a new-new uniform shirt

[Lisabob]

Well it just goes to show how long it can take for info to filter down. I thought I had heard about this shirt before (here), but the folks I was talking to insisted that it was brand new, spring 2011. So I figured there might be yet another iteration of the shirt "out there."

 

Anyway, I won't be buying it. I am fortunate enough to have some discretionary scouting money, but it isn't bottomless and my old shirt, and my son's old shirts, will work just fine.

 

 

[eaglescout1996]

I like the new shirt. The placket of the shirt is made like a traditional dress shirt, unlike the ODL shirts where the fabric is just folded over and the buttons and button holes are just sewn through. I believe the other new shirts are like that as well.

 

I don't remember if it was mentioned here, but the do have buttons instead of velcro. The buttons are just on the backside of the pocket flap and go through the pocket so they're hidden instead of the ODL shirts. As mentioned, they have a traditional flag patch and the BSA strip is sewn on. For what ever reason, they are a darker color than my ODL shirt, but my other shirt is old, so it could be faded.

 

The short sleeve shirts were off of Scoutstuff for quite a while and the long sleeve poly/wool was the only thin listed. This could be a reason why some stores thought they were "new".

 

I personally don't like the centennial shirts, mainly the "tech" pocket, but also the materials. The poplin shirt is really stiff, even after being washed at least a dozen times, and I wear it when my other shirts are dirty. I purchased a Supplex shirt for Jambo and I haven't worn it since then. I think that it's a good material for an activity shirt, but when we're out in the woods, we're not wearing a uniform. The Supplex shirts that folks have had a few years have faded to a really weird gray color. I don't know if it's a defect or what.

 

But I do really like the new poly/wool shirt.

 

I just wanted to add that although the website says that the shirt is dry clean only, the tag on the shirt says machine wash.(This message has been edited by eaglescout1996)

[ScoutBox]

While at WB Staff-D last weekend, we were told by several who had attended the National Conference, that national brought in the shoulder /Tech pocket to recognize the change in scouting, and technology. Think how much of the training is going on-line. And you can now have several docs like the Scout Handbook in an Apps format on your telephone. The BSA is trying to stay up with the times. and mostly the old school scouters are knocking the advancements. Not the younger scouts. We were given several examples of old school new school stuff. and most were from when I was a boy.. so changed made 30 years ago and Scouter back then were made unhappy. Like the ODL uniform wasn't liked in the beginning..

[ParkMan]

I'm with a couple of other posters. I really don't think this is the new shirt.

 

I was looking for a new shirt in the fall of 2009 and then again in fall 2010. At least one of those times I saw this shirt (or one exactly like it) for sale.

 

it's a nice shirt and all, but until we get some confirmation this is where we're headed, I wouldn't but it thinking it's the new shirt.

[eaglescout1996]

This past weekend was one of our Lodge inductions and I drove back three new Arrowmen. The conversation came to uniforms as a couple of them mentioned that they wanted to wait to sew on their new lodge flaps as they were going to get new uniforms very soon, as they ODLs they were wearing they'd had since they were WEBELOS. All three of them mentioned that they didn't like the new uniforms with the tech pockets. They were from a "traditional" troop, which does a ton of camping, backpacking, high adventure trips, and heading to Philmont this summer.

 

In my personal opinion, the tech pockets were designed to appeal to a new audience. I don't use mine, as I've sewn my position patch through the pocket...but I really don't know what I would use it for. My phone stays in my pocket and I don't bring my iPod on camping trips.

[AJR2305GDC]

eaglescout1996:

 

When did you get your newer poly/wool? Just wondering if the features not listed on Supply's website could have changed, e.g. dry cleaning.

 

AJR2305gdc

[eaglescout1996]

I purchased the shirt about 6 months ago. My 100% cotton ODL shirt is starting to look really worn, so I decided to pick up the poly/wool. It was before they took it off the website, so it could have changed.

 

The label reads as follows:

 

68% Polyester, 14% Rayon, 18% Wool

Machine Wash

Warm with Like Colors

Only non-chlorine bleach when needed

Tumble Dry Warm

Warm Iron if needed

Not intended for Industrial Laundry Use

 

Made in Bangladesh

 

The ODL poly/wool on the other hand reads:

 

80% Polyester, 20% Wool

Machine Wash

Do not use Bleach

Dark Color Wash Separately

Warm Tumble Dry

Made in the United States of America

 

The difference in materials makes a difference as well. The ODL is more like polyester shirt (in sheen and feel) and the newer one is more like light weight cotton or almost feels like linen.

[AJR2305GDC]

thanks eaglescout1996!

[Eagle92]

'96

 

While I do not like the "smokes pocket," I have used it to store...my compass

 

Yeah I agree whoever though to that, and no button on the pockets, wasn't thinking, or has never been in the field.

[ScoutBox]

I've had a hard time getting to my phone in my shoulder pocket, so I tend to carry it in a chest pocket.. I like the idea of sewing the patch through the pocket.. I found some patches from the pre-ODL period uniforms in boy size smalls. I had a look at the boys shirts at the temp patches, and they too were sewn all the way through the pocket. So even many of the younger boys don't use the chest pockets either..

[eaglescout1996]

I am now able to use both chest pockets on my uniforms. As a youth though, my rank patch was sewn through and I always had a temp patch sewn on my right pocket. The round TAC patch and segments when we were in Germany and after we moved back to the states, the World Conservation Award. I don't think any youth actually use their chest pockets since they're not used to wearing shirts with pockets.

 

[ScoutBox]

eaglescout1996, where were you and what troop in TAC?

[eaglescout1996]

We lived in Augsburg from 1980-1984 and then in Mannheim from 1989-1993.

 

I was in Troop 527 in Mannheim, which I believe doesn't exist anymore, but 1993 was our 25th Anniversary and was sponsored by my father's BN, who was the COR and CC (there was also Troop 17 which was LDS and Troop 27 on post). One of my fellow Staffers at Jambo is a DoD civilian and Army Reserve Officer in Stuttgart had mentioned a lot of the stuff the US Military provided back in the day, can't anymore. I attended Camp Baden-Powell in 1989, the original Camp Freedom in 1990, Camp Bayern in 1991, and in 1992 we were supposed to go to camp Tuscany in Italy, but there was a freak snow storm in Switzerland and we needed to drive around through France, but we couldn't get permission to take the Army bus through the country so we went to Freedom for a second year.

 

Being in Scouts on a military base overseas was awesome. Due to being in a close knit community, where we walked to our Patrol and Troop meetings, meant that our troop was really close. I still keep in touch with a lot of the guys and we're spread all across the globe. It also allowed us to do a LOT of patrol activities, from hikes, bike rides, pick-up football and basketball games, to even patrol camping. We could walk to the commissary and get whatever food we needed and did everything ourselves....unlike when we moved back to the states were I was in three troops in three years and they were all adult run.

 

Sorry to get off topic!

[woodfire]

It's a bit odd that they will remove something from the uniform which has been there for decades or century. I hope that the integrity, values and goodwill built by our scout forefathers will still be carried by the new dress code.

 

 

 

[ScoutBox]

I was an ASM in Wurzburg Troop 65 I believe?? The new Camp Freedom is nice. But I still hear loads of stories about the old camp. I'm now an ADC with Charlemagne, and ASM with T130 in Geneva.