Neckerchief slides and the uniform.....

[pixiewife]

I have a quick question. I was recently at a BS COH and was asked about neckerchief slides. Some boys had the class A slide bought from the Scout store, and some had handmade slides. My question is : Are hand made slides considered class A? Are handmade slides considered fine to wear with the uniform if it is a regular uniform day rather than a COH or an event, or does it not matter? Is the rule the same for Cubs?

Thanks for all of the help and info!

~ Pixie(This message has been edited by pixiewife)

[OldGreyEagle]

I would prefer a scout wear a slide he fashioned himself to one he bought in a store, any store. From blocks of wood already marked on how to carve, to using a turkey vertebrae as a slide, there is a huge variety of techniques and all very proper

[Mr. Boyce]

This can be a fun kind of thing. (Bear with me a bit if you live in the suburbs.) I tried one or two of the Official Scout Kits for these things. . . but realized really it's just a block of white pine with a hole bored down the middle. So I took a 2x4, cut it lengthwise, and began making my own little blocks of white pine with a 1/2 hole down the middle. You trace the outlines of what you want to carve, and get to carving! I had a really excellent scout carving knife set (they don't sell these anymore: looked like a utility knife but with a variety of blades you could place in it), and would sit on the back porch steps whittling one of these out every now and then. It was fun.

[emb021]

There is no such thing as "class A slides".

 

There has never been any rules as to what slides you wear. Many prefer handmade slides, whether something the boy carves or a woven turks' head (these make great friendship gifts!). Some scouts prefer to wear special ones sold for their council, camp, OA or OA event, jamboree, high adventure, etc.

 

The only 'rule' I am aware of is that one should only wear the WB neckerchief and slide together, and never mix them.

 

 

 

 

[Gold Winger]

The insignia guide says that a Scout may wear either the official slide or one that he made himself. No one from the unform police is going to get upset if he wears a slide made by his grandfather or uses a tube from a shotshell as a slide.

 

[scottteng]

Neckerchief's themselves are troop option and our boys voted not to wear them of course the climate may have something to do with that. They have voted not to wear hats too.

[epalmer84]

"Neckerchief slides. Several official slides are available from the Supply Group. Boy-made handicraft slides also may be worn."

 

http://www.scouting.org/media/insigniaguide/03.aspx

 

As long as we are updating the uniform, it would be nice to see new slides. Perhaps a nice molded slide with a spring catch to actually hold the thing in place.

 

Ed

[pixiewife]

Thank you for all of the answers, especially the "official" ruling!

My oldest is in BS, but I have a Wolf den that I lead, and we have been hand making slides each month to go with the theme of the month. Some of them have been really cool, like a full Indian headress for Indian Nations theme. I just wanted to be sure when those little bugs were going through uniform inspection, they were a-ok. I thought that I checked in to it at the beginning of the year, but couldn't remember for sure, and when another parent asked me about it at COH, it got me to thinking!

Again, I knew you guys would have the answer!

Thanks

~Pixie

[Gold Winger]

"Again, I knew you guys would have the answer!"

 

We always have answers. Sometimes we're even right. :-)

[SR540Beaver]

I've only seen one slide that didn't pass muster and it was a really cool and unique one that the boy was really proud of. It was a ring of rifle shells his military father had made for him after removing the powder. Why did it not pass muster? He was part of our Jamboree troop and we were flying on commercial airlines and touring Washington DC where it would have done nothing but cause trouble.