Figure 1.--A HBC reader provide images of 1930s Scout shorts. Note that there are no flap pockets with red piping, but regular slit pockets. The shorts have belt loops and button flys. Put your cursor on the image to zoom in for more detail. We also have an inside view.

American Scouts mostly wore knickers through the 1930s. The photographic record shows almost all Scouts wearing knickers in the 1910s and 20s. The primary exception was at camps and jamborees. The Boy Scout Association in the 1930s and 40s promoted the short pants uniform. Apparently the BSA wanted American Scouts to be more like the Scouts in other countries who mostly wore short pants. The monthly magazine, especially during the summer months, would often have a full page showing the merits of wearing the short pants uniform. The promotions, however, do not seem to have been very effective, especially in the In the 1930s. A HBC reader writes, "The Boy Scout magazine had a full page in each issue pushing short pants as part of their uniform. The promotions explained why it was best to wear short pants. as their scout uniform. Again, my Boys Scout troop the majority wore short pants as part of their scouting uniform. As I said previously, my entire Cub Scout pack wore short pants with their Boy Scout uniform." Scout shorts in the 1930s had button flys and plain pockets. Aanother development in the 1930s was the introduction of a new Cub Scout leve; of scouting. The Cubs like the Scouts wore knicker uniforms. Unlike the Scouts, Cubs did not go to camp. Sowe see few Cubs wearing short pants iniforms, but we do see a few. As far as we can tell, these were motly Cubs in southern states.

Boy Scouts

American Scouts mostly wore knickers through the 1930s. The photographic record shows almost all Scouts wearing knickers in the 1910s and 20s. The primary exception was at camps and jamborees. The Boy Scout Association in the 1930s and 40s promoted the short pants uniform. Apparently the BSA wanted American Scouts to be more like the Scouts in other countries who mostly wore short pants. The monthly magazine, especially during the summer months, would often have a full page showing the merits of wearing the short pants uniform. The promotions, however, do not seem to have been very effective, especially in the In the 1930s. We do see more shorts in the 1930s, but they still only woirn buy a small fraction of boys , except at camp. A HBC reader writes, "The Boy Scout magazine had a full page in each issue pushing short pants as part of their uniform. The promotions explained why it was best to wear short pants. as their scout uniform. Again, my Boys Scout troop the majority wore short pants as part of their scouting uniform. As I said previously, my entire Cub Scout pack wore short pants with their Boy Scout uniform." We do not notice many instances of Scout troops where there were mixed uniforms, shorts and knickers. We mostly e all biys wearing knivkers or all boys wearing shor pants. When hre were mixing, it was usually just a few boys not dressed like most of the yoingr boys. Scout shorts in the 1930s had button flys and plain pockets.

Cub Scouts

Another development in the 1930s was the introduction of a new Cub Scout leve; of scouting. The Cubs like the Scouts wore knicker uniforms. Unlike the Scouts, Cubs did not go to camp. Sowe see few Cubs wearing short pnts iniforms, but we do see a few. As far as we can tell, these were mostly Cubs in southern states.