Scouts, what would you think of a police officer in full uniform except for yellow sweat pants instead of uniform slacks? How about a hospital intern wearing a sports coat while on duty? Or what would you think of a train conductor wearing a fireman's cap or, even more absurd, an airline pilot wearing a swim suit as she boarded the plane? They'd all be 'out of uniform,' wouldn't they? With some of the outfits mentioned, you would not be sure what they really were. Scouts, we also have a uniform. We have a full uniform - not just a neckerchief or just a shirt, but like the people I just mentioned, we have a full uniform. When we don't wear the full uniform, we are just as 'out of uniform' as the police officer with the yellow sweat pants. The Flag Code says that when we are 'in uniform' we salute the flag with the Scout salute, but when 'out of uniform' we salute by holding our right hand over our heart. How do you think a Scout should salute the flag if wearing blue jeans or some other non-official dress along with part of the uniform?

The other day, while at our troop meeting, I realized that I was not in full uniform! I had my Scout shorts, belt, socks, shirt and neckerchief… It wasn’t until I placed my hand on the brim of my hat to salute the flag that I realized that I grabbed the wrong hat. Rather than my official scout hat, I placed my every day, fitted gray cap that I usually wear. What was the solution? Keep my salute on the brim of the hat or change over to saluting with my hand over my heart? What would you do?