BSA merchandise should be "Made in America" not China - Online Petition

[Wilton125]

"If someone can make a product on the other side of the planet and bring it to my doorstep with better or equal quality as a local manufacturer for a lower price, why should I support inefficiency?"

 

The fundamental points of this thread has been:

 

- The Asian-made "Centennial Uniforms" have been proven to be of inferior quality

- BSA Supply sells these Asian-made uniforms as a price that is higher than the prior USA made uniforms

 

This is not efficiency; this is exploitation of a captive market. Why should this be accepted as OK?

[acco40]

I don't own a "Centennial Uniform" but I don't think they have been proven to be of inferior quality.

 

I bought the "switchback" pants and was satisfied with them. Before, some folks would wear the field uniform in the field (camping) but they were really never practical for that. They were "troop meeting" and "COH" appropriate attire in my book. The Centennial Uniform is an attempt to have a uniform better suited to outdoor activity. It is better but for real outdoor use, I'm more of an REI, Columbia, etc. type guy.

 

As for pricing, yeah most things now (excluding electronics) cost more than they did in the past - uniforms included. For example, the youth pants for Boy Scouts now come in three price ranges - $39.00 (micro-fiber), $34.95 (canvas convertible) or $23.88 (switchbacks). These prices are actually less than what I paid for my sons about ten years ago.

[Basementdweller]

Most Americans can't think past "I"

 

I have $5 in my pocket I can get a big mac and fries......

 

I can buy american apple juice at walmart for $3 or I can buy Chinese apple Juice for $1.50..... Which are they going to buy????

 

Of course the American farmer is more regulated in the pesticides he can use.....The american producer is more regulated in the sanitation of his facility and the quality of his packaging......So it cost more and is probably safer...

 

 

Americans are just consumer sheep......I need more and I need it cheaper....

 

 

 

[acco40]

In America, we have the opportunity not only to buy apple juice but to buy it from either the USA or China. That's why I love the USA!

[sst3rd]

Just saw a television report that all of the US Olympic team's uniforms are designed by Ralph Lauren, and every item is made in China.

 

The US still can make some articles of clothing. Couldn't we have worked this one out somehow?

 

sst3rd

[Basementdweller]

accor.....maybe it is where I live and looking at all the vacant factory that have closed in the last 20 years.....Maybe it is the vacant and declining neighborhoods as a result.

 

You understand that with your attitude pretty soon the only choice will be chinese apple juice.....Ya know I would rather you not make that decision for me. Just like auto parts and clothing everything will be made in china.

 

The cheap goods provided by china offer the US resident a much more materialist life. Homes with 5 or 6 lcd tv sets, video games, cheap cell phones. Is having 6 TV's in your home a good thing???? Not in my book.

 

Remember the day when your toaster broke you actually fixed it instead of tossing it in the trash?????

 

 

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Personally I make my own apple cider, mostly from apples growing on trees on highway rights of way, street ends and such.

 

Seattle also has thousands of tons of blackberries that ripen on every untended patch of ground in August. I make blackberry jam and jelly for the year and can quarts of berries for Dutch Oven cobblers and such.

 

My original motivation for this was that I hated to see food go to waste, but now I find it a fun and worthwhile activity in its own right.

 

My pack picked apples and made apple cider at the home of a family a couple of years ago. That was a fun activity.(This message has been edited by seattlepioneer)

[acco40]

My attitude? You mean my attitude that thinks having a choice is a good thing?

 

Free trade is a good thing.

 

As for the Olympic uniforms, yes, they are designed by an United States of America company (Ralph Lauren), have commercialism on them (polo player) and since the US Olympic uniforms and athletes are supported by a private organization (like the BSA is a private organization) cost is a factor and I think it is a cheap shot for politicians who criticize the US Olympic committee for making frugal choices.

 

I have no idea if the US Olympic committee approached any US firms or not but my guess is they pursued what they thought was the best deal for them - just like the BSA.

 

As an American, you are welcome to compete for the business of the BSA and/or the US Olympic team if you wish.

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

I don't care a fig where BSA has stuff made, or from where they purchase stuff.

 

Reasonable quality (or perhaps varying levels of quality people can choose) and price are my priorities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look for the union label

When you are buying a coat, dress, or blouse,

Remember somewhere our union's sewing,

Our wages going to feed the kids and run the house,

We work hard, but who's complaining?

Thanks to the ILG, we're paying our way,

So always look for the union label,

It says we're able to make it in the USA!

 

[Wilton125]

Examples of "poor quality" of BSA Centennial Uniform.

 

Click on links:

 

http://kevindevin.com/?p=2778

 

http://meritbadge.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3381

 

 

 

 

 

[BadenP]

WOW This topic discussion went on for three years, and where are we now as the BSA continues to sadly flounder at an even greater pace, councils being merged at an even faster pace, membership continues to plummet, Mazzucca bailed out when all the "controversial issues" hit his desk, the gay leaders debate still has not been put to rest., National has taken upon themselves now to sell council camps as membership continues to drop. Twelve camps have been sold in my council alone since Jan. 2016 and seven more are on the block currently. People, the BSA is in a true crisis right now that will be near impossible to survive and what may survive may not be worth saving. But oh yes we still have those poorly made Chinese uniforms and patches In my own council of a large camp, over 100 acres which was donated years ago with certain criteria to be met has been taken back by the original owner.

BUT WE STILL HAVE THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS to save the BSA. Who knows what's next, maybe the scout handbooks will be written and printed in China too.

 

I sincerely hope all of you unit and district scout leaders are doing well with your programs, we all owe the youth that much.

[desertrat77]

@@BadenP, well said, and mighty darn glad to see your name!

Edited April 4, 2016 by desertrat77

[meyerc13]

My son just crossed over to Boy Scouts last night.  I'm not sure exactly when I started to become more aware of 'country of origin' on products I buy, but I know for a fact that one of the key moments was buying him his first Cub Scout pocket knife.  It was somehow just so wrong that I couldn't find a 'Boy Scouts of America' knife that wasn't made in China.  Eventually I had to settle for second best, and buy him one of the BSA branded knives made in Switzerland (by Victorinox), so at least I could get quality if not American made.  Since then, I've discovered just how hard it is to buy any knife that isn't made in China.  Thankfully Buck and Leatherman haven't given up on our American workforce by offshoring their entire operation chasing dollar signs (although both source some of their materials offshore).

 

Over these past four years, I've grown increasingly frustrated as each piece of foreign made junk I've bought at Wal Mart breaks and ends up in a landfill.  Yet I sit and look at the 40 year old Coleman stove I own that still runs just fine.  Or the Swing-a-way can opener in my drawer that is as old as I am.  When I needed another one of those, I discovered that you can still buy a "Made in the USA" that is identical to the original Swing-A-Way because it's made by one of the original company's vendors (or you can buy the offshored version made in China that you'll be lucky if it lasts you a year).  The latest wake-up call was shopping for some new tools to stock in my truck, even many Craftsman hand tools are now made in China.

 

Since I've become more aware of where things are made, I've found that in some cases you can still find products that are made here, but you have to do your homework and in some cases you won't find what you're looking for.  When you do find them, you'll probably pay a bit more, but not always.  After the insulation on my foreign made jumper cables started to disintegrate, I found that I could pick up an American made set at Fleet Farm that was a bit more expensive than the cheap Chinese made set at Wal Mart, but less expensive than the similar Chinese made Craftsman jumper cables.  Interestingly enough, this past weekend I noticed that now Wal Mart is starting to carry some American made jumper cables alongside the budget priced Chinese ones.

 

Lately I've noticed an interesting trend, more and more products are showing up in stores with 'Made in the USA of foreign and domestic component' stickers.  I think companies may be waking up to the consumer frustration with the lack of quality.  If this matters to you as a consumer, you need to make sure your dollars speak.  When you need a new cordless drill, don't buy the Chinese made Milwaukee or the Mexican Dewalt, buy one of the USA made Dewalt models.  If enough of us support the efforts of these companies, maybe it will make a difference.

 

In the meantime, I think the BSA should take note of this trend and seriously consider why more and more companies are adding these 'Made in the USA' stickers to their products.  I'm sure they've done the market research and discovered that it does matter to a larger and larger portion of their market.  For me, I'll know the BSA is on the right track when I once again see a classic style Boy Scout pocket knife with USA stamped on the blade for sale at my local Scout Shop.  In the meantime, I'll have to encourage my unit to consider other options such as the BSA branded Victorinox or the $15 Buck Knife they can pick up at Fleet Farm.

 

Sorry for the rant, but as the grandson, son, and brother of men who spent their lives building things here in America I've become very passionate on this topic and I can trace my wake-up call on this issue to that search for the elusive American made BSA pocket knife.  If the day comes that the BSA ends its contract with Victorinox, I'm afraid I'll have to start searching the antique shops instead.

Edited April 5, 2016 by meyerc13

[Krampus]

A Lazarus Thread. Nice!

 

I don't mind where a product is made, to a degree. I go for quality and price, as do many here. By quality, I of course mean GOOD quality. It should last a reasonable amount of time under normal wear and tear.

 

I don't mind so much that BSA clothes are made in China (the ones I have from 2010 were Bangladesh). My biggest problem is the quality and the price. Nearly $50 for a poor Chinese-made pair of switchbacks?? Scandalous!!! The Magellan pair I have are identical to the BSA pair and were HALF the price. I guess the folks in Cambodia (where the Magellan pants were made) are just cheaper...but the quality is equal to or better and at half the price.

 

Durable goods I will always buy from the US or Europe. Chinese materials and manufacturing processes are inferior at best. Just try pounding in a nail made from Chinese "steel" these days. You'll bend 1/3 of your box because they are so cheap.

 

Lastly, I loved reading the "Apple Juice" debate from a few years ago. The person posting might want to read the label of where his cheap apple juice is from...he might be surprised exactly how much of what he buys is from counties with lousy track records of healthy crop management.

[Stosh]

And the ultimate kicker is.....  wait for it..... Made in America means just that.  All the components for the finished product can be made in China or wherever, but if it ships incomplete, i.e. a radio with no handle and the handle is put on in America, it can be marketed as Made in America. 

 

Ford trucks are not necessarily made in America, but some Toyota cars are.  Go figure.  We live in a global economy, buyer beware.