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I don't think I agree the uniform resembles the FFL; their dress uniform is a dark/khaki trouser, white shirt, necktie (tucked in), rank on sleeves/collar, huge fringed epaulets (although they are red), and those pillbox hats. The FFL field uniform is typical DPM.

 

I suppose with all the countries in the world, and all their military forces, with all their various dress/ceremonial uniform combinations, we could probably find one, somewhere, that matches the current BSA uniform exactly, and shout "A-HA!". But, I don't think that's the point.

 

Essentially, BSA National knows what the Congressional charter says, and the current uniform, as far as they're concerned, meets the spirit and intent of the charter language. As long as a Scout/Scouter is wearing "it" and not accessorizing/substituting with surplus military junk, the Jedi Knights in Irving can determine whether or not the uniform too closely resembles the "Enlisted Summer Garrison Dress Uniform Combination (minus tunic) of the Reserve Dragoon Battalion, Armadillo Regiment, Bolivian Army".

 

 

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KoreaScouter, I can't stand it anymore...is there really an armadillo regiment in the Bolivian Army? This issue of camo is getting touchy locally because one scoutmaster's son wears it nearly all the time. I am not sure how much I should object but the DE doesn't seem to know the regs.

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I don't even know if Bolivia has an army, let alone an Armadillo Regiment! It was just an arcane, ridiculous fringe example to try to prove a point.

 

Without knowing your DE, I'll still bet he knows the regs, but is unwilling to engage.

 

I think whether or not you should object to a fashion issue in another troop depends on your position in the movement. If you're a district-level commissioner of some sort, I think you have an inherent responsibility to do so, up to a point, anyway. If, like me, you're a unit-level Scouter, I wouldn't opine unless polled or if the subject comes up at a roundtable or some other leadership forum. They probably already know it's a questionable practice at best; you reminding them is not going to change their world-view.

 

It's ironic. If my military experience has taught me anything over 26 years, it's that this whole thing is not a buffet line, it's a blue plate special -- you don't pick what goes on your tray, you get handed a plate...and it has vegetables on it. Wanna be a leader? You gotta be a follower too, unless you're the Commander-in-Chief.

 

Some of us in Scouting seem to want the camping, hiking, ceremonies, what have you, but want to spit up the bureaucracy, the uniform rules, and other things we don't like about it or disagree with. In other words, we wanna be leaders, but some of us don't wanna be followers, too.

 

Case in point, our troop hats. The Scouts designed them, so they're "cool", with very curved bills, low silhouette so they ride your scalp, and no plastic tab adjustment thing in the back. I think it makes me look like a 46-year old guy trying act 30 years younger, but I wear it because it's their troop, and it's their troop hat. Now, if I could find a 7 3/4 campaign hat for less than the cost of a 2nd mortgage, I'd jump all over that, but that's another matter.

 

KS

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