Venturing Uniform Changes________NOT

[qwazse]

I guess if National's taking so long to complete their crew uniform, I won't grouse over my crew taking three years to design theirs. (Their only specification was "not any of those shirts in the BSA catalogue".)

 

As far as the boy scouts are concerned:

I can't imagine a bunch of people saying "Gee, now that those shoulder-things and numbers are green instead of red, I'll let my boy join a troop!"

I have heard folks say "If I have to shell out another dime to by different colored cloth, my boy's staying home."

 

We make it very clear that as long as it was an official uniform at one time, it's welcome in our troop. (Grandpa didn't want his kakis to be mothballed forever.)

 

Vintage patches/epaulets are seriously cool.

 

Also, we hand down shirts until they are WORN OUT. So look for us, the motley troop with red and green epaulets at a summer camp near you for years to come.

[fbh1]

I guess I don't see what the big deal is with the unit number color change. My crew designed a one piece CSP/Unit number patch where we made the following modifications:

 

We modified the CSP by changing the border color from yellow to green. we also changed the FDL to the venturing logo.

 

We then attached a number set with green numbers on a white background with our hometown and establishment date in red (a throwback to the old communinty strips). We designed this to compliment the youth position patches and VLSC patches.

[emb021]

"I guess I don't see what the big deal is with the unit number color change."

 

I have to wonder what the reaction was back in the 50s when National got rid of the unique unit numbers & community/state strips for cub scouts, explorers, and air explorers (everyone to use white on red strips and numbers regardless of the program).

 

Did people go out and stock up on the older patches to enable them to keep using them? Did people (or units) look for new sources? Did people b*tch & moan about the changes at roundtables and the like?

 

I've found some of the reaction to the change over... bizarre. If its not Boy Scout types clinging to using the red loops, etc, its the Cub Scout types arguing about what type of unit numbers to wear on the cub scouter uniform.

 

 

[Eagle92]

Emb,

Part of the complaining from CS leaders I'm with, and I admit I've done my share too with them and online, is that national provided info in Aug or Sept. 2008 to the fact that if in khaki, specificaly the centennial uniform, then you wear the green numbers and trained patch irregardless of if you are a CS, BS, or a leader in either program.

 

Then in April 2009, seven to eight months later, first national said CS and their leaders wear a khaki and red number with the centennial uniform, that was one a pdf file on their site with a pic of the number, and then later in the same month CS and CS leaders in khaki are to wear the red and whites. BUT national in some literature still shows CS wearing the green numbers. With national changing things as often as they have done, people who have spent a good edeal of money trying to set the example for the youth they lead are upset.

 

Now in reference to the red loops, some of the griping I am getting is that you have a hodge podge of green and red loops within troops, and it is affecting the uniformity. In my neck of the woods, uniforming is a very big deal, and some SMs do not like the disorganized of having some wear red and some wear green.

 

So with one unit, they found it easier, and cheaper too, to make their own red loops. It save money, presents an organized appearance, and that unit is readily identifiable froma distance at events.

 

Also there have been numerous reasons posted as to why the color change occured, but no clear reason from national. I've heard that they wanted a more subdued look for the outdoors, they didn't want to be affiliated with a particular political party that uses red for identification, and that national originally made a mistake in 1979 in the color loops for programs, and they are now getting around to fixing the problem.

 

Me personally I have enough uniforms to last me a very long time, including venturing stuff. Although I do plan on getting a new venturing web belt. Want to save the new leather belt for meetings and ceremonies

[emb021]

Eagle92-

 

Yes, I would agree that National was not clear with what unit numbers cub scouter should wear. To me, it was clear. If you are a cub scout/webelos scout in blue or in venturing (ie wearing the forest green), you wear red/white. If you were wearing the centennial tan, regardless of the program, wear the green/khaki. But somehow this wasn't acceptable to some leaders.

 

Am sorry, but I never understood the 'logic' that a cub scouter needs to wear the same color unit numbers as a cub scout to maintain some connection. And you left out the red/khaki numbers that appeared in literature from National Supply for about a month recently, then quickly disappeared.

 

But, hey, NS has made mistakes regarding the uniform before. Witness the issue of the Lodge Chief office patch or the Regional/National Chief patches. I sometimes wonder if the National reorg, but eliminated some organizational roadblocks just created new ones...

 

Now, I can understand to some degree the issue of uniformity within a troop, but, please, I went thru this as a scout when we switched to the ODR uniform from the old green-khaki one, and units had youth and adults in different ones. If it wasn't an issue for us back then, why should it be an issue with different color loops/numbers? I would think the loops would be more of a standout then the numbers, and should be easy to replace. Replacing ALL the red with green seems a better solution (and cheaper) then going the other way.

 

Oh, you expected National to explain their reasoning??? You haven't been in scouting long enough! And the idea that they made a mistake back with the ODL giving the Boy Scouts red loops is something that only recently popped up. If they did or not, no one brought it up back then.

 

Me, I have my Venturing uniforms and my Sea Scouter uniforms and I'm ok. I also plan on getting that new Venturing belt. I have the first venturing web belt, but rarely wore it. I usually wear my Philmont belt/buckle, or sometimes my WOSM belt. I'll probably wear the new Venturing web belt now and then.

 

[Crew21_Adv]

Fellow Venturers,

 

Greetings!

 

I don't know if Venturing Uniforms has been discussed most recently. (May 2010)

 

As my Crew was purchasing additional spruce green shirts from the scoutstuff.org National Supply Center. They no longer carry the average sizes. So, I called the 1800 customer service line.

 

What did NSC say about the Venturing shirts?

The customer order line from National Supply Center stated that the current Venturing Crew shirts are either out of stock or being liquidated. And that NSC is expecting a shipment of the new style Venturing shirts in August.

 

I do not know how reliable this is. Maybe during the BSA National Conference the Venturing program may debut a new shirt. Or maybe the customer service agent was feeding me a line, to stop me from asking why the Venturing shirts/blouses are serverly back ordered.

 

Any recent comments?

 

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21_Adv

[OldGreyEagle]

I heard they are going to a newer "tech" material although tecnically speaking, its still material and the change wil be made this week at the National Meeting. The color and design wont change

 

or so I have been told...

[qwazse]

Thanks for the "heads up". Three of my crew (that has been very slow to adopt a uniform) just got elected to the council VOA cabinet. Two of them are very excited about buying the kelly-green shirt. I would like to take them to the scout shop and get this done at the same time. Now I know to call ahead and make sure they have the sizes we need in the same style.

 

I honestly don't care which style, I just know they'll want to look sharp as a group (even the third one who won't admit it).

[Nike]

If you're going to wear one of each make sure that:

 

"Starboard shines green and Port is glowing red."

[Eagle92]

Nike,

Don't give the aquatics staff of my old crew any ideas

[BadenP]

Yeah the new Venturing shirts will be more of that Made in China crap. Do your crew a favor and select a uniform not from National supply, you will get better quality, a better price, and a uniform that will not fall apart with the first wash. Venturing is supposed to be an independent program where the crew make the choices, IMHO an "official" Venturing uniform is not only ridiculous but runs contrary to that independence which is the foundation of the program.