Adult Uniform Rant and Request
In 2008, GSUSA rebranded themselves (AGAIN) and one of the (never-ending) changes was the Adult Uniform.
This is the FULL extent of guidance given to Adult Volunteers:
As you can see above, even their own propaganda doesn't have it pictured correctly. The woman above doesn't even have on the scarf OR pins!!! That website does have 3 scarves that I haven't seen for sale this year though, so that's pretty exciting. Those scarves have been out for a while.
Even before this change, many leaders didn't wear the previous adult uniforms because of cost or just lack of interest.
When I was a leader in 2003-2005, my "uniform" was a GS T-shirt or GS Polo shirt. I don't remember what the Official Uniform was back then, but I think it was something from Land's End. For one ceremony I wore a black business suit, but only because the meeting was right after a job interview. I felt awesome that day, setting a good example of looking professional and dressing up for an appropriate occasion.
I know many leaders don't even attempt to wear the "official" adult uniform and opt for a GS T-shirt instead. Many don't even wear pins. I totally agree that painting and hiking and baking do not require a suit and heels, but if we are ToGetHerThere, we need to be setting an example.
I am the only one I've ever seen in real life and it's even hard to find a leader in uniform on the internet much, except for Anna Maria.
Sometimes I feel like I've dressed up as an elusive unicorn or something else that you never see. So far I've worn my scarf with a navy blue dress (no picture) and pins and the Official Cardigan set which is in reality cost prohibitive for the average American, but I got during the Summer Blow Out event for less than $5 each.
and now my standard thing is a navy blue wal-mart blouse with the scarf , pins, NICE jeans and NICE belt, because IMO, "business attire" is open to interpretation, and if Teachers can wear jeans as their work attire, so can I, because my "business" is most comparable to Teachers. Plus, I'm in the mid-west, and jeans are business attire here! Here I am in my Unicorn suit. The necklace is the 100th Anniversary reproduction of the necklace given to the First Lady of the US who is Honorary National President of the GSUSA.
In this picture I'm wearing a Boy Scout Woodbadge-Style leather Turk's Head knot called a Woggle. I tied it myself. I do own the official Silver slide now, but leaders need to know that that $14 doesn't have to be spent. You can just tie a knot in the scarf itself or make a Woggle. I'm working on some prettier, more feminine woggles to share soon. Before I made this woggle, I tied the scarf with a black hair rubberband and clipped on a pretty green earring. Better than nothing!! Maybe my next post should be about alternatives to expensive Scarf Slides.
Please send me pictures of you in your adult uniform with permission to share here on my blog. I would LOVE for this blog to come up as a source of pictures when Google Images is searched for "Girl Scout adult Uniform", instead of the smutty halloween costumes that pop up now.
The email address for sending pictures is ScoutDork@gmail.com
The email address for sending pictures is ScoutDork@gmail.com
Hi! Thanks for your post. I was just contemplating an "official" adult uniform since everything on the GS website is onsale for the holidays. I led my scouts in a Veteran's Day parade earlier this month and was very disappointed in myself when I saw the pictures of us next the the Boy Scout contingent! For most of our meetings and events I wear a GS tee, or I have a longsleeve mock neck I wear with a fleece vest that I keep my "patches" and pins on. (Because where else do leaders out their annual early registration patches?? And leaders earn badges for Fall Sales too!)
ReplyDeleteI was definitely looking for a REAL leader wearing the navy shirt and scarf combo to see where my volunteer pins belong in that scenario. Your uniform looks great! Exactly how I want to be set up for our next parade. THANK YOU AGAIN!