It says here we have reached 1,100 posts so this is one after that but given this last week was quite an important one in all forms of Scouting and I ought not to forget The Boys and Girls Brigades too, it was right to continue with that series of posts.
We've looked at scouting in the past, today in world many of us would never of thought would of turned out the way it had and the third strand, the things I've done that relate to that.
For some of us 1979 was a important year in our own development, finding new interests, spending my first ever day in Keswick rambling, finding out more about myself, even enjoying parading.
Things in scouting were different, some such as safeguarding and having clear plans for activities for the better not that they should be a barrier to having fun and learning new skills, others such as what from my vantage point is a lowering of uniform standards more regretable.
It certainly isn't that we should be hung up on uniforms, the involvement and committment of children and young people do count for more but for more formal things such as parades, receptions and award giving, being smart does matter.
This applies across both Scouts and GirlGuides.
The Cubs and Brownies and Scouts and Girl Guides in this picture look smarter than many today which isn't just about the uniform itself - although I have my reservations with elements of that like what resemble jogging bottoms, jeans and lycra shorts for Brownies for instance - but also the way it is worn.
While from the point of view of real uniformity - which is why we generally have uniforms I'd sooner all of these Beavers were in short trousers, actually for wearing a modern uniform they can and no doubt were aided to look smart on parade.
It does go to show that even accepting a few changes, some scout groups do manage to get what was second nature to us back then not just in Scouts or Guides but at school too.
Can we have more of that and some consideration of how a uniform looks in such situations?
