Do you wear Class A when traveling to and from campouts?

[Knot Head]

Do you wear Class A when traveling to and from campouts?

 

We do.

 

We wear class A to and from all campouts, changing when we get there. On the way to the campout it has not ever been a big deal. However, the scouts have requested for some time now to wear class Bs - what they have been wearing all weekend anyway - for the ride home.

 

Im interested what other troops do and your opinion on whether this should be decided by the the troop committee level or the PLC level.

 

Also is there a BSA rule that requires the class A uniform on the route to and from a campout?

Is this just a suggestion or tradition or a rule?

 

Thanks in advance for the opinions. Kinda curious what other folks do.

 

[eisely]

We do not require full uniforms for travel to and from outings. I am not aware of any BSA national policy on this subject matter.

 

There are good arguments for wearing the uniform when traveling greater distances using common carrier transportation. I don't know what BSA national may say about travel to jamborees in particular, but it would not surprise me if there was a requirement to wear uniforms while traveling to and from jamborees.

[jsummerlin]

Yes, we do. Both to and from the campout. Shirts can get nasty on the way back, but that is part of camping.

[NickP412]

if we travel out of district yeah.

[Spiney Norman]

YOU BETCHA'

 

In or out od district/council we always travel in class a's. I'm not quite sure of the reason for wearing them but the boys tend to behave better in uniform.

[scoutldr]

It's encouraged, but there is no BSA policy on it. You may hear an urban myth that in order to be covered by BSA accident insurance, you must be in uniform, but that has been debunked.

 

We do it, just for PR purposes, but as soon as we arrive at destination, the shirts come off and we get down to work setting up camp.

[Gunny2862]

My understanding (after a lot of research (on line and off), and time on several forums) is that there is NO BSA Rule that the Field uniform be worn while traveling.

 

However, some adults under the guise of shifting responsibility to National rather than just having the fortitude to say this is what this Troop does invented the fiction that BSA Insurance requires traveling in uniform.

 

The Troop I work with does travel in uniform and does not, anymore, rely on some subterfuge with National policies to do so.

 

I think it's a little ridiculous that we are trying to promote character but lie to the Scouts about uniforming and the reasons for it...

(edit) rethought - not writing it.

(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

[Buffalo Skipper]

We always do. It used to be met with more resistance, but we do. But let's put this into perspective.

 

This summer, we have had a number of one day activities, without an overnight. We took a 4-hour canoe trip last month, and did not wear a class-A to or from the outfitter, nor did we wear class-As to the beach when the troop went surfing this past Saturday. But for campouts, always. And we usually have our campout "church" service right before we leave camp, so we are always in a class A for Sunday church.

 

We have worked hard in the past year to change the attitude in the troop about the uniform, and it has worked. We have a unique troop neckerchief, a tradition which goes back more than 70 years. In recent years, we have not brought our neckerchief to summer camp at all. This year we did. We were the only troop out of 48 at camp to have every scout wear their neckerchief and scout pants at flags/dinner every night. The first day, as we left camp for dinner, we passed a 14 or 15 year old scout who made the remark, Wow, those are neat neckerchiefs. The troop quickly took notice of how "sloppily" dressed the other troops were, and it became a real matter of pride for the scouts; the attitutde of our scouts changed very quickly, and everyone began wearing it out of pride rather than obligation.

 

Before we left camp, we had a uniform inspection. Anyone who did not have the correct patches on their uniform was given a seam ripper, needle and thread and the correct patch and fixed in the car on the drive up. Some of them did a horid job of sewing, but it looked pretty good to me, all done with scout hands. I almost shed a tear, I was so proud.(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[Eagle92]

Growing up, my troop had a uniform policy to and from events. At summer camp we also wore our troop neckers and totems (necklaces that showed various acheivements within the troop). Only one time in my 12 years with that troop as a youth and adult did we not wear full uniform home, and that was when there was a minor canoeing accident. Those of us who took care of the problem went home in swim trunks, troop t-shirts, and towels

 

Also the SM and other adultsdidn't enforce the uniform rules, the PLC did. Only time an adult ever made comments on uniforming was usually a new leader who just moved up form the youth ranks, and then he was reminded it's not his job anymore

 

Today, I and my son both travel in full uniform to and from events. PAck is a new pack and doesn't have that uniforming culture, yet at least

[NickP412]

so its not rule that when we travel out of district we must wear our class A?

 

news to me.

[theysawyoucomin']

To Summer camp, and camporees. Full uniform.

To Merit Badge events full uniform.

 

To camping trips no. Class B or whatever for that.

[OldGreyEagle]

I am surpised I beat Ed to this,

 

How can wearing a uniform while traveling be a BSA requirement when there is no requirement that a boy must own a uniform?

 

Now, I know there are loads of stories of wonderfully nice things that happen when a troop travels in uniforms and just that would be a good reason for doign so. I was struck by the comment that boys behave better in uniform. I happen to agree but werent we told recently that there was no proof that a uniform aids in the betterment of behavior? Yet what we experience when we travel in uniform seems like a pretty good lab experiment to me.

 

Wear the uniform because you are proud to be a scout not because the rules say so

[frank10]

Our troop does not require scouts to wear their uniforms to camp. How ever, most of our drivers do. You want to wear your tee shirt, ask your mother to give you a ride, see you at the camp ground.

[Eagle92]

OGE,

yes someone did state that there is evidence to show uniforms do not improve peromance, but the website that he used to list those articles is a subscription database, and I requested he give the titles so that I can look them up on my databases. No list of articles has come about yet.

 

Also I admit I said I would look into the research that the local school board used to promote school uniforms in the county I live in, as htey also had research supporting the use of school uniforms.

 

Anecdotally, my experience from attending and working in private schools in New Orleans is that uniforms do improve performance. I've been busy with CSDC, a camp staff reunion, and trying to find a new vehicle to look it up. Sorry about that.(This message has been edited by eagle92)

[gsdad]

My boyhood troop always wore the uniform TO, but not from weekend camping trips. But we did wear it to and from summer camp. We too, have a unique troop neckerchief and everyone knew our troop by it, so there was a sense of pride in wearing it.

 

I am trying to get my wife to institute some sort of uniform policy other than just the vest in her GS troop, but it is a losing battle.