Restrictions on Uniform Wear

[tcora]

Hi, all. Had a discussion at our Pack committee meeting tonight on restrictions on uniform wear. The question regards whether or not the boys can wear their uniforms while selling popcorn, etc.

 

I can't seem to find any official position on scouting.org on the matter. Would greatly appreciate any pointers to an official position from BSA on this matter.

 

Thanks...

 

YIS

Tom C

[Eagle92]

Welcome to the forums. If memory serves, you cannot wear your uniform, for fundraising (unless council approved i.e Trails End) political endorsements (although and opening flag ceremony is OK)commercial endorsements (so no appearing in ads) etc. I bleive the Insignia Guide talks more in detail about it.

[tcora]

Thanks for the thoughts. Nothing in the Insignia Guide on scouting.org addresses the issue, at least not that I can find.

[John-in-KC]

From BSA #34427, the Unit Money Earning Application:

 

"Please submit this application to your council service center at least two weeks in advance of the proposed date of your moneyearning project. Read the 10 guides on the other side of this form. They will help you in answering the questions below."

 

6. If a commercial product is to be sold, will the fund-raising activity comply with BSA policy on wearing the uniform?

 

The official uniform is intended to be worn primarily for use in connection with Scouting activities. However, council executive boards may approve use of the uniform for any fund-raising activity. Typically, council popcorn sales or Scout show ticket sales are approved uniform fund-raisers.

 

7. Will the fund-raising project avoid soliciting money or gifts?

 

The BSA Rules and Regulations state, Youth members shall not be permitted to serve as

solicitors of money for their chartered organizations, for the local council, or in support of other organizations. Adult and youth members shall not be permitted to serve as solicitors of money in support of personal or unit participation in local, national, or international events.

For example: Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts and leaders should not identify themselves as Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts or as a troop/pack participate in The Salvation Armys Christmas Bell Ringing program. This would be raising money for another organization. At no time are units permitted to solicit contributions for unit programs.

 

Here's a link:

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34427.pdf

[tcora]

John-in-KC: Thanks. Excellent reference!

[Crew21_Adv]

tcora,

 

Greetings!

 

John in KC gave the accurate answer. I was looking for the link to the Unit Money Earning Application as well.

 

Just to note. Similar discussions regarding wearing of the uniform and fundraising have occurred on this and other Scouting forums.

 

This application, like other BSA documents, has been updated slightly over the years. I seem to recall years ago, it had more constraining restrictions regarding when a Scout may wear the BSA uniform during fundraising listed on the backside of that application. Thankfully BSA has relaxed it to allow Councils to determine if a uniform can be worn during authorized fund raising event.

 

Of course, you will find Scout units that do not submit an application, then go ahead and sell fireworks or etc.

 

Just for the humor of this topic. I believe I've posted this before; About 10-15 years ago there was a 30 minute infomercial with a Scout troop praising a certain fishing rod/lure set on a stage that looked like a rustic cabin. I remember seeing the infomercial fairly frequently. Eventually, about two months later the information continued to run on TV, but the uniforms, logos and ranks were pixilated and blurred. While still the same infomercial, they were now a group of preteen and teenage boys and a few adults with tan shirts on, endorsing a fishing rod and lure. Obviously, the local troop which received fishing equipment for the infomercial never sought permission and the advertising agency never sought permission.

 

Good Luck in your popcorn sales!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[BadenP]

John in KC I agree with your post 100% however it is amazing to me how many scouts sell fundraisers for their units at fairs , festivals, what have you in full uniform these days.

Every fair and festival I attended this summer at at least one if not several units selling items to raise funds for their troop or pack, ie, refreshments, hot dogs, soda, first aid kits, flashlights, emergency kits, etc., etc. and when I asked what they were raising money for the usual answers were for a trip or camp, or new equipment. This was not just an isolated case or two either it was over a dozen units in different councils and all of them were in uniform. So this tells me that the adult leaders in these units do not know the policy or outright choose to ignore it.

[tcora]

Hey, guys. Let's not be too harsh here. Leaders don't know about it because the info is NOT easy to find. The link I got yesterday was great, but all the google searches in the world didn't turn it up for me. And don't even begin to ask about finding it by poking around on scouting.org...

 

PS: Fireworks sales, eh?

PPS: KIDDING!

[mmhardy]

tcora has a point. If restrictions on wearing the uniform were that important then the BSA would make those items more visable. Along the same lines as Youth Protection.

[ScoutNut]

Funny, I did a search on Google for BSA fund raising and the link for the BSA Unit Money-Earning Application was at the top of the list.

 

From the BSA Insignia Guide -

"Clause 6. The official uniforms are intended primarily for use in connection with Scouting activities as defined by the national Executive Board, and their use may be approved by the local council executive board for council events or activities under conditions consistent with the Rules and Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America."

 

From the BSA Guide to Safe Scouting - Unit Fund-Raisers -

"6. Compliance requirements:

1. Check local statutes regarding solicitation rules and permits.

2. A Unit Fund-raising Permit must be obtained from the local council service center."

 

On the BSA National web site under Pack Budget Plan -

"Money-Earning Projects

Except for council-sponsored product sales, all other money-earning projects require the submission of the Unit Money-Earning Application, No. 34427, to the local council. To ensure conformity with all Scouting standards on money earning, leaders should be familiar with the eight Guides to Money-Earning Projects listed on the back of the application, at the end of this planning guide, and in the financial record books."

 

Last, but not least, the Unit Money-Earning Application is one of the links found on the "Scouting Forms From the National Council" page. Links to this page can be found throughout the BSA National Web site, and on every Council web site I have ever visited.

 

Seems pretty visible to me.

[scoutldr]

From reading this forum for the last several years, and reading Scouting magazine and Boys' Life, I can only come to the conclusion that proper uniforming is MUCH more important to us than it is to the BSA.

[NWScouter]

There was a sketch comedy show out here in 90s called Almost Live, loved that show, was real funny. Bill Nye the Science Gay started out on it. I was watching the show when they had a bit with a recurring character called Nature Walk with Chuck, in this sketch he had a young intern Jimmy in full BSA uniform with CSP from Chief Seattle Council packing in a keg lashed to his pack frame. I called a DE I knew in Seattle and wrote a nasty letter to the TV station.

 

Defiantly a no-no.

 

Couldn't find the one with keg but here are some clips:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nowZ4pkarbE

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjog1cxTDPU

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjog1cxTDPU(This message has been edited by nwscouter)

[rhlandis]

As with most things, I believe that common sense should be a good guide in these matters. If wearing the uniform will give the impression that the BSA is endorsing something (be it a service, a product or an individual) then the uniform should not be worn. The uniform should also not be worn in the commision of any activity that may bring discredit upon the BSA. Carrying a beer keg on a pack frame in full uniform? Seriously? There's that common sense thing. I also believe that scouts *should* be in uniform when selling Trail's End popcorn, as that is sanctioned by the BSA.