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HISTORY OF HAT SCOUT
Is an element of a world uniform scout?
In preliminary, it seems important to us to say that there is not a standard of uniform scout on the level of world scouting. Each association or national organization scoute, member of the O.M.M.S, determines his own uniform. This difference in behaviours scoutes between the countries and very related to the culture of the country and gives a true richness to the intercultural approach of scouting at the international level. The common point of the behaviour between the scouts members of the O.M.M.S is the port of the badge of world scouting. The choice and the decision of the port of a hat, hat scout, or another cover-chief whatever it is, fall within the competence of the national organizations scoutes of each country.
Identification with Baden-Powell
Baden-Powell is always represented wearing the hat “scout”. It is thus easy to associate this hat scouting in identification with that which in is its founder. But in the history of Baden-Powell, this one had already adopted it for its first units of African scouts then
for the body of troop “south african constabulary” that it creates in South Africa. This type of hat was carried by Boers (descendants of the first Dutch colonists) in this country.
Why Baden Powell did it choose this hat like hat scout?
This felt hat was used by Boers in South Africa. It was very well adapted to the country. It is surely for these qualities that B.P A adopted, initially for these scouts in South Africa, then then for the scouts on its return in Europe. Indeed the felt is appreciated for its qualities of solidity, lightness, resistance to the deformations and protection against the cold and the rain.
The felt hat of Boer did not have bumps preset. The cap was completely round. It is each one which gives the “hollows” and “bumps” to its hat. This hat is manufactured at the beginning in Holland.
The hat of Baden Powell seems to be manufactured in hare bus hair easier to deform.
That out of wool is generally, less expensive but less easy to make hold the deformations this is why the bumps, thereafter, were preformed in an industrial way. An initial choice of functional nature When B.P adopted for the uniform “Scout”, it surely made a choice of functional nature. It had to be concerned with solve certain aspects related to the life of full air and it linked, in a hat on broad board, the protection of the head against the rain, the sun, the wind, the branches and the undergrowth… Time passing, much of things changed, just as the life in the open air profited from new and more comfortable equipment. The Scout hat benefitted him also from certain improvements with regard to its construction, while preserving the original characteristics due to its specific form. It is well thanks to this one that the hat scout remained the umbrella and the parasol in the great excursions, by leaving the free head and hands. The hat scout has also multiple uses: a variety of bellows for fire, a pot improvised for drinking with the source, emergency head-rest and cushion. Its accessories (leather ceinturette and chin-strap) are easily removable and can serve as first aid. The use of natural materials, of the wool felt pure with the
