Where are the Venture Shorts?

[McCubmaster]

I was able to get a couple of the Venturing shirts at the local Scout Shop before the style changed this spring/summer. However, there were none of the charcoal canvas shorts and I have seen very few available.

 

Did BSA just not make very many of Venturing shorts, or did people grab them up when the style changed?

 

In case anyone has extras, I could use a couple of pairs of size 36.

 

[emb021]

When National rolled out the Venturing zip offs about 2 years ago or so, all the old style pants & shorts were deeply discounted and sold off. The local scout shops here were selling them off, but I think they are all gone.

 

As many of us have said before, you do NOT need to get the charcoal gray pants/shorts from National. You can get them from any source you want and still be in uniform. I get 2-3 different styles from Bass Pro Shop. You can get similiar from Cabelas and other sources.

 

 

[Kahuna]

There was a discussion about this prior to the Jamboree. I finally bought a pair from Bass. When I got to the Jambo, I found that, of the several people working in my area who wore Venturing uniform, none were wearing the official shorts. I found mine very comfortable and a lot cheaper than the BSA ones.

[sherminator505]

I'm sure BSA Supply will roll out something perfectly dreadful real soon (to match the new Venturing shirts).

[trainerlady]

Supply has already roled out the "lovely" new pants. The $60 zelcro at the ankle rip stop nylon ones. Who ever thought them up doesn't go into the field very often. No plans for more "wonderful" stuff at this time. They are too busy finding ways to undermine the uniform of cub scouts with cheap blue jeans and rank t-shirts in the stores.

[Eagle92]

Trainer,

There is some speculation that national may do away with uniform as we know it for rank based t-shirts, have you heard anything about it? I know Baltimore is playing around with an "alternate field uniform' by Under Armour http://www.baltimorebsa.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=35982&orgkey=749

 

Also I heard that national will be coming out soon with a policy that units cannot enforce a uniforming policy that prevents a scouts from attending a meeting if he isn't in the uniform. Again have you heard anything about this?

[UCEagle72]

"Uniform" is one of the 8 methods of Scouting. While there may be changes in what a "uniform" is -- I seriously doubt we will ever completely remove the "uniform." Heck, even Venturing Crews who elect their own crew uniform, must wear "Venturing Green" to attend scouting functions like NYLT, NAYLE, or Jambo.

 

 

[Eagle92]

UC,

From what I was told, national will state that if youth show up to a meeting without their uniform, you cannot tell them to go home. Grant you I don't know who would do that, the "common sense" apporach mentioned when this came up was to have the youth show up from whatever practice with the uniform on a coat change to change into.

 

 

[BadenP]

UC

 

Eagle 92 is correct, but the information has not officially come out yet. Remember uniforming is one of the methods of boy scouting NOT Cubs. This does fall inline with the Mazzuca Plan, as I like to call it, about making scouting more appealing to more boys. it also makes sense to start this off with cub scouts as a trial program. Even the new venturing green shirt looks much less uniformlike than its predecessor, no loops, less insignia. It will be interesting to see what will happen in the near future.

[Eagle92]

BP,

What I find ironic is that a lot of the overdoing of insiginia, i.e. ability to wear the 2 temp insignia ( TC Paw and Temp Patch, Progress towards ranks and temp patch, belt loops and sports pins, etc.) comes form the cub scouts.

 

EDITED, I would think the Sea Scouts are the trial group as they have a "plain Jane" uniform.(This message has been edited by Eagle92)

[trainerlady]

I haven't heard about national doing away with the traditional cub blue uniform. I have heard about the trial in Baltimore with the UnderArmor - don't know where that'll lead. Some high level people from Baltimore that I have spoken with said they don't think the UA is going over that well either. It certainly won't be any cheaper. I just priced some of it for my son for football season. NO WAY.

[Eagle92]

I agree. With $13.10 per t-shirt, remember each rank gets their own, that is $91.70 for S-T-2-1-St-L-E T-shirts. Now grant it is possible to skip teh T and 2 shirts and go straight to First Class, seen that happen one time, that is still $65.50.

[UCEagle72]

BadenP - actually "the Uniform" is one of the 8 Methods of Cub Scouting. Check the Cub Scout 2010 program.

[BadenP]

UC

 

That may be so for 2010 however National has been playing the change game with the cub program for years now, and the reason is both the adults as well as the kids are fairly new to scouting and will be more open to change. I do see a trend towards a less formal uniform in the near future for all scouting programs, and the CSE is leading the charge.