Re: Hats on...hats off. Your input requested
Beth Allerton (BETHPET@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU)
Thu, 21 Apr 1994 10:54:55 EDT
On Wed, 20 Apr 1994 23:27:07 EST Nathan Brindle said:
>Beth,
>
>I'd rather see them in uniform than in half-uniform, but I'd also rather
>see them in shirt only than in no uniform at all. Some of them can't
>afford much more than that. (And I agree, a Scout shirt over jams is
>disgusting.)
Absolutely! My girls never wear their uniforms to meetings
because they are "dorky". My cubs wear the shirt, and hats
come off inside.
>I <advocate> full uniforming, and I set the example (as a commissioner
>and district committee member I feel this is important, and Wood Badge
>helped solidify my attitude about it) myself. But I'd never tell a boy
>he couldn't participate if he didn't have a full uniform, and I've
I have heard people tell parents who have trouble coming up
with registration $ that. I, too haunt Goodwill, yard sales,
etc for books and shirts. Thats where I got my uniform - I cant
afford a new one myself.
> deleted
>But how about a troop that has decided to create identity by creating
>a troop hat that <everyone> wears? What about a troop that creates
>a troop tee-shirt and provides them at cost to the boys so they will
>have something "uniform" to wear at camp, and be able to save their
>uniform shirt for dinnertime? And I <have> seen boys wear "generic" :)
>tee shirts at camp for the same reason.
>
NO problem with troop Ts, Patrol Ts, or totally blank ones. I
think the fashion statements, status looks of the "team" shirts
kinda knocks out the 'we're all the same' quality that is achieved
by wearing a uniform. All scouts are equal, by looking the same
they don't have to worry about status, etc. for a few hours.
>By insisting on complete uniforming, we strive to reach an ideal that
>unfortunately (at least in my district) is unrealistic. If the cost
>came down and/or boys quit that dawgone habit of growing out of things,
>that might be different...but I'll keep preaching uniforming anyway,
I have never preached _complete_ uniforming for the same reasons,
and have even told the boys to come in their worst clothes for a
messy activity. (I had one boy wear a BRAND NEW white BSA Tshirt
on our Division (yes, Div.) Camporee). I have a problem when the kid
has the appropriate clothes (son of 2 Scouters) and chooses to dress
up in his best (read expensive) Tshirt. There are Scoutworld hats,
plain hats with Scout event patches on 'em ... these are OK, but if
the kid is a hat fanatic, they should have a BSA uniform hat.
We seem to have the same problems, I'm glad it's not just me.-Beth
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
