Boy Scout kilts

[macwilkin]

Terry, while I had not heard of the proposal for a British Sikh regiment, it does make sense. There are, after all, still Gurkha regiments in the British Army (for all that they were originally raised under the Raj), besides the Gurkha/Gorkha units of the Indian and Pakistani armies. (Do they even serve Nepal any more?)
British folk might have reservations about Sikhs fighting for Queen and country, but I would far rather see Sikh militancy being expressed by means of an infantry regiment under the Crown than on the streets of England and Scotland.
Regards,
Mike

There are also Gurkhas seconded to the Sultan of Brunei and Singapore. I'm not sure of their status with Nepal following the change of regime.

The author of the novel The Sand Pebbles, Richard McKenna, had a number of references to Sikh policemen in the treaty ports of China during the late 1920s. At least one is seen in the opening shots of the movie with Steve McQueen.

T.

[Downunder Kilt]

Hello All,

I think that there is more than one issue here, but unfortunately all the different strands have been woven together and throughly mixed-up.

1 Each National Scout Association has the right to set its own rules within the broad framework of Scouting. Included in this is Uniform Regulations. What one country does or allows has no bearing on another country. Rich countries tend to set far more stringent regulations. I have met Scouts from a poor African country, who's uniform was the neckerchief and a shirt that was 'broadly within the colourway'.

2 Lord Baden-Powel never wore a kilt. But in the UK any member who claims Scottish ancestry may wear the kilt. No birth certificates are required, a simple declaration by the Scout (Scouter) is enough.


Chas

Chas, I must take offence with the statement "Lord Baden-Powel never wore a kilt." We know that no one can find photos of him doing so, but to say that he never wore one is over the top. I know that there are no photos of me wearing a nappy but I wore one. Out right statements like the one you are making only inflames, there are, in my opinion far better ways to get the point across that evidence cannot be produced.

[Chas]

Chas, I must take offence with the statement "Lord Baden-Powel never wore a kilt." We know that no one can find photos of him doing so, but to say that he never wore one is over the top. I know that there are no photos of me wearing a nappy but I wore one. Out right statements like the one you are making only inflames, there are, in my opinion far better ways to get the point across that evidence cannot be produced.

I am tired of this - read the WHOLE thread. I have produced enough evidence and more than once. You are entitled to your own opinion, you are not entitled to your own private truth.

Lord Baden-Powell never wore a kilt. I will keep on saying it, because it is the truth. If the truth inflames you, well that is something that you will have to deal with.

Regards

Chas

[Downunder Kilt]

Chas I have read the whole thread and as you seemed to have lived with Baden Powell every minute of his life so as to know what he did wear/did not wear then I bow to your superior knowledge of the mans life

[Kilt-alope]

absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Logic 1101. But if BP did or did not wear a kilt does not have a significant effect on it being uniform for Scouts.

[macwilkin]

absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Logic 1101. But if BP did or did not wear a kilt does not have a significant effect on it being uniform for Scouts.

Again, try using that line with a PhD or MA committee. It may be "Logic 101", but it doesn't necessarily fly when presenting research. I was taught at university that if you can't cite a source, you don't present it as fact.

T.

[Kilt-alope]

I'm not trying to quote anyone, a statement of logic needs a much citation as a mathematical occurrence. 2+2=4, no matter who said it first. I may have been overly simplifying my statement that it is more difficult to disprove an event then stating that you have no evidence that it occurred. This is an internet forum, not a PhD committee. Would you like me to continue my explanation with examples?

[macwilkin]

I'm not trying to quote anyone, a statement of logic needs a much citation as a mathematical occurrence. 2+2=4, no matter who said it first. I may have been overly simplifying my statement that it is more difficult to disprove an event then stating that you have no evidence that it occurred. This is an internet forum, not a PhD committee. Would you like me to continue my explanation with examples?

Yes, it is an Internet forum, but when dealing with historical topics, I was trained to cite my sources. As an educator and a librarian, I am obliged to so, regardless of the venue.

T.

[Mike_Oettle]

Let’s stop arguing about whether Baden-Powell wore a kilt. This is really flogging a dead horse. From where I’m looking at the evidence, he never did.
But that is not what this thread is about. Is the kilt suitable in Scouting? Most certainly.
Was it worn in the early days of Scouting? Yes.
There is the fact that kilts are not always easily obtainable, and that it would be unreasonable to expect boys (in certain troops) to acquire them.
But this argument does seem to be trotted out in cases where this circumstance does not apply.
Trouser-obsessed people on executive bodies who have their own hang-ups about kilt-wearing use these hang-ups, combined with the poverty argument, to beat down any and all reasonable applications from Scouts and Scouters who wish to wear the kilt.
I say trouser-obsessed – there is the factor that khaki shorts were the original Scout uniform, and were usually worn by B-P.
I certainly wore khaki shorts as a Scout.
But there seems to be a trend against wearing shorts, dictated by fashion.
Whether the objections to the kilt have any bearing on the shorts issue is not, I feel, a relevant aspect.
Regards,
Mike

[Kilted Jeeper]

can anyone provide documentation of BSA's "offical" position on the kilt? I have read through this entire thread but that was one piece I did not see.

Thanks