Got the new uniform

[gwd-scouter]

Hi all. Lost a bunch of weight over the last year, so I bought the new uniform last week. Fantastic. I just love the pants. Finally bought a female sized shirt which has shorter shirt-tails. Ladies - the bellows pockets are not as bad as I thought they'd be for us gals. Also fantastic. I preferred the cotton material rather than the thinner (supplex?). Long-sleeved shirt that I can roll the sleeves in warmer weather - terrific. New belts are a great improvement over the old. Really like the new socks too, but with a drawer full of the red-tops I couldn't justify the expense of buying new.

 

Only a couple of downsides so far. One is that crazy tech pocket (at least that's what my sons call it). Decided to glue on the SM patch rather than trying to sew it. The other is the American Flag. Pretty cheep I think. Not sure how it will hold up through repeated washings. Wait and see, I guess. Could always sew on the embroidered flag patch.

[GKlose]

I think the green tag on the shirt refers to it as a "tech pocket" too, hinting that it can house "personal electronics" and has a hole for headphones.

 

I've tried to make it clear to my 2C son that "personal electronics" don't belong at scout events. I'll see how long that will last!

 

The clerk at our local scout shop told me that she replaced her flag decal with an embroidered patch. I asked how she removed the old one, and she told me that she warmed it with an iron and it peeled off. She also said "you can sew over it too", but I don't think that would look so hot.

[HawkUH60]

i got a new shirt for my girlfreind. I took some velcro and sewed onto the pocket and velcro on the commissioners patch. As long as you get a peice of velcro thats 4 inches wide you can sew it around the sides and bottom of the pocket and tack it on the top. No one will really notice the velcro. My unit patchs on my army combat uniform are the same way. Although i do not like velcro very much it does work well for the new uniform sleeve pocket and position patch.

[gcnphkr]

Sewing the patch on the tech pocket is not all that difficult. Even a fat fingers guy like me can do it. I first attached the patch with some fusing tape and then just hand stitched it. It took about 10 minutes.

 

Ugh to Velcro. It make the patch stick out too far and looks tacky. I can see doing it for those with multiple positions (unit, district, etc.) but even then...

[HawkUH60]

I know what you mean but it does not look to bad with the "tech pocket". Now with the regular BSA shirt, yeah.....looks really bad.

[Till]

I got the uniform, anad the belt broke 2 days later. The button on the pocket for hanging the patches fell of the next day. Also, the hole for the headphones is to small, and having mp3 players is against policy, most of the time.

[HawkUH60]

I cant wait until the "BSA" letters start pealing off!

[CD_Ranger]

I wish the "Made in China" tag was not added on.

[jmwalston]

"I wish the "Made in China" tag was not added on."

 

Yeah, the one item that won't fall off. Wife got a new shirt over the weekend, the SS supplex material. Found it was a little harder to sew on patches as the material is lighter than the older shirt and wants to "slide" out from under your fingers. Sewing on the POR patch on the sleeve pocket turn out to be easier than I thought, used a curved 2" needle (you can buy a set at Wal-Mart) and started at the top, carefully working around the patch edge. Took about 10 minutes, threads ended up unnoticeable.

 

Wife does not like the chest pocket location at all, and I found the new pockets smaller than the older shirt's, means that patch designs will have to be about an inch smaller in diameter to fit within the new pocket dimensions. Noticed at the Scout Shop that there is still no updated Insignia Guide for the Centennial Uniform. Haven't had any problems with the belt, much sturdier than the older one.

[HawkUH60]

jmwalston

technically women can wear a temp patch above the name tag (in the jamboree patch position)

My girlfriend had some problems with how our University of Scouting patch looked on her shirt (very large round patch). I want to say its written in the first few pages of the insignia guide. I think its a worthless book and could be organized better. A little to much duplication of information in my opinion. Its online on the BSA site. I wouldn't buy another one.

 

[jmwalston]

Her problem is that the pockets bellow out, making her "larger than life," not a matter of patch placement. Also, I'm referencing where sleeve patches will finally be aligned on the left sleeve in regards to the Insignia Guide. Incidently, the online version of the Guide excludes quite a bit of info.

[TWOMORROWS]

I have seen the new shirts with the pockets tacked down around the edges so that they do not stick out! Also an USA flag over the plastic thing! Don't think either of these would be against BSA policy. Don't know why they have the tech slit!!!!

 

[CubScoutJo]

Well, now even the Chief Executive says the pocket is for an IPOD.

 

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-03-17/story/boy_scouts_today_work_with_ipods_and_twitter

 

>>>Boy Scouting's chief executive is a realist: Today's kids are tethered to technology, and their parents are light years removed from the lifestyle of June Cleaver.

 

So if it takes a Twitter account or an iPod pocket on the uniform to get their attention, Robert J. Mazzuca is OK with it.

[Narraticong]

You won't find many Scouters who appreciate the old school methods of pre-1972 Scouting than me. But I am also realistic enough to accept that times change and not every change is bad.

 

While electronics are not welcome at our Council Camp, district events, or even troop outings, my mind is swinging the other way. One of my personal goals in Scouting is to instill a lifelong love of the outdoors in the boys. In large part that means developing a comfort, or relaxation from camping. For boys of today, that often includes music. I enjoy reading a book sometimes during my down time. But I also enjoy music. Why should I not be able to enjoy it in the outdoors?

 

As old guys, our real challenge lies with the boys having those headphones on all day long. Well, consider it a great sign that there may be a problem with your program. If the boys are pulling out their ipods while they should be working on Scoutcraft, then something important is missing. Provide a strong, exciting program and I think we will not have to worry about ipods.

 

During their downtime, let them enjoy their music as long as it does not annoy others.

[Hal_Crawford]

Good point. While we have not allowed ipods or similar devices on camp outs we do allow them on the sometimes long drives to camp or other activities. Since we expect scouts to wear their uniforms to and from outings maybe the tech pocket makes sense.