And for good reason. Lord Baden-Powell felt British soldiers in South Africa were woefully inadequate at basic outdoor skills and developed Scouting as a ‘game with a purpose,’ the purpose being to teach skills that would be helpful in the military.
Baden-Powell first suggested uniforms that looked like South African constables, with a broad-brimmed khaki hat, a neckerchief, a shirt with sleeves rolled up most of the time, shorts, stockings held up by garters, and comfortable shoes.
That uniform appeared on the cover of the 1910 U.S. Official Handbook for Scouting.
By the 1911 Handbook for Boys, the uniform was replaced by an Army uniform. Not coincidentally, Sigmund Eisner, of Red Bank, N.J., whose company manufactured uniforms for several of the world’s armies, had just become the BSA’s official uniform and equipment supplier. The BSA was required to make minor changes to its uniform during WWI to avoid confusion with ‘doughboys.’
Certain countries have changed their Scouting uniforms over the last 20+ years to remove any semblance of the military, like Finland’s t-shirt and beanie. Not so female Polish Scouts, unless they’ve recently dropped the wide black leather belt, the heavy boots and thick wool socks, military peaked cap, and grey skirt and military dress uniform top.
Past uniforms, the organization into Troops and patrols, with salutes and pledges and oaths, and Scouts using military surplus gear, added to the claims of militarism.
Let’s face it - if you’ve been in Scouting as long as I have, you know of more than one Troop where the ex-Military leaders have decreed camo BDU pants the official “Class A” Troop uniform, or added berets as part of the uniform. The Scouts march to a cadence. A military name tape has been added to each Scout’s uniform. The Scouts wear Desert Storm-type boots, and “drop and give me twenty” commonly comes from the Senior Patrol Leader’s mouth.
When a non-Scouter sees that Troop, he or she would be hard-pressed not to think ‘militarism.’
When a non-Scouter sees that Troop, he or she would be hard-pressed not to think ‘militarism.’
I don't like seeing these kinds of things and remind the "leaders" of proper uniforming. But you're correct in that many don't take the time to correct these appearances and it serves only to reinforce the notion that the BSA is "militaristic".