All
The thorny question of uniforms raises its head again. With anything like
this the question of why has to be answered and if it cannot then there is
no good reason. Once the question of why has been answered we have to answer
the question of how. So why uniform. Simple, a uniform makes a group of
individuals easily distinguishable (and as a subsidiary more controllable).
It also marks them out as part of a team. Sports teams usually have official
club wear for the players even when they are not on the playing field. Young
people do not like wearing uniforms - wrong! How many young people have to
be dressed in the uniform of their favourite team or have to have Levi
jeans, Nike trainers etc. How many of the gangs wear "uniforms". Most I
would suggest. When I went to college, a long time ago, it was not
acceptable amongst the students to wear smart clothes because that was
conforming. As a true nonconformist I wore a 3 piece suit <g>. I suggest the
problem is not one of uniform but one of being seen to conform to the mores
of "them".
Would discipline suffer if uniform was abolished? - probably, because the
non wearers are aware that they look like a bunch of raggle taggle gipsy
oh's (cue fer a song, Duane) and behave as such. One of the reasons that the
first uniformed organisation, the Boys' Brigade was formed was to help
improve discipline so that the boys could be presented with the gospel more
effectively.
So how? Make sure your programme is attractive enough for boys/girls to join
and stay. Set up a uniform store from which uniform is loaned while the
boy/girl belongs to the organisation. This worked well for the Air Training
Corps to which I used to belong (mind you it was backed by the Royal Air
Force who provided the uniforms <g>).
I believe the question of uniforms is a red herring which masks other
problems. Dig deeper!
BoW
-----Original Message-----
From: Benjamin Wolfson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: 27 June 1999 23:47
Subject: [RR] UNIFORMS
>My outpost is considering eliminating uniforms from
>
>the weekly meeting. I am concerned about this.
>
>Please post your thoughts on this.
>
>Thank You!
>
>
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