Red Jack-Shirts

[Eagletrek]

OGE the 13th point of the Scout Law is: "A Scout is humorous!!!!!"

 

That said, I like all my scout headgear: overseas cap, red beret, campaign hat, and stetson. In fact, if I knew how to post a photo in this forum, I'd post a current photo of me in my red beret!!!! I can't believe it still fits as my wife is always telling me I'm suffering from a swelled head!!!!

[GKlose]

I liked the red beret too, but I think it was pretty idiotic looking when it wasn't worn the right way (and lots of scouts didn't wear it the right way).

[OldGreyEagle]

What, you beleived I got a date by wearing the red beret?

 

yes, you had to wear them right and not look like a french school girl.

 

I have always thought a shade darker and they could have been the raspberry beret, you know, the kind you find in the five and dime? (what is a Five and Dime? would any kid or parent know for that matter? )(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[ghermanno]

OGE,

 

Yes, WoolWorths and the five & dimes.... Some of us remember those and the penney candies..... RootBeer Barrels, Bazooka gum,..... Guess I am aging myself...

 

Rick

[rrclark1]

My son bridged over to Boy Scouts in February. So I became an Assistant Scoutmaster again. My wife was really nice and bought me a red jac shirt for my birthday which was in March. I'll grant you they're pricey. But it has been useful and warm for cooler weather.

 

I've read on other sites about what should and shouldn't go on the jac shirts. Currently I have an OA back patch from the eighties (firey Indian Chief - Chief of many flames!) and the BSA patch on the front left pocket. There is a part of me that wants to put a couple other patches on there besides what is "official". The one thing right now is an OA flap from the lodge I was elected into. The flap from that time was rather large and would look good on the right pocket. I also have two jamboree uniform patches that could go on there (1989 National Scout Jamboree and the 1989 Jamboree On The Air) But I may hold off on it.

 

Right now I look at it as two camps:

 

1. Uniform Code - the uniform nazis go by what national states. The first and last word on what should and shouldn't go.

 

2. Those what want to do their own thing.

 

Currently, my jacket is per what National has laid out. BUT I also want to make it unique. It's my jacket. Really, is it that bad if there is something different or unique on there?

 

Right now I'm really leaning toward putting the OA flap on there. Mainly for the reason that I'm in a different lodge since I live quite a ways away from the original one I was in. It is also a beautiful and colorful patch with an antelope on it that has a sunset behind it. This flap was prior to the "pregnant" antelope flaps that the lodge began coming up with (which was really going back to what the very first flaps all those years ago looked like).

 

I'm curious what others have done with their jackets to make them yours and unique.

[Bob White]

If by unique you mean how do I tell my jacket from another, I have never had difficulty with taht have you? Usually I know mine because I am the one wearing it. But If I were take it off and place it with other jackets and someone used exactly the same optional patches I used then I have put my name inside the jacket on the name tag that comes already sewn in the jacket.

 

I am curious...Since when does abiding by a program rule make a person a Nazi? Why does your jacket have to be "unique" from all other uniform jackets? Are you special in some way from all other scouters?

[sheldonsmom]

My 17 year old son will be heartbroken that the jac-shirt is leaving! He was given one a couple of years ago (Grandma found it at Goodwill). These things are durable though. Charles has a "tornado" stain but will wear it forever. Just for the record he also has a red beret (vintage), black beret (troop gear), campaign hat (vintage), and a garrison/envelope hat (vintage). He was hoping the jac-shirt would survive the uniform color purge but we heard about the change months ago at our scout shop.

[Eagle92]

BW,

Please remember that some time in the past, patches were allowed to be worn all over the jacket. I'd seen many old time Scouters wear them, including a "uniform nazi." While some of those folks continue to wear the jac-shirts with patches all over, the "uniform nazi" I know retired his and bought a new one with the proscribed insignia.

 

In reference to the jacket and patches question, I'ld follow policy. I would rather have my special patches in a patch book or framed than on a jacket that can get dirty or lost.

[rrclark1]

In the past I kept my patches in albums and have taken good care of them. Of course I have a ton of them. And I have a lot that I received from the many activities over the years. My wife has made me do some rethinking over the years of if I have them, why don't I use them or show them off. So some of them are in albums. But why not put the activities out on the jacket?

 

I've seen many folks that have their jackets with lots patches on there from the activities they've done. I've also seen vests, but to be honest, you're not gonna see me wear a vest. So putting them on there isn't going to happen.

 

If there is one thing that I've noticed over the years is that when you do wear different patches it sparks up great conversations. I don't want to make the jacket gotty. There are some neat patches that I have that would be great to show.

 

I understand the strictness more towards the uniform, but this is just a jacket. It doesn't really matter does it?

 

Personally, I think if they get the right color green, the rumor jacket will be ok. But the red has been tradition for too long. The problem I have with changing now is that it would be associated with the Ventures or old Explorers....

[jtswestark]

One of our former DEs used to sport a poncho made from a surplus army wool blanket. He told me he got it from a leader during his time in a Michigan Council, and had all his patches sown on it. He raved about how warm it was and somewhat waterproof, wearing it all the time. It was really cool (but warm...), other than the fact that he was wearing around some valuable flaps and strips

I wouldnt mind finding one of those ponchos if this rings a bell to anyone.

 

JTS

 

[Bob White]

Eagle92, You have fallen victim to an urban legend. Just because you have seen scouters in the past cover their BSA jac-shirts with patches you have assumed that the uniform regulations allowed it. Please find any evidence, other than the fact that some scouters wore the jacket incorrectly, to show that it was ever an allowed uniforming practice.

 

Besides what "used to be" is past. Today is when rrclark1 is wearing the uniform and today he feels that leaders who set a good example by wearing their uniform correctly are Nazi's.

 

rrclark needs his uniform to be unique for some reason and the only reasons I can think of is that he needs assistance in recognizing his own clothing or he feels that is is special among volunteers and needs others to see that. I am simply asking out of curiosity what his motivation is for needing a unoque unioofrm and to call others names.

 

The BSA Jac-shirt is an official uniform piece and it has uniform controls on it set by the BSA, rrclarck feels that should not apply to him. But more importantly he feels the need to call those who disagree with his opinion...Nazi's.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Eagle92]

I've seen the blanket ponchos adn they do look NICE. They are very poular in the UK with a lot of scouts and leaders wearing them. problem is I've seen maybe 3 of those in the USA.

[sheldonsmom]

My son has a Little Sioux memorial patch on the right pocket of his Jac-shirt. This was approved by council here. Is that supposed to be removed?

 

[rrclark1]

Bob,

 

I did not mean to offend or get you as hot as your post sounded. As was posted earlier, the jacket is a neat conversation piece. There are some folks out there that are super stringent to follow exactly every little point to uniforms, jackets etc. And they jump down anybody that deviates one bit. Those are the "Nazis" I was referring to. It takes away from the scouting spirit. I tried hard when a Cub leader to nicely educate folks on how the uniform was to be set up. And I'm doing that for Boys Scouts as well. But come on, this is a jacket. Think of a high school letterman's jacket. There was a lot of play on how to set things up. When it comes to the BSA for the jacket, I think it's a little too stringent. I do understand that the "regulations" that went in effect were to clean up the jacket and make them look sharper. I get that. As I've posted before, I don't want to make it look gotty.

 

The whole start of my first post in this thread was stating that I wanted to put an old OA flap from my first lodge on the right pocket. Regulations allow an OA back patch. Why can't a flap be allowed in the front? I just thought it would be neat to have it on there. I don't wear my old lodge flap on my uniform. (I have seen some folks that do) So it just seemed that putting it on the jacket would be an option.

 

I wanted to see what others thought and what they have done with their jackets.

(This message has been edited by rrclark1)(This message has been edited by rrclark1)

[jtswestark]

rr: I have an old flap on my red jack, too, and same to Sheldonsmom: leave them and enjoy the conversations they bring. You aren't going to change minds on the forum so just let it go. Just be forwarned that somewhere, sometime, people will actually question your ethics over having it there.... sheeze...