Scouts

[scotrace]

A really great Boy Scout source

When looking for information on learning rope spinning, I ran across this excellent site that has transferred all manner of old-school scouting manuals, books and other information to digital and offered it up for a click:

http://www.inquiry.net/toc.htm

A LOT of information.

 

[Scuffy]

Scotrace-

I just checked out that website. It's an amazing resource! If any of you guys have not stopped in to check it out- get to it!

 

[scotrace]

Glad you agree

This is the kind of stuff I wanted to do in scouting when I was a Boy Scout. By then (70's), it had already become either paper plate puppet making or pseudo camping trips with little supervision and predatory "advisors." It must have been the worst troop in the USA.
Dad wouldn't let me quit, so I started cussing at meetings and got m'self thrown out.
But the stuff at the site looks like a lot of fun.

 

[ltedge]

Uniforms

Another Eagle Scout here. As a troop leader I was very interested in obtaining a collection of old patches and uniform pieces to teach the boys about the history of Scouting. As such, I have a pretty extensive collection of patches and manuals dating all the way back to 1910, the year Scouting was introduced in America. The uniform that Deckard shows is from 1915-1920 timeframe. The patch on the left sleeve is actually a Scoutmaster patch that was produced between 1911-1920. I own several of these myself.

Scouting has changed with the interests of youth over the years, fotunately the basic principles of leadership, morality and self-reliance have remained as central teachings. I owe most of what I have accomplished to the foundations that scouting gave me.

 

[Trickeration]

My Vintage Boy Scout

Okay, here is one of my proud mom moments. My son in his 1950's Boy Scout uniform! He wants to get an older one going next. He really likes the earlier uniform with the campaign (smokey the bear type) hat. Thanks for letting me share.

 

[boomerchop]

Be proud mom!

He looks great! I had uniforms just like that in the late 60's and early 70's; before one of the "updates". I always thought the folf-down button front pockets were pretty nifty. What vintage is next? I always lusted after the campaign hat myself.

 

[jamespowers]

Very nice uniform. I think I had one of those. Does that make me old now?
I am done lusting after the campaign hat though:

Now which is the front and which is the side?

Regards to all,

J

 

[boomerchop]

Oh, very nice.

That's what I always wanted. We had a leader who had one. Of course he had all of the cool stuff. Dutch ovens, a fry pan that was about 24 inches in diameter, a canoe he built himelf, etc. A great scout and a great leader; he had been to Philmont, among other places.

 

[David V]

Okay, here is one of my proud mom moments. My son in his 1950's Boy Scout uniform! He wants to get an older one going next. He really likes the earlier uniform with the campaign (smokey the bear type) hat. Thanks for letting me share.

Boy! Does that take me back! One thing we did was to fold the collar under. The collar tips never were worn over the neckercheif as I so often see now.

When my son went into Cub Scouting I, of course, ended up as a Den Leader. What a shock I had when I bought my uniform. Cotton/Poly! ARRGG. What kind of rugged outdoor wear is that!

 

[jamespowers]

Boy! Does that take me back! One thing we did was to fold the collar under. The collar tips never were worn over the neckercheif as I so often see now.

That's right! I remember doing that as well.
Fortunately our troop had a bunch of old uniforms stored in the basement under the place where we met. Anyone who couldn't afford a new uniform got an old one for free. I got the shirt just because I liked the old on better.

Regards to all,

J

 

[David V]

Oh! And we wore the cap centered fore and aft and canted to one side OR dipped down onto the forehead...just like all the GIs did!

 

[Trickeration]

My son and I thank you for the compliments and the "how to wear it" it info. You know, I didn't notice it when I took the picture, but his collar does look funny that way. I think he had it tucked under at the Air Raid, though. He wore it there and then to his troop meeting the following Monday. Everyone loved it. At the meeting, the boys in his troop really liked the red piping on the pants, and the hat. For his leaders, it brought back memories. At there fundraiser banquet this Sunday, we dispalyed it, and again it made quite an inpression.

The uniform my son wants next is the one with the tan breeches that lace up the legs, and campaign hat. Like the one in the picture in the first post. Whenever we get to that point, I'll post pics of that one, too. Wish us luck, finding the right patches and such is a bear!

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Okay, here is one of my proud mom moments. My son in his 1950's Boy Scout uniform! He wants to get an older one going next. He really likes the earlier uniform with the campaign (smokey the bear type) hat. Thanks for letting me share.

Thank you for that photo, Trickeration! It brings back very warm memories. I wore one like that when I earned my Eagle in the '50s, except I wore canvas puttees over my spit-shined oxfords and bloused my trousers over them.

Later, in the '70s, I was a Scoutmaster, elected to OA, earned Wood Badge and was awarded the Silver Beaver. My son earned Eagle, in another troop?¢‚Ǩ‚Äùnot in mine.

As a Scoutmaster, I was a strict traditionalist. When camping (every other weekend in the warmer months) my Troopers wore their uniforms and my Bugler played Revelie every morning and Taps at bedtime. I took scouting seriously and my boys bought into it as much as I did. A lot of Eagles were earned in this troop.

Okay, now for a confession: I still wear my Scoutmaster's campaign hat when I'm out in the field studying the behavior of timber wolves in Northern Wisconsin. What's more, my Assistant Wolf Ranger (my grandson) wears his father's old campaign hat...and, you won't believe this: when my grandson brings along a friend, they wear a third campaign hat that I won on eBay. You can imagine the picture we make going down a forest road in my open Jeep!

Thanks for the Memories,all,

 

[Trickeration]

I'm glad this thread has brought back fond memories for so many. Thanks for sharing them with all of us.

Wolfmanjack-You should post a picture of your timber wolf rangers here. I'm sure the boys are older, they also love having the picture to look at and remember the time they spent with you.

Trix

 

[Matt Deckard]

bump...

 

[Trickeration]

I'm so proud of my boys!

My son's scout troop has finally started working with Fort MacArthur Museum. Last weekend they carried the banner for the fort during the Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade. Since Fort Mac is just getting their 'vintage troop' started, they didn't have actual 1930's scout uniforms yet, so I helped the fort use uniforms they had on hand to put together a someting that would look the part. They boys are wearing authentic 1930's army breeches and the hats are as old or older, and 1940's army shirts, leggings, belts and shoes. I tacked (to preserve the shirts) troop patches on the sleeves. All of the uniform pieces belong to the museum, and the troop felt quite honored to be allowed to wear them. My husband also marched with the fort wearing a 1939 army uniform.

They scouts had a great time and so did the people from Fort MacArthur. Now, besides our troop working at future events and learning the roll of the boy scouts during WWII, our future Eagles will be working on projects at the Fort, too. And we'll be working on building a collection of authenic Boy Scout uniforms for the museum to have available for our boys (as well as future ones) to wear.


Here's a picture of 'my boys'. Left to right, front row, my son Chris and his friend Derek. Back row, Lucky (a Pearl Harbor survivor) Matt, David (Derek's big bro) and my husband Rob. Next to it is a rough idea of what we were shooting for.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Me, 1972. Junior Troop 318, Abnaki Council.

I still carry my membership card in my wallet, hoping maybe I can get a discount on cookies, but it never seems to work....

 

[Radioflyer]

What a great time reading all these Scout threads! I'm a Scoutmaster and my son is currently working on his Eagle project. Just FYI, stopped in at Barnes & Noble recently and found they're reprinting Baden Powell's original 1908 manual in paperback...what a fascinating read...discovering what the guy really had in mind in putting the scouts together.

Love the picks of the older uniforms. My current uniform shirt is 100% cotton. About time they got around to giving you a choice of something other than those horrible blends. Love wearing the cotton now. I recently found a picture taken of me in my full regalia in front of my walltent at summer camp: circa 1966. I'll post it when I get a chance.

I only made it to Star in 1970, then went into a 'Radio Broadcasting' Explorer post where I discovered broadcasting...been in radio ever since. Thanks Scouts!!!

rf

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Seems like a good thread to show this shirt.

1933 scoutmaster's shirt with Jamboree patch. Zohar kindly informed me that "the two square knot patches denote that the shirt's wearer was awarded the Silver Beaver, and Silver Antelope awards, which are the highest awards an adult can receive for service to scouting."

 

[Viola]

I was in GS Brownies through to Cadette, but I don't think I ever even bought a Cadette uniform, we wore them so occasionally. I had a full Brownie and Junior uniform, but rarely actually sewed any badges on.

I wasn't much good at sewing, and my mom didn't have time; a lot of my badges were glued or stapled! lol

I was struck by how much nicer my parents' Scout books were than mine. Mine had shinier pics but the info in it kinda paled in comparison.