Boy Scout kilts

[Matty Ross]

I just wanted to add my picture to this thread. As I have mentioned before I am a 25 year veteran in Scouting and a two time Wood Badger. I am also looking forward to being on Wood Badge staff next year. I plan to wear my Kilt most of the time.

[beloitpiper]

The name O'Reilly and his blue shirt would tend to point to a catholic member of Scouting Ireland. OTOH, wearing tartan rather than solid kilts would almost tend to make me think they were protestants and in the Scouting Association, except that the SA have never worn blue shirts AFAIK and their current rules at least wouldn't allow tartan in NI unless they were all of Scots descent (which of course most of the protestants are, but not all). Not trying to be divisive really, just trying to ID them as one faction or the other, out of curiosity.

They are Catholic. This was a mural painted on a Catholic school in Belfast I visited.

[Packhound]

Scouting is one of the reasons that I became interested in wearing a kilt. I am Woodbadge trained (I used to be a Beaver). and originally intended to wear my kilt primarily with my uniform. I am also the Scoutmaster for my unit. I have decided against wearing the kilt with the uniform at troop functions because the uniform policies of the BSA do not make provision for the kilt with the Boy Scout uniform and I want to promote the wearing of the complete uniform, not just the uniform shirt with jeans. However, I am also the SPL for the upcoming Outdoor Leader training and plan to wear my kilt that weekend. (The setting is not as formal.)

BSA policies DO allow for Venturing Posts to select their own garb for the lower half. The Post associated with my Troop has no problems with the kilt so I may just start wearing the dark green Venturing shirt with a kilt to non-troop functions. The more of us that properly wear the kilt with a Scouting uniform (Venturing shirt), the more likely that policy may change to allow for the kilt to be Official BSA Field uniform. BTW, I have only seen pictures of BSA members wearing a kilt. No one in my area wears a kilt to my knowledge.

[randal]

The MacLaren tartan is a connection to the beginnings of Scouting as we know it today, world wide. Where allowed, the kilt and appropriate tartan in association with the Scouting uniform, pay homage to those beginnings.
Personally, I think there are still too many hangups in American Scouting regarding kilts. Perhaps a good dose of education, "exposure" to the kilt and even wearing the kilt would change the minds of those in charge.
BTW, my son is a Tiger Cub and I'm the Cubmaster and a Den Leader. For November we will be wearing our kilts at the monthly Pack meeting as part of the heritage theme for the month and encouraging the other scouts in our Pack to wear the dress of their heritage.
As soon as I get the opportunity to complete Woodbadge, I'll also get a MacLaren kilt and wear it when appropriate.

Cheers

[Jamais Arriere]

Being a committee member in our troop, I'm not required to wear a uniform so I wear a kilt and one of our troop t-shirts. Usually my olive UK. I do wear oneto roundtable with a class A upper and some folks had things to say but they quit when I told them if they didn't like it they could just fire me. I'm a woodbadger and staffer also. "All critters are good!" I'm expected to show up kilted to WB activities with my pipes. I do wish BSA would see fit to allow it as class A

[Matthew Siegmann]

I do wish BSA would see fit to allow it as class A

As a 10 year vetern Eagle Scout, I agree. I wonder what it would take to convince the BSA to add a kilt (perhaps the MacLaren Modern) as an official part of teh Class A uniform. Perhaps bring back the old Garrison BSA hat to wear with the kilt!

I actually wore my dad's garrison cap at my Eagle Scout court of honor with my full uniform.

Ugh... my bone to pick with the scarf however is the fact that we had to roll those things every time we wore them... pain in my rear and from what I could tell that was not something scouts for the better part of 60 or 70 years did...

Thus endeth the rant.

[kenNYG]

Well I have a new group of young men and ladies that are joining the Venture group. They want to be kilted too. We have been accepted now by our fellow scouters.

[GMan]

Well I have a new group of young men and ladies that are joining the Venture group. They want to be kilted too. We have been accepted now by our fellow scouters.

Wonderful news!

[kiltedlawyer]

I agree. Anything that gets the kids excited about wearing the uniform is a good idea!

[EagleJCS]

I'm an Eagle Scout, a Wood Badger (I used to be a Bear...), former Scoutmaster and a 32-year Scouting veteran (since age 8). I've received just about every volunteer award in the district/council except for the Silver Beaver. I'm currently registered with my home troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster.

I only wear my kilt (Scott red modern) with my uniform (khaki-tan) shirt when I'm piping. That provides enough connection/reason for my local council to let the uniform guidelines slide. I have been told (by the professional staff) that the rest of the time I'm to be wearing the official, authorized field uniform ("Class A") as outlined in the Insignia Guide, or the activity uniform ("Class B"), when a uniform is called for.

I live in a council where many leaders think just the uniform shirt is OK, and they'll wear jeans or slacks instead of uniform pants. The Council is trying to get all of the registered leaders to wear the uniform correctly, including the uniform pants, especially in front of the boys. (The arguments against puchasing/wearing them are: "They're too expensive", "I don't want to get them dirty", "They don't fit right", etc.)

It's been explained to me that, regardless of our personal preferences, the BSA guidelines are fairly clear regarding the uniform, and anyone not following the guidelines is not following the program, as laid out by the National Council. Since the BSA is a private, voluntary organization, and owns the image (and therefore the uniform and all of its parts*), it is conceivable that any volunteer not conforming to the uniform guidelines would be asked - at the very least - to change into the complete uniform, or out of whatever uniform parts they were wearing and into 'civilian' clothing. At worst, the individual would be compelled to leave the organization.

I have read of an incident a few years back where a registered leader (volunteer) wore the uniform shirt with camouflage pants to a high-profile (read - the press were involved) council event. On his way in, he was asked by his Council Executive (the local top-level professional BSA staffer) to change into uniform pants or remove the shirt. The gentleman refused and was subsequently escorted off the premises by the police and barred from further membership and participation in any other Scouting event in that council. An extreme example, to be sure, and we don't know if there were extenuating circumstances (past history?), but the Executive was within his rights to do so.

All that being said - and I apologize for being so long-winded - Venturing is a different animal from the Boy Scout program, and - from my understanding, not being a Venturing leader - Crews are allowed to choose their own uniform, as long as the local council approves. If your crew chooses to and is allowed to wear the kilt, more power to 'em!

Kilt-wearing in other Scout Associations around the world (Ireland, the UK, etc.) is subject to their own regulations. There is no over-arching authority regarding uniforming.

Yours in Scouting,

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* That's why any Scout-issued badges/patches have to have the fleur-de-lis and/or 'Boy Scouts of America' or 'BSA' on them. (One of my Assistant Scoutmasters has designed patches for our local council and explained that guideline to me as it was explained to him).