The new uniform.

[OzarksOsage]

For my two-cent's worth: I'm glad to see the convertable pants in canvas, AND in a style that can be hemmed. I hope knee socks will be available in a solid color as well--I hate the current red-topped socks and often wear my old green knee socks with garters and tabs! (Everytime I do, the older scouters flock to me to see where I got them, hoping they're available again.) Hat is fine. The pockets on the shirt look too funky for me. The pocket on the sleeve seems pointless, and I'm sure I'll sew right through it. The pockets look as if they're placed too high on the front of the shirt, and look odd without buttons. The subdued colors on the patches look alright, as do the forest tabs. The collar looks smaller, and that's a good thing. I think the swiss loops on the long sleeves are a great idea. Mixing and matching, my ideal uniform would be:

*Grown Up shorts

*Solid color knee socks that are long enough to fold over appropriately.

*Long sleeve shirt with the swiss loops, REGULAR pockets and an even smaller collar that would be friendly to wearing a neckerchief OVER it, as many foreign Scout associations do (never got used to the under-the-collar necker).

*A good cotton blend (new style seems to fit the bill), and

*Made in the U.S. of A.

 

OzarksOsage

[troutmaster]

Green tabs; could that mean they finally remembered that the backing for service stars, and tabs on old style garters, are green for scouts? If so, does that mean the Venture tabs would go back to red, like the backings for senior program, and the old explorer tabs? Just wonder.

[Padilan]

I would have loved to see a nice cargo/millitary vest for the outdoors. You know, the waterproof ones with all the pockets? Those are very comfortable and are vary orginized.

 

With the new uniform, I think the hat should have been a little more airy. My troop has it's own hat, so its find. I also think that swithback pants are not good enough for formal events. I can just imagine a COH and all you hear is ZZZIIIIPPPPP...... ZZZIIIIIPPP....

[emb021]

"I would have loved to see a nice cargo/millitary vest for the outdoors. You know, the waterproof ones with all the pockets? Those are very comfortable and are vary orginized."

 

check out the latest catalog. They kind of have that: http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=NEW&C3=&C4=&LV=2&item=24185&prodid=24185^8^01RTL&

 

(get the catalog to see the vest: http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/images/pdfs/spring08catalog.pdf

[Gold Winger]

Much of my professional life has been involved in figuring out what can and will go wrong. So when the switchbacks came and boys started buying them, I said, "Hey! You need to make sure that your son's name is in each leg of their pants" "Oh why, GW?" "Because when they take their legs off there'll be 40 pant legs with no identification" "Oh no GW, you worry too much that won't cause a problem"

 

Well, there was no problem until the boys detached their pant legs and being boys in the 21st Century got them mixed up. "Wah, wah, wah! Johnny came home with two left legs and one is too short for him!"

 

The moral is "put identifying marks in each leg."

[hot_foot_eagle]

Thanks Eamonn for the .pdf!

 

I showed the brochure at the council center Thursday. Reaction was mixed, but generally enthusiastic. This was apparently the first they had seen it as well, but they were aware of the Aug 1 release date.

 

It's not exactly what I would have designed, but I like it and really like the move toward more functionality with technical fabrics available.

 

I'd love to have one in the nylon for backpacking and camping with just the essential patches (a subdued council strip would be cool) and a cotton uniform in "full color" to keep starched and pressed for formal events.

[Eamonn]

I'd really like to see this new uniform before I'd go out on a limb.

 

It isn't what I was expecting. - Which is a good thing!!

I thought it was going to look something along the lines of the uniforms worn by Fast Food employees.

A long time back I did complete the questionnaire that was on the Scout Stuff web page. It was a long time back and I can't remember what the questions were!!

But, at least I can't say that I wasn't asked!!

I do wonder if this uniform was Field Tested?

The PA Department of Corrections is at present field testing a new raincoat. Three facilities were selected to do the test.

I got some strange looks when I asked what would happen if it didn't rain?

As it turns out the coats are getting a really good test.

Eamonn.

[wmjivey]

Being a bargain shopper, I bought several of the switchbacks for 2 for 1 deal and I won't be going forest soon. My wait is for the old shirts to go on clearence and snag some for formal wear. I like the new stuff for the outdoors, but at COH and stuff they look like wearing shorts to a wedding.

 

John

[Stosh]

I prefer a formal uniform, not an activity uniform. It looks baggy/sloppy, it meant to be comfortable and yet I prefer my formal uniform over blue jeans and t-shirt when in the woods. Baggy means pockets that snag on branches, etc. I was looking at the new military uniforms (that although scouts aren't supposed to be military) and they seem remarkably similar in many ways with the configurations they are proposing. Those uniforms no matter how functional they may be, just don't have the impact of the USMC dress blues. Just remember when they tout this as new and improved, they will shy away from the word "better". Nope, there's nothing wrong with the current style. They can new and improve it all they want, but until they come up with a better uniform, I'm satisfied with what I have.

 

Stosh

[Eamonn]

Stosh,

While maybe a "Dress Uniform" might seem like a good idea.

I'm not sure if in these days of Wash and wear it would ever really look like a "Dress Uniform"

The Scouts in the Ship look really good in their white uniform. But the pants are now made of some type of polyester.

They don't hold a crease and we have had a couple of Moms who have tried to remove stains using bleach. This turned the pants a yucky yellow color.

 

I have a uniform that I have to wear for work. I don't like shirts that have not been ironed (I think because my Mother ironed everything - Even my underwear!!)Her Who Must Be Obeyed used to iron all my shirts. They looked OK. Most of my co-workers tell me that they take their shirts out of the dryer before they are fully dry and hang them on a hanger.

Since HWMBO became ill,she isn't able to manage the ironing. I now send my shirts to a shirt service ($1.85 per shirt) They do a great job, they offer 3 different levels of starch. (I get the medium).

It seems that everyone has noticed my shirts asking if the shirt is a new one?

Eamonn

(I'm ironing impaired!!)

 

[SSScout]

I think that ,well, a uniform is a uniform... You join something and one of the reasons you join can be the neat uniform. It sets one apart, marks one as different, special.

 

I recently found a book at a used book sale. "Matching Mountains with the Boy Scout Uniform" by Edward F. Reimer. pub. E.P.Dutton 1929.

It is a history of uniforms, why wear them, the US Scout uniform, who makes it (Eisner), why it is liked (tough, good looking, Scouts like to decorate it with "colorful patches" and therefore will work harder to earn awards, and a general approbrium of Scouting and how people respect Scouts more due to the uniform they wear. In 1929.

 

Some points from 1929 to ponder:

"The accepted and approved method of securing the Official Boy Scout Uniform is for the boy to earn it himself". p.153

" The uniformed Scout helps build respect for the established order" p.142

There is a 6 page chapter about the neckerchief and its proper display, care and use. Colored, Bi-colored, Square, Triangular.

The Scout staff (hiking cane? Signal pole? Litter handle?) was considered a part of the Uniform (4 pages)

"Shorts appeal strongly to Scouts" p.182

Oh, yes, and the broad brim hat (narrow brim for a boy, wider for the adult)

I won't go into the knee breeches ( buckled below the knee) and matching leggings or puttees.

"It has sometimes been said that the Scout Uniform is a military uniform of war... As a matter of history, the Scout Uniformis modeled after... the South African Constabulary and its army of peace." p.150.

Lots of neat pictures.

 

All in khaki.

 

So fashion and style continue...

 

Did anyone here participate in a "Interest Group"? Eamon, do you remember any feedback

from your questionaire? Rather small group, if only folks that went to that site first.

 

YiS

[gkcobb]

First I want to thank all you guys that posted the pages of the new uniform. It was rumored at a recent lodge event and thought I might be able to find it on the web. Thanks to you all I was able to -- now I have something to show the TLC tomorrow night.

 

But I have to admit what I saw was a disappointment. First, did they listen to the boys? If they had they would have heard loud and clear, give us a Venture sytle uniform. These guys are more sophisticated than I think national gives them credit. They like the dark green plus the Venture uniform makes them feel less "dorky" or "cubby." If I could I would tell them all to buy a Venture uniform, strip off the Venture Scout emblem and sew the Boy Scout name on it. But I guess that is only a dream.

 

As for myself, I still think the Boy Scout uniform looks "unprofessional" for adult scouters. I like the old uniform where we could wear a tie for formal events rather than a neckerchief. The new designed collar might allow me to use my old green tie. I will have to see.

 

As I was writing this my son came in and saw the uniform. His first reaction was they did not change it. His second was the pockets detract from the uniform and look "gay" (for those not into the current language his meaning was nerdy). He liked the patch color change but did not like the velcrow. He was wondering if there was going to be a new emblem for Order of the Arrow since there was no place for the Arrow pin.

 

My last comment is the sticker shock. My parents main objection over uniform costs is the price, especially since they are going to be wearing them doing activities that can damage them. They would rather let them get some green parchute shorts from the department store for $15 than let them wear $40 uniform shorts for camping. I can find Columbia shorts for cheaper than national is selling them. So I am afraid like others have said here I do not see the guys using this uniform any more than the old one. National -- stop asking focus groups and start asking the boys and parents!

 

I will post the comments from the TLC after I hear from them tomorrow.

 

[scoutmomma]

I must say that "All pants sizes are universal," gives me pause. There's "Ladies" size shirts but not pants? I have trepidation how "Adult Classic Fit" and "Adult Relaxed Fit" are going to work for both men and women!

[fgoodwin]

For years, the Oscar de la Renta uniform was labeled for "parlor Scouts" and not functional enough for wear when camping.

 

Scouters longed mightily for a uniform that could actually be worn outdoors, yet still recognizable as a Scout uniform. It seems to me that's exactly what National has done -- now we hear moans that the new uniform isn't formal enough!

 

I guess Lincoln was right: you can't please all of the people all of the time . . .

[scoutmomma]

GW wrote:

 

Well, there was no problem until the boys detached their pant legs and being boys in the 21st Century got them mixed up. "Wah, wah, wah! Johnny came home with two left legs and one is too short for him!"

 

Not a problem in my son's troop -- none of the scouts will zip off the legs because the shorts are too short for their tastes --