troop meetings . . . does your troop wear full uniforms?

[LIBob]

Many decades ago when i was a scout

 

My first troop insisted that every scout must wear his full uniform ("class A's) to every troop meeting.

 

My second and third troops allowed something we called "Class B's." We had to wear the full scout shirt but could wear clean practical jeans or clean practical hemmed shorts. (My first troop btw had the same "Class B" rule for marching into and out of camping events.)

 

At my son's troop meetings these days. Kids wear something called "Class C's," which consists of Troop issued t-shirts (many of them ridiculously under or over sized) and whatever pair of pants the kids are most comfortable with.

 

 

I've got to say that

- the kids SHOULD lead, but this leadership question (made by the PLC) makes me uncomfortable

- since this is the only thing i take issue with in my son's troop it's still a darn good troop.

 

anyway, what do your troops wear at troop meetings?

[Eagle92]

Growing up my troop wore the field uniform, aka Class A's October-May, and the Activity uniform, aka Class B's May- October. Only time you saw us in Class As in the hot weather months was for travel to and from an event, dinner at summer camp, and COHs.

 

Class B consisted of scout socks, pants/shorts, belt, Scout t-shirt, and hat.

[LIBob]

Hmm interesting.

 

For us "class B's" consisted of "scout tops," but not "scout bottoms."

For you, apparently it was the other way around.

 

Either way, my son's troop wears "Class C's" to troop meetings. though it was a PLC decision I object to it.

 

Since that is my only objection, I guess I don't have a real objection. Still I think every scout should show his rank (experience) at every meeting. Scouting is not about buildig some sort of Gandhi-esque egalitarian society.

 

It IS about saying "we are a camping/outdoorsmen community and certain skills/experience are important in our community."

 

 

To me the so-called "Class C's" are probably intended for comfort, to put scouts at ease and attract a maximum number of scouts, but the effect is to say,

- rank and skills are not important

- having pockets filled with "Be Prepared" equipment is not important

- earning MBs is not important.

 

 

 

[Lisabob]

Do you think the boys either a) do not know who is what rank or b) spend much time "reading" each others' uniform shirts, or c) are necessarily wearing the correct rank and position insignia at any given time?

 

My son's troop is a full uniform troop. This includes weekly meetings. I am not necessarily knocking this, but I think sometimes, our adult sensibilities get in the way of a program that works for the boys. Pick your battles. Is this worth objecting to, particularly if you aren't the SM? Does a scout need to be in uniform to exhibit scout skills? Could he not be carrying whatever "useful tools" he needs, whether he's in uniform or not?

 

By the way, Gandhi would be a wonderful role model for our scouts, and someone whose beliefs and actions mirrored the values of the scout law in numerous ways. Might want to look a little more carefully at what the man stood for.

 

PS: Welcome, to another 'Bob!

(This message has been edited by lisabob)

[Bando]

Yep. Can't think of any reason why a troop meeting shouldn't include the full uniform, unless there were skills or activities being taught that required something else.

[Hal_Crawford]

Our scouts wear their scout shirts at meetings. Some wear scout pants but the rest wear gym shorts, sweats or jeans. Adults have tried without success to push the scouts to full uniform but the PLC calls the shots and they do not see it as an issue. What they do insist on however is that, no matter what the pants are the shirt must be tucked in. Every week the scouts line up by patrols and then we pause for a moment when the SPL reminds a couple of scouts to tuck in their shirts. You could say their standards are low but at least they have standards.

 

Our troop does not wear neckers. Every couple of years the PLC considers and then rejects the idea.

 

A friend of mine posted on Facebook pictures of her sons' troop retiring the flag at Mt. Rushmore. The scouts were wearing clean uniform shirts with proper insignia, neckers, white gloves and blue jeans. They looked sharp even though they were not wearing official pants.

 

Hal

[emb021]

For most people, what Eagle92 described is what is known as "Class B".

 

I think most units in my area expect full uniforms. At OA events (including section events) its full uniform (A) at certain parts, and activity uniform (B) for other parts. Its also pretty standard at most scouting events.

 

 

[desertrat77]

Unless the troop is having a scout building clean up, or doing an inventory in the quartermaster room, they should wear the fullest uniform they possess to each scout meeting.

 

A meeting is what? Two hours a week? Plenty of other hours outside of scouting to slouch around in casual clothes.

[SMT224]

September - May: Class A (full Boy Scout uniform)

June - August: Class B (Troop t-shirt and olive shorts)

Any COH anytime = full Class A

 

[eagle90]

At Troop meetings the scouts wear scout shirts with either a clean, neat pair of jeans or scout shorts. No sweats, cut offs, basketball shorts, etc.

 

At COH's it's full uniform as is summer camp.

[moosetracker]

For our normal meetings it is suppose to be the uniform shirt neckercheif the pants are nice jeans or other pants.. Things degrade to sweats and shorts, for a while then standards are brought up for a while, then degrade. this is our class "A". Camporees are your Class "A".. Depending on Scoutmaster at the time we have had traveling in scout "A" but not with current SM.

 

Class "B" T-shirt.. for work days and portions of scout camp.. Class "A" in dinning halls, and whatever you want other times for camp.

 

 

[Lisabob]

Let me ask this a different way (mind you, I'm NOT knocking the uniform itself or the concept of uniforming in general, I just want to better understand your thought processes on this topic).

 

Why SHOULD a scout need to wear his full uniform to a weekly meeting? In a troop where weekly meetings are desirable to attend (fun, active, outdoorsy - not boring adult harangues, merit badge classes, or endless paperwork), is the full uniform necessary or desirable? Does the full "dress up" uniform expectation reflect, or maybe even change, the tenor of the meetings?

 

I ask this because two of the biggest complaints I hear from kids who are thinking of quitting boy scouts are that

a) troop meetings are boring, and

b) they don't like wearing the uniform shirts (and for some, the neckers)

 

Maybe, if kids were wearing something more functional and comfortable that still identifies them as scouts (like, say, a Troop T Shirt), that would be reflected in a more active style of weekly meetings. As it is, the uniform shirt and a decorative scarf hardly invite the boys to get grubby or be... boys.

 

This is not to say there aren't times and places for full uniforming, but why should a weekly troop meeting always be that time and that place? What would be gained, and lost, if a troop T shirt and scout pants/shorts were accepted as appropriate attire for most weekly troop meetings?

 

By the way, the newer style scout pants are extremely popular around here. Boys wear them to school, hanging out with friends, around the house, etc. The older arguments that the ODL pants were goofy looking and uncomfortable (and they were, I agree!) no longer apply with these newer pants. Getting boys to wear the newer pants is not an issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eagle92]

When we broke for activities, usually game time but other outdoor activities as well, Neckers, woggles, troop totems, hats, and shirt came off. usually we folded the shirt, placed the rest in the camp and laid it in out patrol corner.

[Beavah]

Yah, around here yeh see troops of all types. Full dress uniform at meetings (though these troops often make uniform "modifications" to personalize things to their troop), just shirts at meetings, active wear at meetings. Different styles. Loosely speakin', da full uniform troops are a bit weaker on youth leadership, and da no- uniform troops are a bit stronger on outdoor method. As Lisabob suggests, there are tradeoffs. All of 'em are fine troops.

 

I'd guess that da most common are the shirts-only group, though personally I don't care for da shirts with jeans thing. I recognize that I'm just an old fuddy duddy though .

 

To me the so-called "Class C's"...

 

Yah, I reckon it doesn't matter what it is to you or me or any old fuddy duddy, eh? . What matters is what it is to the boys, and for that yeh have to listen to the lads. I reckon for most of 'em, achievement and preparedness don't depend on what they wear, especially not in a setting where they know everybody. And even I don't carry "be prepared" gear when I'm sitting in my Headquarters. That would just be silly.

 

Beavah

[shortridge]

As a youth, I was a member of two fully-uniformed-at-all-meeting troops. We looked good, but guess what? We rarely went outside. And 50some meetings in the Legion hall or church basement can get boring real darn quick. No wonder they leave.

 

Today, I would have no problem with a troop meeting in Class Bs, if the purpose is to facilitate troop activities. Where I would draw the line, however, would be on the jeans front. Not because they look bad, but because they're generally utterly impractical for the outdoors - hot, heavy and if you get them wet, fergitaboutit. As adults, we ought to be teaching our Scouts how to dress appropriately for the outdoors, not just how to wear the uniform correctly.