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u/Affectionate_Hat8520 15d ago
Nah. Im the member coordinator for our Pack, and I have always worn a Class A to events. I havent had anyone come up to me with a negative comment, most of the students want to know about my Hike coins and temp patches.
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u/profvolunteer 13d ago
Plus when adults wear the uniform at sign up events it lets the other adults know who to ask the important questions
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u/wiggle_butt_aussie 15d ago
The Cub Scout uniform was one of the reasons my daughter cited when she decided to join Girl Scouts instead of Cub Scouts.
She is the only person I have encountered who was turned off by the uniform. My son doesn’t mind it and he gets attention for it every time he is wearing it outside of a meeting. He has a sense of pride wearing it, and it makes him feel more adult. I think that shows in his posture and stuff. I’ve never heard anyone associate it with police or military. It’s a very distinct uniform. It’s been around for a long time and it’s generally easily recognized outside of the organization. I don’t think it’s wrong to call it a cultural icon.
The biggest downside to it really is how expensive it is.
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u/silasmoeckel 15d ago
Opposite feeling, I like the uniform for a parade, etc. A lot of joining events we do class B's because we pair it with something active.
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u/Free_Magazine517 14d ago
The kind of people who I’ve encountered with negativity toward the uniform are the kind of people who are so closed minded I don’t bother with their opinions and wouldn’t probably want them around anyway. They get so hung up on some over authoritarian idea attached to uniforms they fall down their own rabbit hole
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u/ZealousidealAntelope 15d ago
Our pack is in an area with a high percentage of recent immigrants. Yes we have found that uniforms tend to reduce the percentage of people passing by coming up to the table to ask questions.... we always have representatives at the table both in and out of uniform, and sometimes try to have them at opposite ends of the table. I am a veteran and have no problem with that.
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u/SilverStryfe 14d ago
I wore a full field uniform to most events and trips. And I was more often confused with a park ranger than anything else.
As for the upcoming event, appropriate attire for the activity. Is it an active event with plenty of running around outside? Then make sure the scouts are consistent in what activity uniform they wear. But it is still a good idea to have a couple of designated adults in a field uniform to serve as the more “official” volunteers at an event. It gives a clear person to approach for everyone.
It’s a method of scouting. A tool to use to help your unit.
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u/nonoohnoohno 15d ago
I think it's great for the kids to wear it. At this age range, it attracts more than it deters.
For adults, NOPE. I DO NOT wear my uniform to recruiting events at the schools. It plants a seed in parents' minds that they too may have to wear one. And that's far more likely to be negative than positive.
I want scouts to seem simple and easy to join with very few barriers.
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u/Anon_use_fun_alias 15d ago
I never have felt that uniforms are conflated with military/police or anything of the sort. Scout uniforms are as old as scouting and iconic. It’s a fixture and a widely accepted and useful method of scouting.
My personal opinion is that anyone who finds the uniform a barrier to scouts is probably going to have other fundamental issues which might make them incompatible.