Uniforms

The word uniform is both an adjective and a noun; the noun being what we wear and the adjective the reason it is worn.

According to BSA literature: The uniform makes the Boy Scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community. Boy Scouting is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each Boy Scout’s commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting. The uniform gives the Boy Scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals. The uniform is practical attire for Boy Scout activities and provides a way for Boy Scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished.

Unfortunately the actual uniform the BSA offers is not consistent with any of the goals expressed above.

Wearing the uniform ‘in action’ is hardly ever practical. The prominent designer Oscar de la Renta graciously donated his expertise to the 1980 redesign of the scout uniform; a design that sacrificed practicality for aesthetics and has become woefully out-dated. The current uniform is reasonably presentable but the limitations of the design make it obsolete; Material- Shirts and pants are a poly-cotton blend that does not breathe well or dry quickly making it uncomfortable in the heat of summer or cold of winter. Cut and fit – Scout pants, shorts and shirts are cut for style, not for function. The fit is restrictive and uncomfortable for anything other than walking on level ground or standing still. Such a restrictive fit precludes layering for cold weather.

Colors- Tan shirts show every stain and bit of dirt. Cost – Shirts, pants and shorts run around $30.00 each. Add a neckerchief, insignia, socks, hats and a jacket and the total cost is approaching $200.00.

Insignia – Oversized, ostentatious and gaudy. A uniform that can’t be worn camping in all but the most temperate conditions, that restricts movement, shows dirt and is just plain gaudy fails to meet of its intentions.

Practical, long wearing, inexpensive, comfortable clothing is so readily available it is hardly surprising that the scout uniform is rarely seen outside official functions.

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