A Scout is Clean...

[jbroganjr]

if the boys recite this every week, how come there are so many times that they are not allowed to be clean?

What do i mean

How about summer camp, dress uniform for dinner. Nice idea, but the last three years at camp (at two different places) it was a week of 100+ degrees during the day and 85-90 degrees at night and uniforms and scouts stink! and the boys, after taking showers daily, do not want to wear their smelly uniforms. The spl (w/ ASM or SM) talk to dining hall only to be told that no uniform, no meal (which goes againsthow manyrules in G2SS)

Of on a weekend campout, wearing the same tshirt all weekend long

 

Or at woodbadge, where a person is vilified for not wearing the "proper" uniform.

Well what about the rights of sweaty people????

Your thoughts?

[Eamonn]

At the last National Jamboree, we took along a washing machine, made out of a five gal. plastic bucket with a cover, the cover had a hole in it, to allow a plunger to move up and down, add water,Tide (Not A Lot !!)

Boys had a good time.

And didn't have to wear stinky uniforms.

As to the rights of sweaty people.

My take on this, has a lot to how they became that way.

Someone laying on a beach, with an adult beverage in hand,makes me envious.

A bunch of guys on a roof job, when it's really hot, make me glad that I work in the A/C.

A person who always stinks makes me want to avoid them.

[OldGreyEagle]

At our summer camp we are expected to be in full dress uniform for colours in the morning and at dinner. Personally I take along two uniforms and alternate them daily. The "not used" uniform is hung by a hanger in my tent, with some time on the drying line if the sun cooperates. Makes for a much nicer experience for all involved

[dan]

A Scout is Clean in word, thought, and deed.

[Bob White]

Kudos Dan for understanding the reference to a Scout being clean.

 

The BSA dress uniform is a dark blazer with a BSA dress tie or the scarf for the women. What you all are refering to is the field uniform not the dress uniform.

 

to jbroganjr, a great outdoor skill to teach the scouts is how to do their laundry at camp.

Am I getting the wrong feeling from your posts? you seem to find more things you dislike about the scouting program than you like.

 

Bob White

 

[matuawarrior]

My Troop/Crew brings a mop bucket and a plastic oar to camp. Also, a clothes line with the clothes pins attached to it. We use that to wash our clothes. Then we hang it up.

 

As per meals at camp, Our Scouts wear their uniforms to breakfast and dinner. That is only because Flag Raising and Lowering are before those two meals. Scouts can wear their activity uniform during lunch.

 

Our camp showers are open from 0500 to 2200 hours every day. Here on the islands. Our scouters, scouts, and venturers wear quickdrys all day. Its not uncommon to see the showers being used all day.

 

Matua

[jbroganjr]

BW

No, I love the program. I just like tossing out subjects to get peoples take on them. Some of the subjects, I may not agree with, but toss out their and play devil's advocate. Why? Well if a subject warrants, I bring it back to my RT and throw it out there. I kinda use this a testing site because there are so many knowledgable scouters on this forum and who have such a range of experience and thoughts and their response enable me to think or rethink my positions. I would like to thank many respondents who truly show me the error or my ways and I have thanked them, including you, when I am off base.

The ultimate reason for me is to provide a better program for the youth. I do see a tendency of too much adult involvement at times...and other times not enough adult involvement.

You may have received this tendency from my postings on woodbadge, and, unfortunately It was not one of the highlights of my scouting career.

But for a little insight on me, I am an ASM, the fun guy,working with a fun troop that has been brought to being boy run over the last 3 years, but I do CSRT as the outlet for me to be the biggest kid in town. This way, I am not setting myself up as the worlds oldest PL.

In fairness though, I can be critical when things go way wrong, i.e. woodbadge. For readers who are not familar with my thoughts on the course, keep in mind, that it was my course per say that was not well run, the the overall course put out by National.

I do point out things that I believe that may be harmful to the program, in a manner different from yours, BW, but my reasons for that is I see a downtrend in scouting. I have refered to it at times as dumbing down the program, etc. (Probably a poor choice of words). Unfortunately, National numbers do back up my assertion that something is awry with membership, as cubs and boy scout registrations are down (National Commissioner presented this to a multi council commissioner college in March 03) but overall numbers are up because of learning for life and Venture.

Not to take away from those programs, I feel that a re invigoration of the program is in order, that it should be a bit more challenging. In a post a comment about a scouter who "talked about how different kids are today from back when" might not be that far off. I believe it is us adults who have changed dramatically, (I am not that old, have not hit 40 yet) and the program reflects it.

By your posts, I have inferred that one of your primary statements, as to boys scouts is first year, first class, a noble and attainable goal, but what next. We do not sell the "sizzle" of scouting, rather the sizzle's emphasis, to me anyway, is put more on the Venture Program and at the cub level, there is an incredible amount of resources directed at the Tiger Program. Both of these emphasis, again in my opinion, neglect the marketing and implementation of the fun/rewards of the older scouting program of boyscouts/webelos. Throw into the mix overly cautious scouters and we short change the youth of the nation.

For example, there was time when the Venture program was essentially the older scout program. Nowadays, when the scouts get older, we sell them the Venture Program (not venture patrol), complete with Coed status.

We promote the heck out of signing up Tigers, but what about Webelos program.

Now, In my defense, I have only my council to base my arguements on, as I am not involved with other councils, nor regions, etc, so this influence may be coloring my outlook differently, but that brings me back to the use of this forum.

I do appreciate the responses from all and ask that people keep in mind the difference we all bring to the table. Never claimed to be right, never claimed to be wrong

to thine own self be true - W. Shakespeare

A good ole singed feathered owl

 

[Eagle74]

Keeping the scouts clean - showers and swimming.

 

Keeping the uniforms more "fresh" - improvised washing as noted above. One time we ended up with particularly dirty uniforms due to mud from a long, heavy rain. Fortunately, we had 4 deep leadership and one of us collected all the uniforms, made the half-hour trip into town, and washed them at the laundramat.

[ozemu]

Most of our camps are weekend affairs as our weather is such that we camp all year round. On Jamboree and one week long o/s trip I wash my uniform daily; I only wear uniform except when swimming / canoeing. Therefore I have two and wear a freshly laundered one each day. My attempt at setting an example in cleanliness

 

I teach my Scouts to wash in a basin by hand when on these longer camps. I tell them to wear uniform to camp and have just two sets of clothes in thier pack. So when out more then two days they must learn to wash on day one. Not always a spotless result but definately not sweaty.