Are those knots relevant?
Settummanque, the blackeagle (waltoml@WKUVX1.WKU.EDU)
Sun, 24 Jul 1994 23:25:53 CST
(We've been over this ground before, about two years back when we
talked about the differences between the old khaki uniforms and the
present tan ones. I decided to followup in this string because of two
reasons: one, because I kinda started it with the description in
answering a question; and more importantly, because it deserves a
good answer from one person that wears many of the BSA's awards
proudly on his old or new shirts.)
Ian Ford <ianford@DIRCON.CO.UK> writes:
>IMHO the issue with adult uniform is setting an example for the boys, so
>the uniform should be correct. Personally I can't see the point in
>wearing " antique " uniforms or outdated awards unless for a very special
>occasion, e.g. a pageant or show to commemorate a special anniversary. By
>all means keep them as souvenirs.
There are three "camps" of thinking about this and your related
questions, Ian. There are those that want to wear only the "proper,
BSA perfect" items and then exercised extreme restaint in their
wearing. There are others that wear as much as they are entitled to,
in some cases disregarding what the BSA's official statement (as far
as the Uniform Guide is concerned) are regarding wearing the right
things on the right shirts at the right times. Finally, there are
those I call "Scouter red" s, those that wear the bare minimum on
their shirts and get bent out of shape when someone gives them
something ELSE to wear on their shirts.
I'll explain the differences in feelings of each later on.
Let me explain very succienctly why we "old timers" wear the old
uniforms with the old or current patches in the proper places: THE
PRESENT UNIFORM SUCKS!! The old uniforms were confortable, roomy and
functional. They also looked great when they were starched,
dry-cleaned, or even ironed really well. They also displayed the
colorful patches (even the red and white patches) well while still
retaining much of the "outdoorsy" feel that symbolized Scouting.
I can wear the old woolen shirts in the dead of cold, in the warmth of
summer, and at nighttime and in all cases it's confortable to wear.
The same can be said about the BSA's dark green Explorer shirts (when
I had one that I could wear...at the present, I don't have a large
shirt to wear and I'm still trying to find one).
And in ALL cases, ANYONE can tell that I am a Scouter or a Exploring
leader....NOT a "park ranger" or a "security guard".
I can't say that about the present tan shirts, which were designed
more as "billboards" for the colorful new patches than it was for
camping, hiking and the outdoors of Scouting. I'm not as confortable
in the shirts, which are made of a lighter wash-and-wear material than
the older, thicker cotton or cotton/wool blends of the older shirts.
Even the "leader's shirts" that are supposed to be "cool and
confortable" are neither. Those shirts, by the way, are 65 percent
polyester and 40 percent wool.
There's really NOT a reasoning behind the shoulder loops, especially
the gold and silver ones for those volunteers and professionals at the
local District, Council, Area, Regional and National levels. If I'm a
National leader, I wear a patch that identifies me as a National
leader. I don't have to wear the gold shoulder loops AND the "national
office patch". Likewise, if I am serving as a Council leader, I
should be wearing a Council office patch and NOT the Silver shoulder
loops that identifies me as a Council or District officeholder.
Instead, I should be wearing the dark green loops IDing myself as a
Exploring leader.
I guess that's the reason why the BSA decided to clamp down on those
of us that hold National jobs and local Council jobs and state that
"you should wear the shoulder loops of the PAID, REGISTERED position"
instead of the "highest level that you serve as" as the previous
policy was written.
So, it's not just a desire to "go back to the future" that many of us
wear the older shirts...it's a desire to look good, feel confortable
and perhaps a little rememberance of what our Scoutmasters and other
Scouters looked like with the older shirts on.
As long as all of the insignia is in the right place, neither me nor
the BSA cares which version a Scouter or Scout wears.
Let's talk about the "outdated insignia" a bit. The insignia goes
along with the uniform. I still wore a fully embrodered Scoutmaster
patch instead of the past green-background patch because I *earned the
right* to wear the special patch through training and experience as a
Scoutmaster (or as a WEBELOS Den Leader or as a Den Leader Coach). I
don't wear it presently as International Representative or as
Commissioner. However, if at some future time that I become a
Scoutmaster again, you'd better believe that I would take that patch
out and sew it back on that shirt (old or new) again.
There are only a few "special insignia" that would fit in that
category. The badge of office is one; the OA insignia is another; and
perhaps the temporary patches are the third.
In all three cases, when I go to do a uniform inspection at a unit,
those are the only three things that I pass over if they are NOT the
most current one (that is, as long as the Scoutmaster is the current
Scoutmaster, the Patrol Leader is the current Patrol Leader, etc.
etc....it don't work if the Scoutmaster is really the Troop Committee
Chair!)
Everything else, as Kathie and you explained, should reflect the most
current status of the Scout or Scouter.
>Likewise, why wear all those knots ? I can understand that a Scouter may
>wish to wear the Eagle Scout knot, but the Arrow of Light gained at
>eleven ... is that <really> relevant ? Likewise, why not wear the
>highest award in each category rather than the whole string ?
>I guess what I am saying is who are we trying to impress here ?
Let me go back at this point to the thought processes of those three
groups and why I wear what I wear in all three enviornments:
There are those that want to wear only the "proper, BSA perfect" items
and then exercised extreme restaint in their wearing.
Their thinking is that the BSA says that "I must wear only what the
Insignia Guide says that I can wear, and only where it says that I
have to wear it at. Somebody will see the tiniest flaw on my shirts
and will "have me over the carpet" because of it.
The reason why I wear my uniform with the awards and knots and
everything else in the right place is so that I can illustrate to them
that some folks CAN wear the BSA insignia in the right place and STILL
have some personality in the placement of the insignia. For instance,
the comments I made about the OA Lodge flap. It is STILL BSA-perfect,
even if its not reflective of my current status. I have also one
shirt that I wear a "overtrained" strip instead of the BSA's "trained"
strip. It reflects my current status...*grinning* You'd be suprised
that very few folks will notice the "overtrained" strip, assuming it's
just that regular "trained" strip below the Commissioner patch. I
have YET to be "dragged on the carpet" because of it or the other
small flaws (other than the OA flap that I've mentioned earlier).
I also wear the shirt at any and all Scouting events where I feel that
kids would be there. It's important that kids see positive examples
of achievement from adults involved in the area.
There are others that wear as much as they are entitled to,
in some cases disregarding what the BSA's official statement (as far
as the Uniform Guide is concerned) are regarding wearing the right
things on the right shirts at the right times.
These people feel that since the local Council or the BSA "presented
them" or "awarded them" with it, they should wear it somewhere on the
shirt. These are the folks that wear EVERY Quality Unit patch ever
earned, every Interpreters's strip, and of course, every square knot
award.
I'm a little more realistic than that, Ian. I'll wear only those
square knots that are appropriate to wear for the appropriate
occasion. Why can't we wear the highest training award? The highest
religious award? The highest service award? Because according to the
BSA, "one award is no higher or has more precedence than any other".
We USED to have a chart, similar to the military "awards and
decorations chart" that illustrated in what order we should wear those
knots on the uniform. The problem was, that many Scouters felt that
their Eagle Scout award was MORE important than receiving the District
Award of Merit or the Silver Beaver; while other Scouters felt that
their attainment of the OA Distinguished Service Award is "it" and
wants to wear that particular square knot ONLY on their shirts.
The BSA finally gave up and stated that "Scouts and Scouters may wear
any or all of the square knots representing the awards they have
earned or received in the order designated by the wearer." This was
back in 1975 when this was stated and since then, the BSA kinda went
nutzoid with the expansion of the number of square knots to represent
Scouting and Exploring awards.
It would be hard to wear only ONE service award from twelve; only ONE
training award from nine or eleven; only ONE "Scout Award" from the
three or five. If your idea was adopted, that would mean that I would
only wear five square knots: an Adult religious emblem knot (even
though I have also earned a youth award); the Exploring Acheivement
Award (even though I have also earned the Eagle and the Arrow of
Light); the Commissioner Award of Merit (even though I have also
received the Scoutmaster Award of Merit and several other training
awards); the Heroism Award; and the Hornaday Award.
That does NOT illustrate my current status in the organization, which
is part of the reason why we wear those square knots. Nor does it
establish some connection with the youth members of our program, since
the only award I would be wearing (the Heroism Award), is the only one
that Cub, Scouts and Explorers would recognize...and most Scouts don't
even recognize that! The rest are "speciality" awards, awards in
which most Scouts or Scouters don't receive.
Not to say that if a policy was adopted, I would wear those few that I
was supposed to. But the entire intent of those awards, as Ed
mentioned in his posting (and it's a great posting!), is to stimulate
interest and curiousity in other Scouts and Scouters in those special
awards as well as a way to keep volunteers in the program since we
don't get paid for what we do.
And to serve as examples to Scouts and Explorers that yes, you too can
earn and wear those awards too!
As I mentioned, I don't wear EVERYTHING I'm supposed to wear.
Sometimes, I get those "everything" folks to listen to me because I am
similiarly decked. Sometimes it don't matter what ANYONE says to
them. You can only allow yourself to be an example of what
"consistant proper uniforming" is.
Finally, there are those I call "Scouter red", those that wear the
bare minimum on their shirts and get bent out of shape when someone gives
them something ELSE to wear on their shirts.
These people are a lot like my honies, Jessiann. They want to be only
known as a Scouter, and don't like to wear anything (even if
rightfully received) which would tend to "make them more important
than they really are" in the eyes of others. They feel that the
wearing of ONE square knot, or ONE Quality Unit award would make them
"something else" than just being one of many in the background.
Like I've answered my honies, Ian, the reason why the BSA awards those
knots and other devices to us is so it can spur us onward to do even
more work. That's really important to a volunteer agency like ours,
because we cannot pay our volunteers for the hours and days and weeks
that they give to youth. All we can do is to present them with a
small medallion or a plaque or a lapel pin. To help those others that
feel that "they're not appreciated", we encourage those that have
earned those awards to wear the appropriate knot emblem(s) so that
OTHER volunteers can see that "service in Scouting does pay", in a
tangible way over a period of time.
That's a long answer, Ian, and I don't really think that I've answered
all of your concerns. As a British Scouter that have been exposed to
America's Scouting program, you and other non-BSA folks can't
understand our "obsession" with insignia, patches and devices to wear.
I don't have a lot of answers there on why we feel so strong about the
things we wear...to coin a phrase from a cereal commercial, "we just
do!"
Settummanque!
--
Settummanque, the blackeagle... (MAJ) Mike L. Walton (
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