From: Anthony Mako (ajmako@NLS.NET)
Date: Mon Jan 24 2000 - 17:48:31 CST
<Bill Corwin wrote>
At our last Troop Committee Meeting the SM and one of the ASM, brought up
they wanted to eliminate the Scout pants as a required part of our uniform.
I was said this cause our boys to leave since the clothing was so expensive.
My feelings were we should then purchase them for the boys that need them.
I need any comments or thought for or against so I can make a good decision.
I want to keep the full uniform.
</Bill>
Bill,
First I want to give you a quote from the BSA Insignia Guide (1999-2001)
which applies to your situation (and answers much of the discussion
concerning uniforms not too long ago). The Insignia Guide quotes from
Article X, Section 4, Clause 4 of the BSA Rules and Regulations.
<BSA R&R ART X, SEC 4, C4>
Prohibition of Alteration or Imitation. (a) No alteration of, or addition
to, the official uniforms, as described in the official publications, or the
rules and regulations covering the wearing of the uniform and proper
combinations thereof on official occasions, may be authorized by any
Scouting official or local council or any local executive board or
committee, except the Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America after
consideration by the Program Group Committee.
</BSA>
Sorry to break the bad news to everyone, but we're not authorized to change
the uniform, authorize alternate items, or substitute non-official uniform
items. What the BSA Rules and Regulations doesn't say is that every Scout is
REQUIRED to wear a complete uniform. All BSA publications that mention
uniforming state simply that Scouts should be encouraged to wear a complete
uniform.
What does this mean? Strangely enough, NOT creating a rule or regulation for
your unit is the best way to go. If you write a rule that states "The
official uniform of Troop 90 shall consist of the official Boy Scout shirt
and clean, neat jeans." you're altering the official uniforms. That's a
violation of the BSA Rules and Regulations. Of course, the uniform cops
aren't going to come after you, but it jeopardizes your charter status (does
anyone know what actions can be taken against a member or group of members
found in violation of BSA Rules and Regulations?). If you simply let those
Scouts who cannot afford a complete uniform wear something else, you're not
authorizing an alteration of the uniform - until you state it out loud to
someone.
You're probably better off going in search of used uniforms at local
Goodwill or Salvation Army stores, asking former Scouts and Scouters to
donate their old uniforms, and offering Scouts some sort of credit for
giving outgrown uniform items to the troop. We do all three. Unfortunately,
the folks that raid Goodwill and the Salvation Army stores only look for the
shirts (we have about 27 shirts and 3 pairs of pants in our "bank"). We
offer our Scouts a 10% discount for turning over outgrown uniform items
(that's about $4 per pair of pants, but it's worth it!).
YIS
AJ Mako, Scoutmaster, Troop 381 http://www.scouts381.org/
ajmako@nls.net
Great Trail Council, Old Portage District
