Uniform Exchange

[Cubmaster Pete]

Those of you that have one, how do you run it?  Do you rely on donations only, or do you purchase used uniform parts from various sources (eBay, craigslist, thrift stores) and either sell back to scouts at low cost or give away?

 

And what do you try to accomplish with an exchange? Just that every boy has a shirt, or that every boy can afford a FULL uniform (shirt, pants, hat, etc...)

[qwazse]

The field uniform (i.e., everything on the inspection sheet) and activity shirts. Because we have a tradition of scouts using excess fundraising to purchase what they need to serve the troop well, we have a long tradition of hand-me-down culture.

Discourage the use of badge magic ... Sewn patches are easier to remove.

 

If you get a donation for closet rods, great. Otherwise a box or two for pants, one for shirts.

 

I've floated the idea of scouts writing their name indelibly on the neckerchief border, so that as it travels, it accumulates a little history.

[Col. Flagg]

Mailing lists of past members. Donation boxes at COH's. Notes to those aging out about uniform donations. Must be on the PLC's annual program plan with someone to manage it. Usually a Guide or two.

[The Latin Scot]

Being a Webelos leader gives me an advantage. I just ask parents for any old Cub Scout uniform items as the boys move up to the tan/olive uniform, and pass them down to any boys who need them. Living in an affluent area pocketed by a few low-income neighborhoods, the balance between needs and donations has maintained a remarkable equilibrium.