The Boy Scouts of America has always been a uniformed body. Its uniforms help to create a sense of belonging. They symbolize character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. Wearing a uniform gives youth and adult members a sense of identification and commitment.

While wearing the uniform is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged. The leaders of Scouting— both volunteer and professional—promote the wearing of the correct complete uniform on all suitable occasions.

You can buy your uniform online from a website or go to your nearest scouting store, which is probably Chicago Scout Store - 1218 W. Adams, Chicago.  Hours are Monday - Friday 9 - 5; Saturday 9:30 - 2. Closed Sundays.  

We recommend a short sleeve and pants with zip-offs.  A Scout can always add layers underneath in colder weather.

The most important aspect of the uniform is the shirt. It should look a little something like this before the patches are added:

You also need a Boy Scout Handbook to see the rank requirements and for lessons about scouting. The current version looks like this:  Troop 1 will provide you a handbook.

There are also pants, but they're rarely used. If you do want to buy them, they should look like this:

The troop will provide patches when you arrive at your first meeting.