Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SCOUTS BERET

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1980

Materials

POLYESTER, VINYL, WOOL

No. Pieces

1

Height

8.0

Length

25.5

Width

24.5

Description

DARK GREEN BERET. ON FRONT IS A GREEN WOOL PATCH WITH YELLOW EMBROIDERY. PATCH HAS A FLEUR DE LIS ON IT AND READS "SCOUTS CANADA". BERET HAS BLACK VINYL TRIM. THERE IS A SHORT BLACK SHOE LACE AT BACK OF BERET. INSIDE IS LINED WITH BLACK POLYESTER. STAMPED, IN WHITE, ON LINING IS "OFFICIAL BERET BOY SCOUTS OF CANADA".

Subjects

CLOTHING-HEADWEAR

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

History

LEO SINGER WAS BORN IN ROMANIA AND IMMIGRATED TO RUMSEY, ALBERTA WITH HIS MOTHER. HIS FATHER WAS KILLED IN WWI. LEO AND HIS MOTHER MOVED TO CALGARY, WHERE HE ATTENDED SCHOOL AND LATER GARBER COLLEGE. IN 1930 HE OPENED A RETAIL CLOTHING STORE IN LETHBRIDGE AND FINALLY MOVED HERE IN 1932. ONE OF THE REASONS HE DECIDED TO MOVE, WAS TO PLAY FOR THE LETHBRIDGE JEWISH ASSOCIATION BASEBALL TEAM. LEO MET HIS WIFE PHYLLIS IN MONTREAL, WHERE SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED, AND THEY MARRIED IN 1942. LEO WAS ACTIVE IN THE LETHBRIDGE COMMUNITY AND WAS INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE U OF L. LEO WAS A MEMBER OF THE JEWISH ASSOCIATION, OF WHICH HE WAS PRESIDENT FOR 17 YEARS; THE KIWANIS CLUB, WHICH WAS THE FIRST CLUB IN LETHBRIDGE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO JOIN; RESERVE ARMY, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UNITED WAY, LEGION, LABOR CLUB, ARMY AND NAVY, ETCETERA. HE VOLUNTEERED MUCH OF HIS TIME WITH DIFFERENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE HE FELT THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD TREATED HIM WELL AND HE WANTED TO SHOW HIS GRATITUDE. IN 1930 HE OPENED A STORE ON THE HIGINBOTHAM BLOCK, MOVING THE STORE IN 1940 TO 214 5 ST. S. SINGER'S WAS THE FIRST IN THE CITY TO SPORT A FLASHING NEON SIGN. NAMED LEO SINGER MEN'S AND BOY'S WEAR IN 1955, THE BOY'S CLOTHING ASPECT WAS PHASED OUT IN THE LATE 1980S OR EARLY 90S. SINGER HANDLED BOYS' WEAR PRIMARILY BECAUSE HE WAS THE SOLE DISTRIBUTOR FOR SCOUTS CANADA IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. MORE THAN 50,000 SCOUTS WERE OUTFITTED BY UNIFORMS SUPPLIED THROUGH SINGER. HE ALSO SUPPLIED THE CITY'S POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WITH UNIFORMS FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. SINGER'S MOTTO AND TRADEMARK WERE "IT'S NOT THE SALE THAT COUNTS -- IT'S THE CUSTOMER". BEING RAISED IN CALGARY HE WAS INSPIRED TO ENTER THE RETAIL CLOTHING BUSINESS AS A TEENAGER, WHO SPENT AFTER-SCHOOL HOURS WORKING FOR A CLOTHIER AND LATER ENROLLED IN BUSINESS SCHOOL. SINGER SAID HE FELL IN LOVE WITH LETHBRIDGE DURING A WEEKEND BASEBALL TOURNAMENT AND DECIDED TO STAY. LEO SINGER PASSED AWAY IN JANUARY OF 1997.

Catalogue Number

P20010103012

Acquisition Date

2002-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail