Perhaps one of the most well-known features of a scout is their uniforms. Because of this, a uniform is one of the ways that communities identify a good citizen. The uniform gives Scouts an identity in a world of youth who believe in the same ideals. Since the beginning of Scouting, there has been a uniform. Furthermore, wearing a uniform is a constant reminder to all scouts of their commitment, their duty to do good and their country, and their duty to themselves. Much like many other components of scouting, the uniform has changed greatly including when girls started joining Scouts BSA.

Your Two Uniforms and How to Get Them

In scouting, there are 2 uniforms commonly referred to as a Class-A and a Class-B. The Class-A is a dress uniform that you can purchase for around $100 from the scout shop in Bethesda or online from the national Scouts BSA website. The Class-B is a casual Troop T-Shirt that can be purchased from the troop treasurer for $20.

Dress Uniform

The dress uniform is worn by all members of Scouts BSA and consists of a tan uniform shirt, forest green pants, and a green belt. This uniform is our most commonly used uniform because we wear it to all of our meetings, service projects, to and from campouts, and any other activity where the girls want to be known as members of Scouts BSA. This uniform is made of machine-washable material that works well for both indoor as well as outdoor events.

You can take this page with you to the Scout Store located at 9190 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: (248) 530-9360. The stores hours are 9 am-6 pm Monday-Friday, 10 am-4 pm Saturday, and closed on Sundays.

• Scouts BSA Girls Uniform Shirt, Khaki Short Sleeve: SKU# 649681, $34.99
  This is a lightweight tan short-sleeve shirt. Get a shirt with the Council and International patches already sewn on.
• Scout Youth Polyester Microfiber Switchbacks Pants: SKU# 612118, $44.99
  These are lightweight forest green pants with zip-off legs so they can become shorts! These are tough pants required to protect the legs when hiking and camping. You can also buy some of the other bottoms such as skorts or the pants that roll up into caprese, but these are required.
• Green Scout Web Belt with Buckle: SKU# 606884, $12.99
  This is a forest green, adjustable web belt, bearing the Scouts BSA logo.
• Forest Green Shoulder Loops: SKU# 64017, $4.49
  These are the dark forest green loops that will slide on to the epilates on the shoulders.
• Scouts BSA Uniform Coolmax crew socks: SKU# 610336, $7.99.
  These are very durable forest green socks that go with the uniform.

There are many other items available for purchase at the Scout Shop however, it is recommended to only buy the items listed above at first. Do not buy a neckerchief or hat as those will be provided by the troop. And badges that you might earn for advancement will be provided to you by the Troop Treasurer. The cost of these patches are covered by your dues.

If you can’t visit the Bethesda Scout Shop, you can shop online using the above product numbers at https://www.scoutshop.org/.

Casual Uniform

The casual uniform, or Class-B, is a t-shirt designed by one of our Scouts that has the scouting logo as well as our troop number and the Scout Oath and Scout Law. This shirt can be purchased from our troop treasurer at regular troop meetings or by emailing the troop treasurer at ScoutsBsaDcGirls+Treasurer@gmail.com. The scoutmaster staff will indicate when this uniform should be worn. 

When to Wear Your Uniform

Being in Scouts BSA is something to be proud of so we wear our dress uniforms to every troop meeting, when traveling to and from scouting events, when completing service projects, marching in parades, and touring places. We wear our Class-B’s when doing projects or activities that will require us to get dirty such as summer camp and other times when the scoutmaster staff or Senior Patrol Leader notify us.

How to Sew On Patches to your Uniform

Throughout your time in scouting, you will earn many badges, most of which are cloth. We recommend that you sew these badges onto your uniform however, there are other alternatives such as a product called badge magic or velcro. If you are having trouble sewing on patches neatly, you can take your shirt or merit badge sash to a tailor and have them sew it on. Needle and thread, however, is the best way to go. Some people have a parent or friend with a sewing machine. Getting their help can be really great because the patches go on very straight and look neater. The Scoutmaster Staff know the names of some tailors that will sew them on with machines if you want – just ask them.

Something important to note: when you go to the scout shop ask for a shirt with the US flag and council and international patches already sewn on. You will get a special troop patch that has our number and city on it from the Troop Treasurer.

So where do all of your patches actually go? Below are some diagrams that show where the basic patches you need are sewn on. The first picture shows what your sleeves should look like.

This picture shows you where to sew-on the patches on the front of your uniform:

Last, you will purchase a Merit Badge Sash once you start earning merit badges. The image below demonstrated the placement of badges on your sash.

For more information on badge placement visit Scouts BSA’s guide to awards and insignia, click here!