Those red berets

[CalicoPenn]

John-in-KC,

 

According to an article in the October 2002 issue of Scouting Magazine, when the Oscar De La Renta uniform was introduced, troops had a choice of three headgear options for the uniform: The new baseball-style cap, the "smokey bear" campaign hat and the .... Red Beret. I think that answers the question as to whether the Red Beret was an element of the De La Renta uniform.

 

CalicoPenn

[John-in-KC]

CP,

 

Thanks. OK, the WB Staff can have their Parlour Scouts red berets, and they can conduct a legitimate uniform inspection.

 

As for me, pass a boonie hat please.

 

DING DONG THE BERET IS DEAD ... THE BERET IS DEAD ... THE BERET IS DEAD ...

[VentureScoutNY]

 

scoutldr has it right. With high and tight hair-cuts the beret could look really sharp, fros don't work too well. I own a beret but have never worn it with the uniform, its more of a collectors item. The overseas hat has always suited me well, but I had better have sun tan lotion when its sunny out, and a pair of sunglasses.

 

I am a real big fan of the Vintage Campaign hat. The older ones that were somewhat crushable, a lot less stiff than today's. I wish BSA would make a crushable campaign hat again. But I have to admit, I have never stuffed it into a backpack due to the fear that it mihgt not ever look the same! I have so many though that I might as well give it a try.

 

Either way it all comes down to what the boys want to wear, or WB older boys!

 

YIS

 

[greywolf]

CalicoPenn wrote that according to a 2002 Scouting magazine article, "when the Oscar De La Renta uniform was introduced, troops had a choice of three headgear options for the uniform: The new baseball-style cap, the "smokey bear" campaign hat and the .... Red Beret."

 

That's sort of correct. But not quite the history.

 

The beret was part of the 1972 uniform revision that included new materials, slight color change, the American flag, and brightly colored insignia. If my memory serves me correctly, units had four choices. They could elect to wear the beret, the campaign hat, a solid green pseudo baseball cap with a fleur de lis, or continue wearing the 1950-1960 era overseas cap.

 

In 1981, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta designed a more stylish new uniform. He added epaulets and colored shoulder loops, the switch to a two-color uniform - a tan shirt and dark khaki-green trousers replaced the old khaki-green shirt and trousers. With this uniform change, the overseas cap was abandoned. The pseudo baseball cap was replaced with a real baseball cap (of the style of 1981) that was two toned. I believe the beret continued as an option until 1989 - could someone verify that?

 

I'm sorry I can't describe the 1072 "pseudo baseball cap" option better. It was a visored cap, but it was definitely not a baseball cap.

[kraut-60]

Hi Greywolf, I was a scout in 1972 when berets were brand new and I was horrified by the first photos I seen of scouts wearing them. Keeping in mind that the year was 1972 most teenage boys as well as most scouts sported longer hair, the berets looked down right goofy to me as they appeared to be flying saucer shaped and the black ribbons at the back just seemed out of place.

 

I wore the older overseas or "flat-hat" cap and didnt even consider getting a beret based solely on its rather peculiar appearance. I did get the first widely issued billed cap which was olive all over with a gold yellow FDL on the front, and it was NOT made as the baseball caps are today.

 

I have in my posession a copy of the official uniform inspection sheet dating from thr early 80's that shows and describes the official headgear as a choice of 1) Red beret 2) Ball cap 3) Overseas cap and, 4) Campaign hat. This same Insp. Rep. showed the uniform to be the "Oscar" style which we still have with us to this day.

 

Even though this is not about berets, I would like to let all know that the overseas/flat-hats that have a solid gold/yellow FDL were made during the late 70's-early 80's and some even featured a red diamond instead of the more common olive-tan diamond.

 

Even though I am not a beret wearer, I support all scouts and scouters who choose to wear one. Heck, I'm just happy to see a scout in uniform...wearing the official hat..alright!...wearing an older official hat?...WAY COOL!!

 

Oh, before I forget...in 1972 I still had to wear my hair rather short at my Dads "suggestion" so I probably would have looked better than the "hippies" wearing a beret....I remember as a prank we sent several berets up the flagpole at summer camp using the black ribbons on the back as ties...looked funny, but not as funny as the pair of LARGE tighty-whiteys someone else sent up on the last friday of camp.

[Trevorum]

Greywolf, welcome to the forums!

 

I think it safe to say that the beret enflamed passions - for and against - far more than did the previous overseas hat or the campaign hat. That is wonderful for haute couture but perhaps not the best thing for a uniform part that you want everyone to wear. National finally got the message about the beret. (I wonder how long it will take them to get the message about the rest of the fashionable but non-functional "Oscar" uniform).

[ScoutsForLife]

So, the infamous red beret debate is back....

 

I received a vintage red beret (almost in my size) for Father's Day to replace the one I had as a scout back in 79, and I noticed something odd: It is an official BSA beret, but the BSA logo is missing from the front of the hat. Also, I can see no evidence of the patch being removed. Was this hat available at one time with no insigina, or am I the proud new owner of a modified beret?

 

Chris

[pllevine]

Guys:

I've been "lurking" around and reading the forums... but this one caught my nostalgic spot...

I started in the Scouts in 1970 and was active until I moved out of state in 1990. My son just received his Wolf Cub rank and I found my ASM uniform shirt (with Arrow of Light, old CSP, and Eagle) and that weird pseudo-baseball hat. They called it a Kepi Cap.

I still have photos of me in the old forest green uniform with overseas cap, pocket flaps with buttons, ect... I remember when the red berets came out and had mixed feelings of wanting to laugh when I saw a troop go by wearing them (yes, the red hairy mushroom thing) or thinking that I should go find one at the Scout Shop...

Now that I've been asked to become ACM for my son's pack, I suppose that I'm going back into uniform. What is the proper headwear?

 

 

[Jeffrey H]

Now that I've been asked to become ACM for my son's pack, I suppose that I'm going back into uniform. What is the proper headwear?

 

 

For the CM or ACM, there appears to be no standard cub leader hat.  There is a cub leader bush hat for the outdoors, but not practical for indoors.  For the den leaders however, they can elect to wear the same hat as the boys wear in the den (according to the cub leader manual).

 

So I guess the short answer is wear any official BSA (past or present) that your comfortable with.  Check our www.scoutstuff.org and see what you like.