BSA Uniform Shirt "Made in China"?

[evmori 11]

The sad part is we will continue to pay a high price for uniforms awhile the BSA has a larger profit margin. It would be the right thing to do to pass the savings down to the volunteers but since this is big business, I doubt we will see this happen.

 

A little story. The wife & I were shopping for Easter dinner stuff yesterday at Giant Eagle (local food chain). We picked out a leg of lams & were talking to one of the butchers about the best way to prepare it. While he was telling us he notice the price on the leg of lamb was $0.20/pound higher than it should be. He went & repriced it for us! Now that's keeping the customer 1st!

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[OldGreyEagle 5]

OK Ed, I realize this is picking at nits, but as a non-profit organization, the BSA can't have profits, they can however, have revenue in excess of expenses. The CFO of the last hospital I worked for taught me that. Of course, that was when the hospital was being sued by the local school district challenging its tax exempt status.

[evmori 11]

Yeah I know that OGE. But is the Supply Division part of the non-profit or do they operate outside that arena?

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Good question, I don't know

[cindelicato 10]

I found this thread because, like the first poster, I found for the first time "Made in China" on uniforms this afternoon.

 

 

I fully understand the need to follow Capitalism, but here's the question: if the uniforms are cheaper to make and ship from overseas, why hasn't the price come down? The prices charged are what the market will bear, for sure, and as such lower costs overseas makes sense (even if it means less jobs here at home).

 

So when do we, the consumer, reap the savings?

 

 

[talen333 11]

Hey All,

I just bought 2 new shirts, 1 was cotton-poly blend the other was 100% cotton. The blend was made in china and the cotton was made here. I don't know if I just got an old made in the U.S.A. or if they are mixing it up and using multiple vendors for different types of clothing.

 

[jmeyers 10]

Along this topic, I am hearing that there are going to be new uniforms in the next couple of years, which will kind of take away the eBay option, for those wishing to stay current.

 

Anyone heard this also?

[cindelicato 10]

==Along this topic, I am hearing that there are going to be new uniforms in the next couple of years, which will kind of take away the eBay option, for those wishing to stay current.==

 

The only hint of that is my Council's Scout Shop will have a 2-for-1 sale on Switchback pants beginning April 15. Guess they're going out of style now.

[GMitch 10]

Last fall I replaced my old shirt from 1995. The new one is Made in USA. I shelled out the $100+ for a new Jac-Shirt a week ago. As if the price wasn't bad enough, the "Made in China", added insult to injury. American patriotism has gone the way of new world economics, even in BSA.

[Gold Winger 9]

" As if the price wasn't bad enough, the "Made in China", added insult to injury. American patriotism has gone the way of new world economics, even in BSA."

 

Woolrich Jac-Shirts are being made in China!

[evmori 11]

You can, I think, still buy BSA uniforms from Penny's catalog & Dunham's.

[Eamonn 61]

I never have looked at the uniform as really being what to wear for activities.

Sure the shorts, socks, belt and a t-shirt is about all we need for most everyday Scouting activities.

As long as the full uniform didn't get too silly, I was OK with it and wearing it.

My big gripe has always been the cost.

 

When I got up on my high horse and complained, some people tried to explain to me that the cost was because not only was the uniform made in the USA, but it was also Union Made in the USA.

Some time back there was a lot of media coverage about companies who were using overseas workers to make goods and the workers were working in terrible working conditions for very low wages. I remember all the fuss there was when a line of clothing endorsed by Katy Lee was found to have been made by young kids who were being exploited.

While I still moaned and complained about the cost of our uniforms, I was happy knowing that they were made by union workers here in the USA.

While some people don't like Unions, over the years there has been a close relationship with trade unions and the BSA. Many of the people who volunteer as Scouters do belong to a union.

I seem to remember that on my last visit to Heritage Scout Reservation (Owned and operated by Greater Pittsburgh Scout Council) I nearly tripped over a in the ground sign that stated a union had donated a building.

A number of Unions have over the years supported Scouting at both the National and local level.

Somehow I just don't see the guys in China doing the same thing! Sure in the short term someone is going to bring in a few extra bucks, but as the economy in China and places like China grows the costs of goods will increase and we will not only have to pay the extra, but will along the way have lost the support of a good many people here at home.

At the end of the day we the volunteers are between a rock and a hard place.

We of course want to set the right example to the youth we serve, but if the Scout Shop is the only place to buy uniforms and they only sell garments that are made by non-union workers? What do we do?

I really do hope that who ever is in charge of making the contract for the manufacturing of these clothes has made sure that the people who make them are working in good working conditions and are not being exploited.

Can you imagine the headlines if (And I say IF!) it came to light that Boy Scout Uniforms were being made by kids of ten or eleven years old working in sweat-shops?

I think this is a big mistake and we need to return to having uniforms made here in the USA by union workers.

Eamonn.

[John-in-KC 311]

I'm willing to pay a premium price for quality.

 

That implies Supply Corporation knows how to produce quality.

 

I'm willing to pay a premium price for US made quality.

 

Supply Corporation, are you getting the point!?!?!?!?!?

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Pssst Eamonn, thats Kathie Lee, as in Kathie Lee Gifford, married to Frank Gifford.

[Eamonn 61]

OldGreyEagle

Thanks.

You as ever are of course right.

I need to watch more daytime TV?

Ea