BSA regulations relating to costuming

[CubScoutMom25]

Hoping someone might be able to help me in obtaining information on the BSA regulations relating to costuming. (Other than no imitating the military and no weapons.) Our Pack will be marching in a Halloween parade and the boys will be voting on theme. One of the suggested themes was inappropriate for Scouting, in my view. I was just wondering if there were written regulation regarding the subject.

 

Thanks in advance for any all information.

 

Yours in Scouting!

[scoutldr]

No regulations that I''m aware of. The official uniform is always appropriate except when engaged in non-popcorn fundraising. Otherwise it''s up to your CO as to what''s appropriate. Some churches, for example, may not like the boys going around dressed in devil costumes.

[Eamonn]

I seem to remember reading somewhere some guidelines on what is and what isn''t acceptable for OA functions.

Maybe some of the more active OA forum members could fill in the details?

Some years back a good friend of mine said he''d donate $100.00 to FOS if I wore a tutu and a wig in our towns Halloween Parade. - We got the money!!

You might want to check with your CO to see if they have any feelings about what is and what isn''t appropriate.

Ea.

[fgoodwin]

CubScoutMom25, welcome to the Forums.

 

If you plan to march in uniform in the parade, there shouldn''t be an issue. If you plan to be in costumes, I would think there''d be no issues, as long as the costumes are tasteful and appropriate.

 

I don''t recall there being any specific BSA regs covering this situation, but I could be mistaken, and if so, hopefully someone will correct me.

[Beavah]

Please don''t give ''em any ideas! A costume regulation???

 

Nope, CubScoutMom, no BSA costume regulations. Even dressing up as the military with toy weapons is fine for Halloween. Real weapons too, I suppose - I can imagine some re-enactor types where a webelos age boy was dressed in period garb with some kind of unloaded flintlock or tomahawk or bayonette.

 

Only limits are the limits that the Cubmaster sets for normal good taste and decency, or that the Chartered Organization sets like scoutldr describes. Or of course what a CubScoutMom sets for her own cub scout .

 

Beavah

 

[infoscouter]

While these are guidelines relating to songs, skits, etc. they may provide some guidance as to what''s acceptable:

http://troop-42.net/Files/Grey%20Areas.pdf

 

[John-in-KC]

Welcome to the Forums!

 

A point of clarity: By our Congressional Charter, we (boy scouting) are not to uniform as the Armed Forces. Even there, we have an exception for the Navy to assist in providing dungaree style utilities to Sea Scouting (Eamonn, do I have that right?).

 

Young boys costuming on Halloween as future military, on a "just this once" basis, feels perfectly OK to this old worn out soldier.

 

I would look at safety though. Early dark nights of Halloween mean dark clothes don''t show up well We want the little ghouls back for their next den meeting after all

 

Of course, one option is to celebrate Oct 31 for its other historic date: Reformation Day, the day Martin Luther hung the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenburg.

[nldscout]

I wish people would get rid of that bogus Grey area letter. But I suppose in this day and age it will be on the net forever.

 

This letter is NOT a real letter, never was issued by NE region.

[Aquila]

>>> Of course, one option is to celebrate Oct 31 for its other historic date: Reformation Day, the day Martin Luther hung the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenburg.

[Eamonn]

Strange how this thread managed to work its way to being about uniform???

Sea Scouts are allowed to wear the Working Uniform (Chambray Shirt and dark blue pants)That the US Navy uses and the white pants and white jumper that the Navy uses.

Some Ships do wear the blue jumpers and pants, they are asked to remove one of the set of three piping (The white stripes) leaving only two.

While the "Whites" are the "Official" Sea Scout uniform, being as Sea Scouts are part of Venturing it kinda, sorta is up to the Ship.

One requirement does require the Scout to obtain a uniform. As you can imagine this is open to interpretation and has been debated a lot in Sea Scout circles.

But to get back on track.

Maybe I''m just being a little nosy?

When you say " One of the suggested themes was inappropriate for Scouting." What theme are you talking about?

When OJ was at Catholic grade school they didn''t have a Halloween party in its place they had a party for All Saints Day.

While this did keep the school happy, it wasn''t such a big hit with the kids.

Of course a Cub Scout Halloween party isn''t the MTV Awards, still I really don''t feel that allowing a band of happy little Lads to dress up as little devil''s is really to impact their future growth.

It''s a good time to let your hair down and join the kids in having some fun.

Eamonn.