Uniforms

 

The museum has a vast collection of uniforms, from brownies and cubs to leaders. Besides complete uniforms this collection also includes hats and caps, t-shirts from large activities and other accessories.

 

 

During his trial camp, at Brownsea Island in 1907, Baden Powell found out that the clothes clearly showed the prosperity of the kids, which of them were rich and which of them were poor. On top of that those clothes weren’t suitable for the games he had in mind. After this camp Baden Powell developed a uniform, not only practical and strong, but also concealing the difference in wealth.

 

Nederlandse Padvinders, Katholieke Verkenners (Boy Scouts and Catholic Boy Scouts)

When Scouting started in Holland in 1910 many troops appeared. Those troops used some kind of uniform.

As Scouting wasn’t organised nationally, there were quite some differences in the uniforms.

In Amsterdam the uniform consisted of shorts, just above the knee, long stockings, a sweater, scarf and hat. The staff was part of the equipment of course, just as an axe and a lasso were.

In The Hague for instance knee-length stockings and a shirt with two pockets were worn.

 

 

After some time Scouting Troops were organised in regional or even nation-wide organisations. These organisations merged eventually into the N.P.V. (Vereeniging de Nederlandsche Padvinders) (= Organisation of Dutch Pathfinders) and more unity appeared in the Scouting movement. This resulted in one uniform for all scouts. Dark brown Manchester shorts, khaki blouse, knee-length stockings with dark green garters, scarf, hat and the scout staff.

This uniform was used until the fifties, although the colours of trousers and shirts became somewhat lighter throughout the years.

 

Sea-scouts wore dark blue Manchester shorts, a dark blue sweater and a sailor hat. The cubs wore a green sweater, dark brown Manchester trousers, a green cap and knee stockings with green Scout garters. The Catholic Scouts who started in the early thirties, wore the same uniform as the N.P.V.

 

 

At the end of the fifties the long trousers were introduced and the scouts hat was generally replaced by the beret. Even the staff wasn’t used much anymore.  Not all Scouting-groups kissed the scouts hat goodbye. This is evidently shown by some groups still wearing the hat. The Scout Shop even sells the hat at this moment. The green sweater of the cubs was replaced by a green blouse, the shorts remained.

 

 

 

Nederlands Padvindsters Gilde / Nederlandse Gidsen (Dutch Girl Scouts and Guides)

 

 

At the start of Girl Scouting in Holland there was no unity in the uniforms for the girls, just as for the Boy Scouts. The Leidse Meisjesgezellen (Girl Scouts from Leiden) wore dark blue skirts, white blouses, a dark felt hat and a light blue scarf.

The Haagse Meisjesgezellen (Girl Scouts from The Hague) used a khaki hat instead of a dark one , while the girls from Hilversum and Amersfoort wore a dark blue scarf and a light hat.


As the girls in Amerfoort went in nature often, they soon found out that the white blouse wasn’t very practical. They changed to a dark blue dress with a light blue triangle scarf, folded like a tie, and a dark blue beret.

 

 

 

After a national organisation was founded in 1916, the N.M.G. (Nederlandsch Meisjes Gilde = Dutch Girl Guild), more unity in uniforms came, just like the boys. A dark blue dress was chosen, and a light blue scarf folded like a tie, a dark blue felt hat and a white ribbon for a flute.

Later, the brownies got a brown dress, a yellow triangle scarf folded like a tie and a dark brown bonnet. In 1933 the name of the N.M.G. was changed into N.P.G (Nederlands Padvindsters Gilde = Dutch Girl Scouts Guild). The Catholic girls, the N.G.B. (Nederlandse Gidsen Beweging = Dutch Guides Movement), which started in 1946, chose for the same uniform as the N.P.G. The brownies wore a calotte in the same colour as the uniform instead of the bonnet.

In the end of the fifties the uniform was modified just as that of the boys. The dress was replaced by a dark blue skirt and a blue blouse. The hat was replaced by a dark blue bonnet some years earlier. The scarf that was folded like a tie became a triangle blue scarf. The Guides chose lighter blue, both for the skirt as for the blouse. A black beret completed the uniform. The brownies also wore the yellow scarf as a triangle scarf.

 



 

Scouting Nederland

After the merge in 1973, when the four former associations formed Scouting Nederland, the uniform was changed drastically. There was chosen for a new skirt or trousers, the scarf remained, every age-group got their own colour blouse. Green for the age from 7 till 10/11 years, beige for the age from 10/11 years till 14/15 years, and brick-red for the age from 14/15 and older. The Sea-scouts got a blue and the air scouts a grey blouse. For Beavers (5 till 7 years), which started later a red sweater was chosen. Leaders wore the same colour blouses as their kids. The dolphins from 7 till 10/11 years wear the same uniform as the Sea-scouts. Wearing a hat or cap was no longer obligatory. Later wearing the official scouting trousers wasn’t obligatory anymore, only at official ceremonies. The scouts can only be recognized by the scouting-blouse and scarf.

 

In 2010 the scouting program was modernised. The sections for brownies, esta’s and dolphins were cancelled and a new set of uniforms was introduced: the “Scout-fit”.

 

The official uniform now consists of dark blue zip-off pants, a blouse in the color of the section, a scarf in the color(s) of the own group or the national scarf and an optional dark-blue cap with the logo of Scouting Nederland.

The beavers no longer wear sweaters, but a red blouse. The cub scouts wear a green blouse, the scouts wear a beige one, air scouts wear grey, sea scouts wear blue, and the explorers and rover scouts wear brick-red blouses. This last color is also used by staff that is not connected to a certain section.

The staff of a section wears the same color as the members of that section.

 

 

 

The museum is always interested in "old" Dutch scouting stuff.
Are you considering removing your old stuff, please contact us.