Ordering Uniforms Via the Internet
The BSA's Supply Division is the national distributor of official BSA merchandise, uniforms, insignia and accessories for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts, Venturers and their adult leaders and professional members. The BSA's Supply Division grants "distributorships" on a national and local basis based on the potential amount of sales and the availability of it's outlets to the greatest segments of Scouts/Scouters.
 
A special seal with the BSA logo is displayed in the front and within the Scout sales section of those stores certified by the BSA to sell official uniforms, insignia and accessories. Of the national department store chains, only Penney's and Sears carry this seal; and only the BSA's Supply Division approves retail outlets to offer and special-order BSA merchandise. Look for the seal when purchasing your official Scouting items!

 

 
[The US Scouting Service Project does not endorse or receive any financial support whatsoever from Sears or Penneys' for posting this information; the information provided is merely as part of our response to inquiries.]
 
Additionally, the BSA Supply Division, in concert with local Councils throughout the United States, also grants distributorships to local department or sporting goods stores which may or may not have a "storefront" webpage or site. The best advice is to check with YOUR local Council office to see where Scouting uniforms and basic items can be purchased locally; and then follow that up with a phone call or visit to that firm or store and ask the management team if it is possible to order Scouting items from their store or firm via their website or page.
 
Some local Councils, for instance, the Simon Kenton Council, places the names, addresses and phone numbers of the Supply Division's authorized local distributors on their website. So check your Council's website for that information as well.
 
Of course, the BEST WAY to order your official BSA items is through the BSA's Supply Division through their official website (http://www.scoutstuff.org) , their tollfree number (1-800-323-0732) or locally through your local Council Service Center using their tollfree or a local number.  Most local Councils with Internet (email) access WILL, however, take an order via email or fax if you include your name, address and a credit or debit card number to pay for the items. For instance, the Gerald R. Ford Council offers to fill orders via mail, fax, email or phone and to send them out virtually anywhere by US Postal Service or UPS.  Councils and BSA Scout Shops (tm) will take personal checks or postal money orders in addition to cash; and most locations honor Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards.
As a followup, the BSA's official Supply Division site (http://www.scoutstuff.org) have sections in which Scouters and parents may safely order basic items. The official Supply Division's website has been "open for business" since May of 2004, well in advance of the 2005 National Scout Jamboree.  It is an easy way to order basic books, uniforms and insignia from virtually anywhere! "Basic books and insignia" by the BSA's definition include:
  • Wolf, Bear, WEBELOS, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, and Venturing handbooks
  • youth leadership guides and materials
  • basic adult leadership books
  • uniforms for both youth and adults in all programs
  • the Fieldbook and other outdoor guides and booklets
  • local Council (and perhaps adjacent Council) Shoulder Patches (CSPs), unit numbers, Patrol and Den emblems and numbers, US Flag and World Crest emblems, and shoulder loops for Cub Scouts/Scouters, Boy Scouts/Scouters, Venturing leaders; and District/Council volunteers.
  • some accessories like Pinewood/Kite/Rocket Derby kits, watches and pocketknives, cups and bookmarks and the like
It does NOT include items like rank advancement, awards, flag streamers, plaques, or materials and books above those basic manauls for youth and adult members listed above. Nor does it include items like year pins, veterans' bars, Cub Scout academic and sports belt loops, or interpreter strips. Those items MUST be purchased or ordered through the local Council's Service Center or through a Scout Shop(tm) authorized to receive BSA Advancement Reports for local Council(s).
 
The BSA wishes for you as a parent or Scouter to come into the local Council Service Center or into their retail Scout Shops(tm) set up in larger local Councils and in metropolitan communities. In this way, you are assured of having assistance with getting the items you need by people involved in the programs and assurances that the items you purchase will be exchanged or your monies refunded if they do not hold up to your standard.
The Internet brings a wide array of possibilities for the BSA and for you as a family. Making available uniforming and basic books and insignia to Scouts and Scouters has always been a BSA priority, a cornerstone since its founding; while at the same time maintaining its high degree of service and satistfaction to Scouters and Scouts and to the parents of the youth members of the BSA's three programs.
 
We hope that this information has been of benefit to you as we start a new year of Scouting in America and as the Internet and in particular the World Wide Web (WWW) continues to catch on among our families, those of us involved in Scouting and those of us whom support Scouting and the great things it has and can do for our nation's youth.
 
If you do encounter a problem with ordering items or would like to provide other parents/Scouters with information on other department or sporting goods chains whom are authorized by the BSA to resell Scouting items, please let us know through our Suggestion Board. We will verify and post that information online and we will do our best to assist you (or at least orient you in the right direction) in getting the information you need!
 
And...if we haven't told you so....THANKS FOR ASKING US!!
-- the US Scouting Service Project Team
 


(information compiled by Mike Walton


Scouts Using the Internet Cartoon - Courtesy of Richard Diesslin - Click to See More Cartoons
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