The transition between blue and tan uniforms...

[OwntheNight]

So with all the uniform discussion being tossed about, I figured I would throw my issue out there for the masses.

 

Bear Son and his den are about to join the Webelos ranks in June and we allow our Webelos to wear the Tan uni and pick a "patrol patch". My question is about what to do with the ranks and arrow points from the blue uni.

 

Do I sew them on the tan, even though I can put the WEB badge on after completing the WEB Badge requirements, which at the minimum is 3 months. or....Do we leave a blank canvas until they earn the WEB Badge.

 

This then begs the next question: Does the Bear rank get the short end of the stick by being on the blue uni for only a few months (if it was earned in February or March) and thus the completed diamond is only shown for a few months with Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf and Bear.

 

I'm sure this will come up from our parents before we go to Webelos Resident Camp during the summer and the camp does require full uniforming during breakfast and dinner.

 

Thanks for the input.

[Basementdweller]

It is a parents choice......But most parents don't know it is an option till some one goes and gets one.....

 

Generally what happens is one scout outgrows Blue shirt....Mom mention going and getting one we tell her to get the Tan one or we get one out of the uniform closet.....The boys out grow their uniforms in our parts during their first Webelos year so during that year they get replaced......

 

I encourage the parents not to transfer anything from the Blue shirt to the tan shirt..... Most of them use that Badge magic stuff and it really ruins the shirt.... The boys have a really great keep sake and clean shirt entering Boy Scouts.

 

I replaced my sons June 1 after finishing Bears.....That Blue shirt is miserable at summer camp..... Especially standing at flag in the evening....poor boys simply roast. The microfiber shirt without a tshirt under it is the ticket......The shirt vents well.....Plus it washes well in the fire bucket and line dries quickly.

 

Most camps I have attended just require a shirt for breakfast and dinner and not full uniform.

[AKdenldr]

It is a choice as to weither to transfer the diamonds to the tan shirt or wait for the Webelos Oval when earned. See page 34 Webelos handbook.

 

Our pack long ago chose to celebrate our boys' previous accomplishments by going with the diamonds on the tan shirt. (Nothing like a chest full of diamonds and arrowheads to wow those younger scouts!) Once the Webelos is earned it can be awarded as a diamond -- but replaces the tiger. (I don't make the rules, if I did it would replace the bobcat.)

 

We seem to be in the minority around here, however. Most Webs we saw at camp went the Oval route.

[OwntheNight]

Thanks Base. Yea I ment shirts at bfast and dinner, not full uni's. I made the mistake of doing BM with Scoutson's tan uni and it was a horrible mess when I took off the Diamond and arrows.

 

So now Bearson gets a brand new uni (glad I bought one during the BOGO sale)and it was the microfiber. Mrs OTN liked how soft it was!

 

I'm going to encourage the parents to get the tans and not push the blues another year. We need to restock the uniform closet and I've got some single piece unit numbers with Veteran bar ready to go in place of the 3 seperate numbers.

 

AK,

 

I think I've only seen a couple of the Webelos Diamonds in stock at the SS. It's mainly for decoration, not advancement purposes. Our council has been blessed by a benefactor who pays for all rank advancement patches as long as you use the electronic advancement form. I wouldn't be surprised if there is some sort of doctrine the benefactor has put in place to have the latest and greatest rank patches. I do know the SS had the centennial ranks before the official announcement.

 

Coincedence? Maybe!

[Eagle92]

May I give you a brief history?

 

Back in the day, all Cubs wore the blue uniform. Then in August 1984, but it was announced in June '84 in Boy's Life if memory serves, Webelos were authorised to wear the BS tan shirt with CS modifications, i.e. blue loops, Webelos blue hat, Tricolors, and US flag over the right pocket ( back when the US flag patch was separate). Now here is where it get fuzzy for me, I don't remember if I bought a new green belt or if I bought the Webelos belt buckle? Didn't matter as there were no Sports loops prior to Aug 1984, and Academics wasn't even thought of.

 

As Base stated, the rational was that you had Cubs who wore their shirt as Wolves and Bears in 3 and 4th grade who needed new shirts. BUT Webelos was only a 1 year program at the time, so enough folks convinced the PTB to allow Webelos to wear the BS uniform

 

 

Now originally all patches transferred over, there was no oval patches. Those came out after Cub Scouts beacame a 5 year program in the early 2000s. SO Bobcat, Wolf, and Bear, as well as all the arrowpoints had to be resewn. No TC rank patch until 2003 or 04 when Tiger were fully integrated into a pack and had to earn the Bobcat Badge.

 

With the advent of Badge Bond, Badge Magic, ad nauseum, which all stain the shirt and cause problems getting the patches off and with reuse of the shirt, enough folks complained to allow Webelos the option of transferring all the patches, save the Tiger Cub Patch since the TC rank patch took the spot for the Webelos Badge, or just using the Webelos Diamond OR the Webelos oval.

 

It's a decision up to the parents, or scouts if they are sewing, to decide.

[OwntheNight]

E92,

 

Thanks for the History lesson. Great Info, glad to know I thought I hadn't seen anything either way. So the plan will be if they want to sew them on, it's their call. My son will be getting the blank canvas from me.

[ScoutNut]

 

I kept everything on son's blue Cub Scout shirt, and started fresh with the Webelos on the tan. It makes for a nice keepsake of his Cubby years.

 

 

[Shilue]

When my son transitioned to Webelos, we got him the tan uniform. Until he earned his Webelos badge, he wore the Bobcat/Tiger/Wolf/Bear diamond using the plastic rank holder. I'm not normally a fan of the plastic patch holders, but it was the best option to allow him to continue to wear his other ranks until he earned Webelos.

[5yearscouter]

We don't really talk much about transitioning to the tan shirt unti after the parents have paid for the summer camp for the boys as webelos.

 

Then once that expense is past and we start the new school year, we mention that when the boys outgrow their blue shirts, or when they earn their webelos badges, they should move to the tan shirt. sometimes we have a couple of gung ho who go out and get it right away, but often they come in mostly patch less for a few months, and then earn webelos badge. and we have a couple who mom and dad aren't sure they are gonna stick around for long so they stay in blue--one stayed in blue til he crossed over to a boy scout troop and then quit before his first meeting and never bought a tan shirt.

 

It's nice though if you can get all the boys to transition about the time they all get their webelos ranks. that gives them many months to wear the full complement of badges bobcat thru bear and show off to the pack, and then to transition up a level to the tan shirt as a group.

 

when we are done with blue shirts, we make the fake animal skin display thing for craftsman(we never seem to get to it in the bear year) and they can strip off all patches and add them to it unless mom and dad want to put the blue shirt into a shadow box or something (then we try to give them directions to make one of those for even more craftsman projects). If they didn't earn tiger we make sure they get a webelos in diamond shape to help complete the whole set.

 

 

 

[TinyDen]

Here's a question in the same vein of blue to tan uniform transitions:

 

Our son just finished his bear year and outgrew the blue cub scout shirt. We purchased the tan shirt and I finished sewing on the basics (unit numbers, council patch, etc.) but did not transfer any of his bobcat/tiger/wolf/bear/arrow point patches so I can keep the blue shirt intact for his eagle scout ceremony (we have lofty goals plus I shutter to think of resewing 14 arrow points). Son has earned the outdoor activity award for three years, earning the pocket flap patch and two wolf pins. At this point, what (if any) of these three pieces are to transfer to the tan shirt? If I don't transfer them to the new tan shirt, would he earn the patch again during the Webelos I year and another wolf track pin during Webelos II year? Maybe I should not move the patch and he just gets the wolf track pins for the blank pocket flap?

 

Thanks in advance!

[5yearscouter]

I would probably buy a new outdoor activity award patch, and move the pins over to the webelos shirt (if he wears the pins, if he tends to just lose the pins, leave them on the blue shirt for safekeeping).

 

 

[Scoutfish]

Put simply:

 

A cub scout can wear his blue uniform as a Webelos scout with all prior patches, arrow points, etc,... and when he earn Webelos rank, he can wear the diamond Webelos patch in place of the bobcat patch.

 

Only thing different is hat and necker - plaid design.

 

Or he can wear the tan uniform without any of the prior ranks, arrow points, bobcat, etc.....

 

 

Even though you may decide to switch to tan shirt/ green pants, you still wear the blue belt as it is not as wide as green belt. Beltloops will not fit on green belt.

 

Originally, when I was going to be a Webelos DL ( Before I became CM instead) I had grand plans about the boys keeping the blue uniforms until they earned rank. Then switch to tan and green.

 

But reality had to stick it's head in the way when I realized that my son, as well as a few other boys were about to outgrow their shirts and pants.

 

I could not justify buying another entire uniform that would be worn for less than a year before having to buy another one in a different color.

 

If they need to buy another uniform because they are out growing the old one, might as well switch to tan. They can use the same shirt/ pants right on through boy scouts - minus the cub scout patches.

[SSScout]

""They can use the same shirt/ pants right on through boy scouts ""

 

Scoutfish: Oh , I don't think so.... I have an Eagle and he has needed no fewer than 3 more shirts....and they didn't wear out!

 

Buy big! Not just to fit, but to blossom in!

[mdlscouting]

I meet with the bear parents just before the end of their bear school year, and let them know it is their choice. They can wear the blue uniform all the way to crossover, or swap to the tan the first day they move up to the webelos rank.

 

Likewise, the family has the option on the patches. We chose to only use the Webelos Rank Patch in Oval.

[Eagle92]

Fish,

 

FYI, they replace the Tiger Cub patch, not the Bobcat, with the Webelos Badge.

 

 

A little history

Orignally Tigers didn't earn beads or badges, but iron on decals in the shape of paw prints with cut outs in them. MAJOR P.I.T.B. (emphasis) as if you did not iron them on exactly right the paw print was screwed up. Remember getting selling a lot of Tiger t-shirts and paws in 1996-97. Then they came out with solid paw prints which were not popular. At the end of the program, they became Cub Scouts and and originaly got a square "Tiger Cub Graduate" temp patch, then a "Tiger Cub Graduate" strip to go under the right pocket.

 

After the paw prints, they moved up to a belt totem with beads. Tiger Cub Badge was created, but was a sticker, and was worn on the belt totem. This was approx 1998-2001 time frame.

 

Around 2002, Tigers offically became Cubs, had to Bobcat before getting Tiger, wore the full blue uniform, and the Tiger Cub rank was worn on the pocket. Problem was where to put it? Someone thought, ' Hey most Webelos wear the Boy Socut uniform, why not create a Webelos badge that looks like an oval Boy Scout one.

 

And Bob's your uncle, the Tiger Cub Badge replaced the Webelos Badge in the diamond.

 

BBBBBUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTT Old fogeys like me, who know the ones who complain enough to get knee socks brought back , said ' Well what abotut those still in blue uniforms?"

 

so now we have all the options.