It’s uniform season!

soccerteam_200Spring is finally here, and with it comes all sorts of outdoor activity. Driving home from work I pass by several churches, schools and city parks. At one church Friday afternoon, the middle school baseball team was having their practice. The city park was set up for soccer, and there were boys and girls from kindergarten on up playing in contests and at practices. Baseball diamonds were filled with all manner of games from tee-ball to fast pitch. A lacrosse game was underway at the high school as well.

I couldn’t help but notice that every one of these teams was in a uniform of some sort, whether it was their game uniforms, practice t-shirts or warmups. Each team wore the same color and style and it served to identify the team and the individual players on it. The coaches had the same team garb on as well. Continue reading “It’s uniform season!”

Scout uniforms: Uncool?

A few weeks ago I discussed the advantages of being a uniformed troop. Following this method of Scouting is important to keep your Scouts looking, feeling and acting like an actual Boy Scout troop and not merely a collection of adolescents who go camping.

But what if they feel it’s uncool to wear a uniform?

A recent post on Scouting Magazine’s blog considered the situation where older Scouts were not only reluctant to wear their uniforms in public, but were actually told by their Scoutmaster not to, Continue reading “Scout uniforms: Uncool?”

Do you look like a Scout troop?

Every now and then, I have a chance to visit another troop, and when I do, I observe how they operate compared with other troops (and our own). I pay attention to who is leading – the Scouts or the adults; I look to see what the adults do during the troop meetings; I observe the structure of the troop meeting and how the patrols are organized. But one thing I always notice is the way the Scouts and adults are dressed. Continue reading “Do you look like a Scout troop?”