New Class A/"Field" Uniforms?

[BPwannabe@137 10]

OK-something to think about.

 

I went to the Supply Division website and checked out their info.

 

1. Nothing on a new webelo uniform.

2. If you read their customer survey form, they ask:

"Next time Supply Division changes the Boy Scout shorts and pants, what would be the most important consideration in your opinion?

 

Large Cargo Pockets

A generous fit

100% cotton fabric

Blended high-performance fabric

Made outside the USA to lower the price

Be very simple to lower the price

Change the color

Don't Know/No Opinion "

 

and they also ask:

 

"If the BSA were to make a change to the uniform shirts, what would be the most important consideration in your opinion?

 

Don't change anything.

Change all uniform shirts (Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing) to the same color.

A generous fit

Blended high-performance fabric that is cooler

Made outside the USA to lower the price

Be very simple to lower the price

Add more construction features like pleats, Velcro, vents, and a yolk (shoulder panel)

Don't Know/No Opinion "

 

Note the first words "When" and "If". It sounds like they are going to change the pants for sure and do something with the shirts, but not go outside the color scheme of tan, blue or green.

 

Note: About two years ago this survey asked about changing the ball caps and they did : they lowered the crown so they didn't look so dorky (this was one of the options, although they didn;t use the technical term "dorky"). I voted to change to all green but alas, I lost that battle.

 

Maybe I am spending to much time on this but uniform is image and image is very important.

 

[Bob White 20]

You can pretty well bank on the fact that the uniform will change in the future, after all it has changed before in the past and no one ever said that the current incarnation is the final one.

 

Whether it will be near-future or far I personally have not heard any official word (not that I am privy to everything that happens out of national by any stretch of the imagination). You can pretty much figure that it will not happen before the 2005 Jamboree. I would think that the folks at the national office have enough on their hands right now.

 

But if I were a marketing genius I would wait for the 100th Anniversary in 2010 and introduce the new uniform on or near the anniversary to help draw media attention to both events.

 

One last thought, this entire thread and all the concern over what's going on with a new uniform grew out of hearsay shared in a conversation between youth members. If the scout who offered the rumor to TI Lifeguard had any actual connection to the national office or to anyone who had actual knowledge of any real facts it was not shared in the post. What lead TI to think that this Scout from NY had any factual advance knowledge of such an event is unkown to us.

 

Be very carefull not to be drawn into such flights of whimsy. Just because you see it posted on the Internet do not be so hasty as to consider it worthy of concern.

 

When the change comes we will change with it. Some more easily than others.

 

Happy Scouting,

Bob White

[JimmyD 10]

I thought that survey has bene there for a good while.

 

I think cargo pockets would be nice and also all 3 programs having the same uniform.

[Bob White 20]

Do not expect to see one uniform for all ages. Teens do not want to dress like 9 year-olds and 18 year olds do not want to dress like 12 year olds.

[JimmyD 10]

I guess its true but would be cheaper espically for BS and venturing.

[Bob White 20]

How do you figure that??

 

When a cub is a webelos and outgrows a blue uniform he can get a tan one next and wear it into Boy Scouts. By the Time a Boy Scout outgrows his 2nd, 3rd or 4th shirt he can go to exploring where they do not even need a uniform or can wear whatever they choose to call a uniform. How would one color cut the cost? Unless they can manufacture a one size fits all uniform that never wears out, kids will continue to grow out of one and need another.

 

 

[scoutldr 732]

Correct me if I'm wrong (i don't doubt that you will), but I thought the choice of uniform for Webelos was up to the Pack, not individual boys. Webelos dens will wear either blue or tan, not a mix. Same procedure as a Troop voting on choice of neckerchief, headgear, collar out or folded in, etc. Hence the term "uniform"...

[JimmyD 10]

Well if the kid is dual registered in a venture crew and they decided on the kelly green uniform then he'd have to have 2 uniforms. Thats what I ment. SO instead of having to wear 2 only weareing 1.

[Eamonn 61]

The change from the blue shirt to the tan shirt is up to the parent of the Webelos Scout.

[Bob White 20]

Eamonn is correct. All that is required is that the scout be in Webelos. It is not a group decision by the pack or den, it is up the the family.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[Eamonn 61]

It always strikes me as odd that uniform threads see so much action.

For the most part I don't see it as being that important. Not important to me what it looks like. I will admit that I am happy that OJ missed Tigers, I don't like t-shirts that much and t-shirts that are the same color as the cones on the hi-way just don't match any of my shoes. Still I thought that the little Guys looked good and it was easy to find them. I remember how proud both Her That Must Be Obeyed and I were when he put on his Cub Scout uniform and again when he wore the new tan uniform when he was a Webelos Scout. He does have a merit badge sash, but I don't remember him ever wearing it.

When Her That Must Be Obeyed was doing some sorting the other week she found my old English Scout Leader shirt. I tried it on and was surprised when it still fitted. She can be very ruthless, she was kind enough to let me take it off before she stuffed it into the bag that was heading for the Goodwill.

I will admit that every-time I visit the Scout Stuff page I fill in the survey and say that I'm all for the cheaper non USA items. The other week OJ needed two pair of shorts and it put a hurting on my wallet.

I have the red wool jacket. I hope that it never wears out as I can't see me ever buying a new one.

While I have not heard anything about any changes to the uniform, I suspect that if and when it does happen we will be looking at something that everyone will says looks like something that hailed from a fast food chain. I don't think it will make any difference to me. I can't see me wearing a grass skirt and a couple of coconuts. I don't have the legs for that.

Eamonn

[Chippewa29 13]

I came to the forum to post a new thread, but I'll just tack onto this one. It is along the same lines. Last night at our committee meeting, a couple of parents were complaining about the kids needing to wear a uniform, especially during the summer. One of the dads said that when he went to training last year, they talked about how the required parts of the uniform were the shirt, socks, hat, and belt. To me, that went against everything I had heard for years.

 

Could someone please post a link to an official site (BSA Supply Division, etc.) that gives the official definition of what a Scout uniform is? Otherwise, a couple of people on my troop committee are going to try and create a troop policy on what uniform actually should be (in their opinion).

[boleta 10]

If you want to know what is included in the field uniform (sometimes called the class A), look at your youth inspection form. Inspections are required twice yearly in Boys Scouts to get Quality Unit. Points are taken off for missing parts of the uniform, INCLUDING pants. Many of us who are sticklers for the proper wearing of the uniform think that blue jeans and other irregular pants look silly with the Boy Scout uniform.

[FScouter 24]

How many points are needed to pass the inpection required to earn the quality unit? How many boys in the troop are required to pass?

[NWScouter 9]

Hold the fort. There is no requirement to have or pass uniform inspections to earn the Quality Unit Award. Not a requirement in any level at all. Here is the link to the 2004 Boy Scout: http://www.scouting.org/nav/enter.jsp?s=by