Red Berets

[Beavah]

Yah, I just had to give this one some room to run, eh?

[Cito]

In the basement, in a box from the 80's, where it belongs.

[Venividi]

 

 

Perhaps they were a political statement about the the Vietnam era movie, "The Green Beret's"?

[Polaris]

Oh, but the Fire Dragons look so cool in their red berets in:

 

http://www.scoutcampthemovie.com/

 

 

But, that's my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it!

[Unkiewill]

Back in the late 80's or so those of us in the Leadership Corps in our troop wore the red berets. I guess it helped set us apart. One of those things to look back on and wonder what we were thinking. But maybe they looked good with the really big frames on our glasses. (This message has been edited by Unkiewill)

[NJCubScouter]

I have a green beret -- a green Scout beret, that is -- that my father must have traded something for. It says "Scouts Canada" on it.

 

I also have a red beret, though I never wore one. When the "hat option" was given around 1972, my troop voted for what we called the "Smokey the Bear hat." When I look back at troop photos (all of these items, including the photos, are inherited from my father), it appears the troop switched a couple of years later to the baseball caps, at which time those of us who had been to Philmont were wearing our Philmont baseball caps. It may be that after I left the troop, but my brother was still there, they had a brief flirtation with the red berets, so maybe I have my brother's beret. Unless my father just went out and bought (or traded for) one of those too, just to have one.

 

About 6 or 7 years ago my son's troop shared a campsite at summer camp with a troop that wore red berets. Not sure whether they were actual BSA red berets. I thought they looked cool, personally, but if you are going to do that you need to have EVERYBODY wearing them, and wearing them correctly (which they did.)

[DLChris71]

I had a red beret and a red front ball caps. In retrospect neither was quite a good piece of headwear for scouting. The beret was nice in the spring and fall on cool days with not much sun and not much weather. The ball cap is/was a hat.

 

These days I go around with the Brimmed Hat from supply, but with out the leather straps that are pretty impractical.

 

The beret to me could be a practical head piece working in trail maintenance in certain circumstances, where the idea is to keep crawlies out of your head. But for the most part it is a headgear that is meant to distinguish a group from others, perhaps being special. Which is pretty interesting giving its origins.

[OldGreyEagle]

I have a rather emotional attachement to the Red Beret and all I can say is "Curse you Curtis Sliwa"!

[CHLees3rd]

I usually wear my campaign hat, but I wore my red beret to a pack meeting last week for a change. It was a commissioner visit for me, and many adults commented about it asking if I replaced my "Smokey the Bear hat." Most hadn't see red beret in decades, and many told me that it looked pretty good with my red jacket.

 

Chazz Lees

[John-in-KC]

DING DONG THE BERET IS DEAD!

THE BERET IS DEAD!

THE BERET IS DEAD!

 

There's a reason the Army went back to patrol caps for most uniformage. The beret is without a doubt the single most impractical garment ever invented by man.

 

Give me an all-around boonie hat, Campaign Hat, or woolen watch cap any day (weather dependent).

[Beavah]

Yah, I reckon yeh can look like a boy scout or yeh can look like a gaudy effete Frenchman.

[desertrat77]

I've got one stashed in a footlocker.

 

One troop I was in, circa 75 - 77, wore them faithfully. Everyone wore them differently But none were of the Poet variety!

 

Worn properly, I think they are still stylish.

 

John in KC, your comments reminded me that the boonie hat is one of three best items of personal military gear (in my opinion) ever: boonie hat, P38 can opener, and the trust poncho liner.

 

[CalicoPenn]

"The beret is without a doubt the single most impractical garment ever invented by man."

 

Depends on what you consider practical. The Beret is wool, which will keep your head warm in cool, rainy weather and if big enough, you could pull it down to cover at least the top part of the ears, which seems to be the part that is most susceptible to frost bite. Can't do that with a partol cap or baseball cap.

 

Berets make fine makeshift frisbies - Campaign hats do to but parents tend to be vocal when Junior is using an expensive campaign hat in an impromptu round of frisbee golf.

 

Berets make fine pot holders, and are stored in a convenient place to be out of the way, yet handy - the top of ones head.

 

Berets make great kickball/baseball/softball bases - the red color is a decided advantage over other hats - sure, you could use a boonie cap but it's more likely to blend in with the ground.

 

Berets can be used to haul water short distances - almost 50 yards.

 

Berets make great emergency first aid pads for burns and wounds and are big enough to handle fairly large wounds.

 

Berets make great emergency marker flags - again, that red really stands out

 

Berets are second only to the campaign hat in making an entire group of scouts stand out and look good.

 

Need an emergency trivet so as not to mar a countertop with a hot pot? A beret is the answer.

 

Impractical? Hardly. Ok, so it doesn't have a brim - that's what sunglasses are for.

 

The single most impractical garment ever invented by man? i'd have to say the Fez.

 

 

 

 

[Narraticong]

I have been immortalized in a red beret! As a kid I lived less than a mile form National Headquarters in NJ. My neighbor worked in the art department for BSA and would often use us local Scouts as models for various publications. The last time I was used was for the 1973 (I think) edition of the Fieldbook. Four or five of us from my troop were in the First Aid section. There is a great head shot of me (with early 70's long hair) showing how to remove a foreign object from the eye. On top of my head is one of those blasted red berets! You would never have caught any Scout I knew then wearing one, but apparently that is what BSA wanted because that is what they made us wear.In my middle age I have since purchased one just for kicks. But every time I put it on, I just shake my head and say "Not today..."

 

Ken

[OldGreyEagle]

Not everyone has the style, confidence, grace, elan and panache to successfully wear the red beret. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers that pull it off don't hate you because you can't, don't hate us because we can