The Shirt
In our Troop, the most important part of the Scout Uniform is the Scout Shirt.
“The correct wearing of the Uniform and smartness of turnout of the individual Scout makes him a credit to our Movement. It shows his pride in himself and in his Troop. One slovenly Scout, on the other hand, inaccurately dressed may let down the whole Movement in the eyes of the public. Show me such a fellow and I can show you one who has not grasped the true Scouting spirit and who takes no pride in his membership of our great Brotherhood.”
– Lord Robert Baden-Powell, “Scouting for Boys”
You may hear members of our Troop refer to this as the Field Uniform shirt or the “Class A” shirt. Scouts wear their “Class A” shirts to our Troop meetings, during our week of Summer Camp, and at all special functions year-round. The Class A is worn during all flag ceremonies.
The Scout Shirt serves as the centerpiece of the entire uniform. On his shirt, a Scout will wear shoulder loops (dark green) to signify he is a Boy Scout and patches that will identify him as a member of the Golden Empire Council and Troop 115. In addition, he will wear patches that signify his rank, position of responsibility (POR) in the Troop, and Patrol Patch. He may wear the Arrow of Light if earned as a Webelos Scout. He has the option to wear the World Crest badge, which represents the World Scouting movement. If elected into the Order of the Arrow, he will wear his Lodge flap on his shirt as well. He will also have the chance to wear a variety of special event patches throughout his Scouting career.
Refer to the BSA Insignia Guide HERE for proper patch placement.
The Neckerchief
Perhaps the most recognizable Scout item in the world, the neckerchief is an important part of the Troop 115 uniform. Our Scouts wear their neckerchiefs with their Scout shirts at all of our meetings from September to June, during our week of Summer Camp, and at all special events year-round.
In 2016, the Troop voted to design a neckerchief specific to our unit. The Scouts selected a yellow neckerchief with white piping and in the bottom corner, an embroidered Phoenix. This neckerchief will be issued to all Scouts who join our Troop. It is not available online or in the Scout Shops.
As for a neckerchief slide, Scouts have the option of wearing any slide they choose. Scout Shops carry the traditional BSA metal slide, which works well. We encourage our Scouts to create their own slides and use them as often as they’d like.
Pants/Shorts/Belt
As Scouts in our Troop are between the ages of 11 and 18, they are all growing boys. Scout pants or shorts that fit one year may not fit the next. Like other parts of the Scout uniform, Scout pants and shorts are not cheap. As a result, we do not require our Scouts to own official BSA pants or shorts. Of course, you are welcome to outfit your Scout in the official pants if it fits in your budget.
Scout Socks
Just like Scout pants and shorts, we realize that official BSA socks are more expensive than other available hiking socks. If you’d like to buy the official BSA socks, that’s great. If you choose to buy hiking socks from another retailer, that’s fine too. You may find similar socks in an almost identical shade of green that will work perfectly for less money.
“Class B” Shirts
Rather than unnecessarily soil their Class A field uniform shirts, Scouts will often be allowed to switch to a “Class B” activity shirt. Typically they’ll wear our Troop 115 t-shirts or any other Scouting related t-shirt (summer camp, Camporees, OA, etc.) during active events at troop meetings and while at Summer Camp. One Troop 115 shirt is currently provided to scouts each year through their dues payment.
We plan to order new Troop 115 t-shirts each year so that new Scouts have a chance to receive their first “Class B” shirts while our veteran Scouts can add to their collection (or upsize as they grow!).
When the Troop reconvenes for opening or closing flags, we return to our “Class A” uniform shirts and neckerchiefs. Of course, there are plenty of opportunities (Church Cleanups, Service Projects, and camping trips) to wear the “Class B” shirts throughout the year and “advertise” for the troop!
Before You Buy
Before you rush out to buy any part of a uniform, be sure to check with the Troop to see if we have any available uniform pieces in our Uniform Lending Library. As boys tend to grow throughout their Scouting careers, they often need a larger shirt at some point after joining. As a result, there are occasionally smaller shirts available for our newer members. We only ask that if you borrow a uniform piece, you return it to the Troop for someone else to use when you no longer need it. Of course, if you have any extra pieces of uniform (borrowed or not), we’d appreciate any donations you would like to make.
If you are in the market for a new Scout uniform, you need to visit the local Scout Shop:
River City Scout Shop, 251 Commerce Circle, Sacramento, 95814, (916) 649-1800
If you know what size you need or don’t feel like driving to the Scout Shop, your second option is to buy the same uniform pieces from the National BSA site: www.scoutstuff.org.
The third option for uniform pieces is eBay. Searches for “Boy Scout Uniform” typically show over 1,000 results. You’re likely to find something that meets your needs for less than you’d pay at the Scout Shop.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, DON’T HESITATE TO ASK!
BSA Troop 115 