At this race, the first water stop was manned by brownies--evident from their brown sashes and vests. I cheered for Girl Scouts as I passed through and grabbed the water that seemed most convenient.
The second water stop was manned by older girls. I really love seeing older scouts at public events. So many people seem unaware that Girl Scouting extends past elementary school, so it's great when older girls are visible. The first girl I saw was wearing a blue T-shirt with her troop number in large letters on the back. Another girl wore a similar, but different colored T-shirt, and a third wore a white shirt with an official sash. I cheered for them, "Yay! Older girls!" then ran straight to the girl wearing the sash. As I grabbed the water I cheerily said, "I'll take the girl in uniform." As I continued along the race route, behind me I heard the girl in the blue T-shirt mutter, "This is my uniform."
That got me thinking about uniforms. Why was it important in that situation for a girl to be in a sash as opposed to a troop T-shirt?
What is the official uniform?
From the Girl Scouts website:
Girl Scouts at each level now wear one required element (tunic, sash, or vest) for the display of official pins and awards. Girls can mix and match pieces from the official Girl Scout collection to complete the uniform, or add items from their own wardrobes.
On another page:
Girl Scouts at each level have one required element (tunic, sash or vest) for the display of official pins and awards, which will be required when girls participate in ceremonies or officially represent the Girl Scout Movement.
Officially, a troop T-shirt is not considered a uniform. While girls may wear their membership pin with other clothing, the sash or vest is required to actually be in uniform.
What purpose does the uniform serve?
As indicated on the GSUSA website, one purpose of the uniform is to display official pins and awards. Why do we display badges? It is not to boast of our accomplishments. Juliette Low said ...You wear the badge to let people know that you are prepared and willing to be called on because you are a Girl Scout... Badges show others what you can do in service for them.
Merriam-Webster defines uniform as dress of a distinctive design or fashion worn by members of a particular group and serving as a means of identification.
By this definition and as indicated by GSUSA, the uniform is used to identify our movement and show that we represent Girl Scouting.
Let's play the Identify a Girl Scout game. I invented this game about 15 years ago when GSUSA was looking critically at their uniform system. At that time, both girls and adults were debating what an official uniform should be, with opinions varying from a completely matching outfit to troop T-shirts with a membership pin. To form my own opinion, I started looking at pictures that troops had submitted for publication or on the internet and asked myself this question - "If I were a member of the general public and saw this group, would I immediately identify them as Girl Scouts?"
Here are some links to pictures* so you can play along.
1) Here is the holy grail. Girl Scouts all in matching formal components.
http://www.darientimes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2013/07/Darien-Girl-Scouts-Gold.jpg
2) This is more often the reality. How many Girl Scouts do you see in this picture?
https://www.bnl.gov/today/body_pics/2012/10/girl-scouts-group-shot-1-720px.jpg
3) How many Girl Scouts in this one?
https://www.gsnnj.org/ShareYourStory/2014_8_5_12_11_52_85_PenPalpicture.JPG
4) Girl Scouts or some other youth group?
http://gsoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2014-KJ-creeking.jpg
After quite a bit of this sort of thing, I came to the same conclusion that GSUSA did--what makes us look like Girl Scouts are badges and insignia, not the underlying outfit. Hence, the only uniform necessary is a badge or sash. Of course, a troop will look far more formal if they also coordinate the blouse and skirt or pants, but that's not necessary for public identification as Girl Scouts.
What to wear when
Younger girls are generally very happy to wear their uniforms, whereas older girls often are more reluctant. Understanding the uniform's purpose can help convince them to wear what is appropriate.
- Official Uniform - sash or vest, coordinate other components based on the formality of the situation and budgetary constraints.
Since the uniform is about public identification and letting people know your skills, it should be worn whenever you are in the public eye or are likely to get media coverage of your activities. This includes community service (like the water stop at the race), cookie sales, when traveling on public transportation (subways, planes, trains, etc.), or at ceremonies or public events. - Matching Clothing - troop T-shirts or similar
Great for troop identification, but this usually leaves the public saying "were those Girl Scouts?" This is especially useful at gatherings of multiple troops. It can make it easier to identify your girls in a sea of other Girl Scouts. Throw a sash over it when you need to be official. - Street Clothes - whatever the girls own that meets the needs of the activity
Troop meetings, camping trips, or other non-public activities don't require uniforms. In addition, some program activities will not be safe with a loose sash or vest, so in those cases troop T-shirts or street clothes are called for.
I love talking to Girl Scouts that I meet, but the first step is knowing they are Girl Scouts and uniforms make that possible.
Smitty
*I used links instead of embedding the pictures to avoid copyright and privacy issues. I linked to the picture only so you would be seeing them without context to focus on the uniform issue. These are all pictures from public internet sites.
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