What to do with semi-uniformed ASM

[DLChris71]

I wear the BSA uniform head to toe, and I make sure that my sons also have the full cub scout uniform head to toe. When my sons got into scouting I passed on to them something my grandfather always told me, "don't do something halfway".

 

We're the kind of family where clothes get handed down and around. I've got socks and shirts older than my sons and each year I get perhaps 1 pair of pants and my wife, she gets a new dress so infrequently that I wonder if she times it with the World Cup or the Olympics. We splurge more on our sons who get something new as they need it or not necessarily need it. So getting the first uniform the first year, first for two boys and then for their dad was quite a sticker shock.

 

Now why did we do it? Well my grandfather's words ring down to me a lot. People make trade offs. I have tried to instill into my own sons that you need to have honor and commitment in what you do. So when they wanted to join Cub Scouts we knew as a family that we were going to commit to do everything we could from pursuing every event possible to every award. We have had discussions about what it means to be a member of a team, or a member of a school/class, member of a den or any other organization. Namely that you are making a commitment to the success and advancement of that organization. That as a student in a class, or cub scout in a den, or a member of a team you, for lack of a better way of saying it, "do your best" and "help the pack go". We've held that belief before cub scouts even came up on the radar.

 

I've been following this conversation since the 1st page and from debates to methods some of it I don't understand yet. But we joined in and bought in. The last piece of the uniform to fall was the hats. But finally one day we found room in the budget for a Wolf and Bear hat. I still shake my head over that. You know because they only wear those for 1 year and then switch over. I had told them we weren't getting hats until at least Webelos but I will always remember the looks on their faces when they got home from school. Of course we will only ever have the one Wolf and Bear hat in our family.

 

You know you look at it logically and you scratch your head that BSA would have at least 5 different uniforms. You could get to the point where you just view it as a money grab or something. I guess you could see that a boy is likely to out grow a set of clothes in a year at the cub scout age (we cheat and let them go baggy with a belt of course).

 

In any case we wear the full uniform (I have a drover hat, my one piece of rebellion) pretty much from head to toe including the socks. We like to camping, backpacking and hiking so the socks are not bad for those activities and I remember reading a story on here about a Commissioner checking for socks in another uniform thread, that's pretty funny if you think about it.

 

When I took over my sons Wolf Den, the den leader who was a great guy and a busy person, did not wear a uniform at all. He didn't encourage wearing the uniform and he really only had a limited time to prepare. So when he left the den and I took over I did want to demonstrate my commitment to the program. So I put on the whole armor of scouting such as it is and I encouraged the same ethic in the families of my den.

 

We have had one uniform inspection, and I was very uncomfortable about it, mainly to fix issues with insignia. In particular the horrid advancement recognition plates that were usually mounted on the wrong side. I have made a local change saying that the boys could put their advancement beads on a lanyard or necklace and that the wearing of it was optional. I have encouraged the den that Class-A should be worn at indoor den meetings and definitely at pack events (PWD, Pack Meetings, etc.). To me not having the full uniform on can be embarrassing. Not to a young cub scout of course, but latter on.

 

Despite my encouragement a boy in my den is as likely to show up out of uniform as in it. And you know what, I'm just happy that they came. Yes the uniform is important. Heck the thing can be as expensive as a suit for a wedding or a funeral and most of the time people would rather pop down babysitter money than drag a kid to one of those. I think some parents try and save them for the "important" occasions. So really I'm not sure if the boys in my den all have uniforms or not.

 

If I had the money I would uniform each of my den's scouts, heck the entire pack, the whole district. If I did would they wear the uniform? Probably not always. My pack I don't think has a uniform closet or if it does I haven't heard about it. I think that if one day my sons move on and we have been able to establish a uniform closet that would be happy accomplishment.

 

It comes down to commitment. When I see a boy in uniform I do see it as a gauge of his family's commitment to the program. I've coached sports and I see the same thing there. The soccer league provides the shirt and the family has to come up with the soccer shorts, socks, and shin guards and shoes. Pretty soon you can see which family has made a commitment and which ones will be headed off to basketball or baseball as soon as those seasons start off.

 

My job as a den leader or sports coach is to encourage and foster an increased commitment. We get together for den meetings or practice once per week. How much you advance or improve mainly depends on how much time the family will encourage daily practice or activity. How much that is done can usually be first gauged by the commitment to adequately uniform the child.

 

If a child doesn't come fully uniformed, but always comes early or on time, always shows up, always participates, then that is also a measure and probably the better measure of commitment than the uniform. But that can only slowly be seen over time. The uniform is a symbol of membership and commitment. The more members of an organization that can adhere to the standards the stronger that symbolism can become. So BSA sets one standard, which an individual unit can adjust to. The lower the standard set and the fewer adherents to the standard there are the desired symbolism and group culture can be weaker.

 

The uniform, despite cost, is an area of a units culture that can have the quickest effect on it. Because for $80-120 I can take a scout/family that has no interest in the program and at least make them look like they are deeply committed to it. Outwardly no one could know the difference. But I think that it, from my own experience, also can have an inward difference on that scout and his family. But it doesn't matter what a scout is wearing if the people around him, both family, leaders, and fellow scouts, do not foster them into developing through fun, adventure, and acceptance.

 

So the uniform is important, but not as important in the long run as a well run program led by people who care about and have made a commitment to it.(This message has been edited by DLChris71)

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello DLChris71,

 

 

Excellent post. In my opinion, you illustrate a key element in a good Scouting program --- balance and good judgment among various program elements.

 

You do an excellent job of discussing the importance of uniforming, but also the importance of other things in a Scout unit as well.

 

The day a new boy joins my Cub Pack, I issue them a pack neckerchief I've cut from a colorful bedsheet and a slide I've made from the branch of a tree --- to keep costs down. As part of that ceremony, the parent helps the boy put on the neckerchief and slide, and I point out that once wearing the neckerchief and slide they are "in uniform" and that keeping your unioform neat, clean and worn in a respectful way is part of Cub Scouts.

 

When I do a uniform inspection, I inspect whatever parts of the uniform the boy may have. If they have that original neckerchief and slide and are wearing it correctly, they score as well as someone wearing a full uniform, and better than someone wearing a full uniform that is dirty or sloppy in appearance.

 

In Cub Scouts, we Do Our Best. That applies to uniforms as well, in my opinion.

[DLChris71]

A pack scarf actually sounds pretty cool. Especially if it were cut big enough to be used as a triangle bandage. I don't think the scout store scarves can be used in that fashion unless it was a really tiny person.

[SeattlePioneer]

When I was Cubmaster, any adult taking a registered leadership position also got a neckerchief and slide awarded at a pack meeting along with their badge of office.

 

I did a similar ceremony in awarding the neckerchief and slide as I did with awarding boys their neckerchief and slide, except that I had the Cub Scout assist their parent in putting on the neckerchief.

 

That was actually a pretty popular ceremony among both adults and Cub Scouts.

[JMHawkins]

A pack scarf actually sounds pretty cool. Especially if it were cut big enough to be used as a triangle bandage. I don't think the scout store scarves can be used in that fashion unless it was a really tiny person.

 

Our Troop uses custom made neckerchiefs that are the old, full sized one (36" square). I think I got the details from Kudu's site. On some of the AOL crossovers, they look absolutely gigantic!

 

We use a sewing machine with an embrodery feature and contrasting thread to embroider a pattern around the sides. They look really cool, and we talk about "old-school" neckerchiefs as part of being an "old-school" troop that does lots of outdoor adventure stuff.

 

Of course, they're too big for the slides they sell in the scout shop, so the Scouts need to learn how make custom Turk's head woggles...

 

We use the uniform method, but we make sure it's part of the "game" of Scouting.