Figure 1.--Boy Scouts around the world, except for the United States, traditionally wore shoty pants. American Scouts in the 1970s began wearing shorts more commonly than ever before. Ironically, many Scouts in other countries began wearing long pants.

The principal boys' youth group in America is the Boy Scouts. Other groups like Camp Fire are of much less importance. Uniform developments during the 1970s at this time are primarily available on American Scouts.

Organizations

Scouts

Unlike Scouts and Cubs in most countries, American boys since the 1940s had mostly worn long pants. (Previously they had primarily worn knickers.) Scouts wore shorts at camp and for jamborees, but mostly they wore long pants for Scout activities and events. Cubs wore longs even more commonly than the Scouts. I'm not sure why this was. You would think that the younger boys would be more likely to wear short pants. It was probably because it was primarily the Scouts that went to camps where the short pants uniform was worn. Also only Scouts could attend the national jamborees again where the short pants uniform was worn.

Camp Fire

No information available at this time.