Sent: February 15, 2001 6:08 PM

To: webmaster@scoutscan.com

Subject: Fwd: Uniform

--- In SCOUTSCAN-Issues, "CanRanger " <kanew@hotmail.com> wrote:

I submitted a letter to the "Leader Magazine" regarding the uniform

and Scoutings image in the community they chose not to publish it.

So I mail Mr Elsworth a letter of my own and here it is.

I had the opportunity to read your article in the "leaders

Magazine" on the uniform. In November I submitted anarticle on the

uniform and the role of scouting in it's community. Unfortunately

the "Leaders Magazine" is selective in information and opinions it

allows to be heard.

I submitted the letter at the suggestion of a room full of

scouters takeing their Crew part 1. After voicing my opinion on the

topic they thought the points were valid and deserved exposure to

prompt open discussion in the scouting community.

As you should be awarestatistics can be interpreted in many

different ways, I would see the survey results in a different light

then yourself. I would again suggest the lack of satisfaction the

youth express with the uniform is because we have failed to impress

upon the youth its importance in representing ,us as an

organization. As well we have failed to install a sense of pride in

the youth for the uniform and what it represents. Finally we have

failed to maintane a profile in the public eye, the same public eye

that use to look upon scouting with a respectful recognition instead

of a puzzled ignorance of our movement.

There was a time when scouting meant learning through challenge

and personnal growth, that which we can see in the very mottoes each

section has. Now it seems to be more about instant gratification. I

will not dsmiss the need to consult the youth, but on some topics we

have to trust the age old wisdom of BP's original goals, to build

character in the youth the program serves. If the youth want instant

gratification and to only have mindless fun then we should simply

stoock our meeting halls with Sony Playstations. Kepp in mind Mr.

Elsworth if I asked my scouts what they would like for breakfast at a

camp they would say poptarts, if I did not teach them better. In

closing if we could look to the uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted

Police; the red tunic, Stetson and riding pants are no longer

practical, but when asked to appear in public even plain clothed

detectives jump at the chance to wear their dress uniform. The

reason being, because of the pride behind it and its international

recognitoin no more recognition then scouting as a movement. if we

have done our job right our youth will be proud to wear their uniform

and the public will see their pride in the way they conduct

themselves, not as any other youth group, but as a scouting youth and

all the vitues it intails.

I welcome all and any comments.

Abe Elias

Leamington Rover Voyageur Crew Skip

ADC Rovers Essex District

Kanew@hotmail.com

--- End forwarded message ---