Adventure! Troop 97
www.troop97.net
Welcome! (home)
Site Map
Site Index
A Brief History of the Boy Scouts of America 1910 to Today (continued)
Scout Uniforms
Boy Scout and Varsity/Venture Scout Uniforms
Early Uniform. The first Scout uniform was an impractical copy of the US Army uniform of 1910, which disregarded the far more practical English uniform designed by Baden-Powell. The early BSA uniform had no neckerchief, and Scouts generally wore knickers with leggings and a button-down coat with metal insignia. Scouts and adults both wore their rank insignia on their hats (adults were allowed to earn merit badges and ranks right along with the Scouts).
1922-1981 Uniforms. In 1922, the BSA modernized its uniforms to a style we would recognize today. Coats and leggings were dropped, and neckerchiefs were added. Scouts could wear knee socks with either shorts or knickers (trousers replaced knickers in 1943).
Until 1943, all Scouts wore campaign ("Smokey the Bear") hats. At that time, the field (overseas) cap (popularized by World War II soldiers) was added. Red berets and baseball-style caps joined the options in 1972. Also in 1972, the BSA changed almost every uniform insignia, making them multi-color, standardizing the shapes, and adding wording to explain what they signify. Brightly colored patches replaced the old black-on-red patrol medallions, and merit badges received colorful backgrounds (replacing a uniform khaki background).
Current Uniform. In 1981, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta designed a more attractive Scout uniform (at no charge). The more stylish new uniform maintained a clear Scout identity in its appearance, but used more rugged material and added colored shoulder loops. The most striking change was the switch to a two-color uniform (something many other countries have long had). A tan shirt and dark khaki-green trousers replaced the old medium khaki-green shirt and trousers (which in turn had replaced a medium khaki-brown). In 1989, along with the other changes largely restoring the pre-1972 program, the BSA changed its rank and office insignia so that they more nearly matched the pre-1972 insignia, keeping the wording but replacing the multi-colored backgrounds with backgrounds matching the tan shirt color.
In 1990, the BSA added an optional and impractical "activities uniform" in addition to the standard field uniform (like the leggings of the 1950s, the expensive activities uniform never caught on, mainly because Scouts also had to own a field uniform for more formal occasions). But if you look through the 10th Edition of the Boy Scout Handbook (1990-98) at the hundreds of photos and drawings of uniformed Scouts, you'll have a hard time finding anyone wearing the field uniform as BSA tried to sell the new option.
In the early 1990s, the BSA discontinued its unpopular knee socks, replacing them with shorter khaki socks with a red band at the top. In 1995, responding to complaints (mostly from adults embarrassed about their ugly legs, I suspect), the BSA brought back the knee socks as an option.
Shoulder Loops. Today's Scouts and Scouters wear colored shoulder loops to indicate the branch of the Scouting family to which they belong. Cub Scout leaders (and Webelos Scouts who choose to wear the Boy Scout uniform) wear blue loops (other Cub Scouts and Tiger Cubs do not wear loops), Boy Scouts and their leaders wear red, Varsity Scouts and their leaders wear orange, Venturers and their leaders wear green, District and Council Scouters wear silver, and Regional and National Scouters wear gold.
The Most Important Change. With all these many changes, you know what is easily the most important one in the uniform's nine-decade history? It's permanent press! Until the mid 1960s, uniforms were wrinkle-prone cotton or itchy wool. Ironing might last an hour or so (sometimes minutes). Modern, cotton/polyester permanent-press materials are a big improvement.
Varsity/Venture Scout Uniforms. Varsity Scouts who belong to a Varsity team have the option of wearing the standard Boy Scout uniform with orange shoulder loops and Varsity Scout insignia, or they can wear a Varsity Scout T-shirt with non-uniform brown trousers. Venture Scouts, and Varsity Scouts in a troop, wear the standard Scout uniform with a "Venture" or "Varsity" strip above the "Boy Scouts of America" strip.
Cub Scout, Webelos, and Tiger Cubs Uniforms
Cub Scout Uniform. The blue Cub Scout uniform has changed little since 1930, except for Webelos Scouts. Many minor changes have occurred at about the same time as similar changes in the Boy Scout uniform, including the switch from knickers to trousers (in 1947, four years after the Boy Scouts) and the switch to permanent press. Oscar de la Renta redesigned the Cub Scout uniform at the same time he redesigned the Boy Scout uniform, but the changes were minor, the most significant being the change from "beanies" to baseball-style caps.
Webelos Uniform. The Webelos Cub Scouts of the 1950s and 1960s wore only the Webelos den badge on the standard Cub Scout uniform. In 1967, they were given special Webelos insignia, neckerchief, and hat. Beginning in 1984, Webelos Scouts got the additional option of wearing the standard Boy Scout uniform with Webelos hat, neckerchief, insignia, and blue shoulder loops.
Neckerchiefs. The yellow Cub Scout neckerchief was originally worn by all Cub Scouts. In 1967, Webelos Scouts got a special plaid neckerchief. In 1984, the yellow Cub Scout neckerchief became the Wolf Cub Scout neckerchief, and Bear Cub Scouts got their own light blue neckerchief.
Tiger Cubs Uniforms. Tiger Cubs used to wear an orange T-shirt with an iron-on Tiger Cubs logo. Not surprisingly, Tiger Cubs now wear the full Cub Scout uniform with a special Tiger Cubs neckerchief.
Venturer/Explorer Uniforms
The early Senior Scouts and Explorer Scouts wore the same uniform as other Scouts. Sea Scouts and Air Scouts had uniforms appropriate to their programs. Explorers of the 1950s had a forest green uniform. Later, a blue blazer "uniform" was allowed, and the forest green uniform was dropped. Today, most posts wear no uniform beyond jeans and a printed T-shirt. Even Sea Explorer ships have total freedom to design their own uniform. Career Awareness Explorers have never had a uniform. The new Venturing program has restored the forest green shirt (now called spruce green) with green shoulder loops and gray shorts or trousers as an optional uniform.
Looking in the Crystal Ball
General Changes
Transition. The Scouting program has been in transition since the abandonment of the disastrous 1972-78 "Improved Scouting Program." This period of transition and adjustment is likely to continue for quite a while, as the Boy Scouts of America tries to put the losses of the 1970s behind, and adapts to changes in our society.
Conservation. From 1910 until 1972, Scouting's outdoor program officially used a traditional "Daniel Boone" approach, with strong emphasis on heavy-impact pioneering and camping skills. With shrinking wild areas and increasingly heavy use of what wilderness is left, all organizations that promote the outdoors have been changing their approach. Starting in 1972, Scouting began a major transition toward a new (low-impact) outdoor ethic, culminating with the issue of the 10th Edition of the Boy Scout Handbook in 1990. As a result, modern Scouts use the outdoors very differently than Scouts did during Scouting's first 62+ years. Today, more Scout meals are cooked over camping stoves than on wood fires, tents have floors and mosquito netting (and are never "ditched"), packs (with frames) are lighter and much more comfortable.
Other Adjustments. There will be other adjustments as well: as Scouting adjusts to changing social standards on the roles of men and women; as Scouting adjusts to increased competition for a boy's time; and as Scouting seeks to enroll more minority members in its programs.
Measuring Success. From 1910 until 1972, the BSA measured much of its success by its ever-increasing membership statistics. Although the massive losses of the 1970s are behind us, Scouting membership is currently at the same level as the mid 1950s, nowhere near its 1972 maximum level. For the next 20 years or more, the Scout-age population is expected to remain fairly stable, and there will be increasing competition for boys' time. This adds up to a long period of stable (limited growth) membership levels. Adjusting to limited growth will be extremely difficult for the BSA, which is psychologically as well as structurally designed to equate success with growth. The minimal growth in traditional BSA programs will cause the national office to begin making changes to the traditional programs more often, and to add more non-traditional programs in an attempt to increase membership in areas not reached by traditional programs. We have already seen more program changes, more new programs, and shorter development periods in the past two decades than in all of Scouting's first seven decades.
Minorities. Scouting has always effectively reached the white middle class, but it has never been as successful with those outside the middle class or with non-whites. From its earliest days, the BSA has made many different efforts to expand its outreach, and it is likely to increase these efforts for the foreseeable future. In particular, look for a number of new, non-traditional programs designed to increase membership among minorities, especially among the rapidly expanding black and hispanic populations.
Scouting in the Future
Boy Scouting and Varsity/Venture Scouting. Boy Scouting has changed less than either Cub Scouting or Exploring throughout its history, and this is likely to continue. Advancement requirements will be updated and uniforms will be adjusted, but the troop of 2020 will probably not be very different from the troop of today. Varsity Scouting has not been very successful, not surprising since sports-oriented boys can get "real" sports through school and recreational programs. The programs for high school aged young men, both within the Boy Scout troop and within the Venturing/Exploring Division, will continue to struggle to find the key(s) to reaching young adults of this age.
Cub Scouting. Cub Scouting was a three-year program for 52 years. But in only five years, it expanded first to a four-year program, and then to a five-year program. The BSA added the first totally new Cub Scout program (Tiger Cubs) since the gradual introduction of the Webelos program began in 1941. In the 1980s, they made significant changes to the Wolf and Bear ranks, and made the most significant changes to the Webelos program in 20 years. You won't have to wait another 20 years to see more changes. Look for more changes in Tiger Cubs, as BSA continues to integrate this program into the Cub Scout pack (the recent changes in Tiger Cubs were predicted more than ten years ago in an earlier version of this study).
Expect further overhauling of Wolf and Bear, and further formalizing of the Tiger Cubs program. Also expect more overhauling of the two-year Webelos program (already reduced from 24 months to about 21 months). I believe that Cub Scouting is facing significant increases in its already-high dropout rate because younger boys will now have almost five years instead of three to become bored with a program that is not camping- and outdoor-oriented. The Webelos program still offers extremely limited emphasis on camping and the outdoors. I believe the 21-month Webelos program will soon experience an even higher dropout rate than the old one-year program (which was about 50%). From my bias as a Scoutmaster, I believe Cub Scouting would be more effective if it provided significantly more emphasis on camping and the outdoors than it does now. I find it instructive that Girl Scouts, Campfire, and YMCA Indian Guides all do more camping and outdoor activities at this age than either Cub Scouts or Webelos Scouts are allowed to do.
Cub Scouting in 2020. Some out-on-a-limb predictions by the year 2020:
- the Tiger Cubs age will be lowered to Kindergarten, and Tiger Cubs will be more formally combined with the Cub Scout pack program (this has already started)
- Wolf and Bear will be extensively modified, and the age lowered to 1st and 2nd Graders
- Webelos Scouting will become a separate three-year program within the Cub Scouting Division with its own Webelos Scout pack for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders; they will have a much more camping-oriented outdoor program; and they will be more closely associated with a Boy Scout troop
- the entry age for Boy Scouting will eventually be lowered to age 10, at least for boys who have earned the Arrow of Light; perhaps the 10-year olds will be organized into a Webelos Patrol within the troop, somewhat similar to the 11-year-old patrol in LDS troops (formerly called the Blazer patrol). Indeed, this has already happened in part, as some Webelos are earning the Arrow of Light in their first year, then joining a Scout troop around the end of 4th grade].
Coed Scouting. Exploring (now Venturing) started the transition to a coed program in 1969, becoming more or less fully coed in 1971 (except for Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow). Scouting in more and more western countries has gone coed at all levels over the past 35 years. The BSA is unusual in holding out. My prediction: coed Cub Scouting and coed Boy Scouting will not happen in American Scouting before 2020, and probably not for many years beyond that (if ever). This is partly because the US tends to be more conservative than most other western countries, and it is certainly partly due to opposition from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormon church), whose church-run units represent 21% of BSA membership, giving them a powerful influence on BSA programs and policies.
A Final Word
Making predictions has been fun, but it has been hard to keep them current since this brief history was first written in 1984. I am pleased at the accuracy of most (but not all) of my predictions (including coed Order of the Arrow, coed adult leadership, changes in the Varsity, Cub Scout, Webelos, Tiger Cub, and Explorer programs, Scout use of camping stoves, and others). Indeed some changes (such as coed adult leadership) have occurred much faster than I had predicted.
Watching Scouting change since I first joined has also been enjoyable, even if some of the changes in Scouting and in our society are disturbing. As it has for almost 100 years, Scouting today provides a strong moral and ethical foundation that helps boys become good citizens and leaders of tomorrow. It is safe to predict that Scouting will continue to provide that same foundation.
For more information about the history of the BSA, check for these books in your local library (which were all used in preparing this brief history):
- Murray, The History of the Boy Scouts of America (1937)
- Oursler, The Boy Scout Story (1955)
- Bezucha, The Golden Anniversary Book of Scouting (1959)
- Peterson, The Boy Scouts An American Adventure (1984)
- National Cub Scout Committee, History of Cub Scouting (1987)
- BSA, A History of Wood Badge in the United States (1988)
- Davis, A History of the Order of the Arrow (1990)
- Hillcourt, Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting (1977)
Last Revision to This Page: 5 April 2007
Copyright © 1996-2007 by Troop 97 BSA
|
|
