on page 23 of this topic. The blue Cub Scout uniforms all use the red & white unit numbers. The only uniform that uses the new green numbers is the new uniform. Old uniforms use old numbers; new uniforms use new numbers. There is no need to switch numbers.

[Docrwm]

Glad to hear that the Cub uniform has not been changed yet.

 

One other question, I was under the impression that once an item is approved for wear it is always ok to wear it. We have a gentleman here in the AAC that just got recognition for his 65+ years of Scouting and he still wears his GREEN shirt as an active SM. So, why do folks keep asking "Is such and such still going to be approved for wear with....."??

[GKlose]

I was at a district function last night -- our DE was out of uniform, but I asked him if he had bought a new one. He said that they were not required to do so, but since they were given a deal at their recent conference, he did buy one. He did, however, add that he thought they would be required to get them by the time of the Centennial Jamboree.

 

In contrast, a clerk at the local scout shop told me they were required to buy new uniforms.

[Eagle92]

In reference to why I ask if it is still official, Sea Scouts have radically changed a lot of uniform policies that they are now mandating. Stuff that used to be allowed, i.e. insigina on the dungarees, Arrow of Light knots, OA flaps, temporary insignia, more than 6 knots, etc are now not allowed.

 

In reference to the Scout Shops, if they are national owned, i.e wear the gold loops and minimal insignia, then they MUST be in the current uniform and are not allowed to wear any of the older unifrom items. The only exception to this policy that I know of was those of us in a pilot program where NSD ran summer camp trading posts. Since we were 24/7 in th camp with limited access to laundry services, we were allowed to wear what we had.

 

[Docrwm]

"In contrast, a clerk at the local scout shop told me they were required to buy new uniforms."

 

When I chatted with a friend at the Scout Shop he said that they had already discovered that:

1 - the shirts are consistently shorter in length than the old uniforms and are pulling out of the pants when they reach above their heads

2 - the new pants in two fits are much tighter in the seat and thighs in the "normal" version and the "loose" version fits more like the old pants

3 - some of the flags are already starting to come off in instances where they have washed them

4 - the BSA in red on the front is also coming loose on several shirts

5 - sewing the patches on the bellows pockets is a "joy" [sarcasm alert]

6 - they dry out much more quickly and are cooler in general to wear

 

These are the folks who are getting the first taste of wearing the new uniforms intensively. Their opinions carry a lot of weight with me as the guys at our Scout Shop have been uniformly positive, supportive, helpful and knowledgeable for me and my kids. As a Big Guy, I'm gonna wait until they work out the sizing issues. I know what sizes in the old uniform work for me and which don't.

[Gold Winger]

In reference to the Scout Shops, if they are national owned, i.e wear the gold loops and minimal insignia, then they MUST be in the current uniform and are not allowed to wear any of the older unifrom items. "

 

I hope they give you a great discount. A few years ago, the manager at my local mentioned that they were hiring. I wasn't working at the time and thought that it might not be a bad job. So I asked the big question about pay. I don't remember the numbers but it was less than the local McD's was offering.

[Eagle92]

Yeah the pay wasn't the greatest, but the hours definitely beat being a DE - Also they do issue you one uniform if PT, 2 if FT, wiht replacement items periodically. But if you work summer camp like I did and my PTer, you definitely want a few uniforms. Also when 85%-95% of the staff is in a Venturing uniform, and national says you want to wear that one you have to buy it, well you buy it. At least the PTer got to wear his Eagle Badge on it instead of the knot .

 

Also a word of praise on national scout shop folks, and not just because I use to work for them. If you have access to one, BE THANKFUL AND USE THAT RESOURCE! They are constantly keeping up to date with all the materials so that they can serve you. They know what will work, what won't work, and what they are having problems with.

[croushorn]

Our Council just subbed out to national, what an incredible improvement: current MB books, more things than we ever had before, better hours... just wonderful! We were very sceptical at first, but now very happy they made the move.

[prairie]

Thanks for the warning about the shirts being short, bet they will be selling a bunch of the "tall" versions to people who don't considder themselves tall, like me.

[Buffalo Skipper]

 

...blue uniforms will keep the red and white numbers and Webelos...will get the tan and green numbers.

I think this is a logistical mistake. I believe that there are many things which should be considered here, including logistics (which vary greatly from council to council).

Here is anexample of what I mean(and there are many packs/troop number combinations which will be in the same boat here...). The our local scout store has kept in stock "muliple number" single patches (like "400" or "614"). It is impractical to order these in both red/white and tan/green, if there is no cooresponding troop with the same number. As a result, cub scouts will have aa single red patch reading "400", buta webelos uniform will have a cooresponding"4," a "0" and a "0."

I am not complaining about the uniform--I have privately hoped (not knowing it was in the making) for a uniform very much like this for several years. I just think they should keep (as policy) that all Cub Scouts and Webelos wear red numbers (on both blue and tan uniforms).

[ManyHats]

I have to disagree, but that's probably because we have never had 1 patch for all 3 numbers. As a parent I would hate to buy the tan shirt and put all the patches on for 1 year then have to remove the red numbers and put the green ones on.

Also I really like our cross over ceremony. As the Webelos cross the bridge their blue tabs were changed to red (now green) and they switched their necherchief. Kind of hard to switch their patches quickly.

[Gold Winger]

Yep, that is difficult. Taking off a number and putting a new one on. Nothing at all like sewing on new rank badges or a new badge of office

[Buffalo Skipper]

As it applies here, you have to change regardless. I mean that atWebelos-Scout crossover the number changes as there is no troop with the same number as the pack. I was trying to describe what happens when a webelos changes from theblue to tan uniform;with the blue,there was a single patch of say "400" and with the tan there are3 patches of "4"-"0"-"0," because there will not be a tan "400" patch.

Yes, this is not the case with all packs and troops, but locally, less than half the troops have a cooresponding numbered pack.

Our troop also crosses over with new tabs and neckerchief (our neckerchief's are custom made, by the way and date back to the 1930s, when one of the scout leaders owned an Italian restaurant, donated napkins for use as neckerchiefs.Neckerchiefs are presented to scouts only when they have camped overnight with the troop, so only those Webelos who have camped with the troop get a neckerchief at crossover). But I don't want to hijack the thread with this.

[ManyHats]

Sorry I missed the corresponding Troop part. Is the Troop number any where close to the Pack number? Can they save a little money by just replacing 1 number? How does the cost run for the single patch with all 3 numbers... 3 times as much as the individual numbers?

[Gold Winger]

The individual digits are about a buck each. If memory serves, the custom patches are 75 cents per digit.