Neckerchiefs and collars

[Fat Old Guy]

A while back I commented that I'd like to see the way of wearing the neckerchief go back to the way that it was in olden days with the neckerchief worn OVER the shirt. No more folding the collar in or trying to stuff the necker under the collar.

 

I recall being taken to task and told in no uncertain terms that the neckerchief was never worn that way and that if I'd worry about the way things are today my life would be better or something like that. Oddly, I can find my original message but I can't find the snide response. I wonder what happened to it . . . hmmmmmmmm.

 

Anyway. I didn't respond at the time because I didn't have the reference material at hand.

 

Now I do.

 

The first handbook makes no mention of the neckerchief. Probably because BSA was wearing those high collar military jackets.

 

I don't have a second edition handbook.

 

However, I do have the extraordinarily evil third and fourth editions and here's what they say about the neckerchief. "First fold the neckerchief diagonally . . .Turn the long edge over about three inches evenly, once, twice or even three times to the size of the boy . . . Place around the neck over the collar of the shirt . . . (emphasis added).

 

How to wear the neckerchief seems to have been omitted from the fifth edition.

 

What is also interesting is that in the old days, you altered the roll of the neckerchief to go with the size of the Scout. Interesting, no?

[John-in-KC]

I remember both turning the collar of my long sleeve shirt down and having a collarless short sleeve shirt.

 

The troops' Moms made our neckechiefs, they were about 20% smaller than the BSA Supply Division ones.

 

My son and his troop IIRC wears theirs under their collars.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[Be_Prepared]

Some of my very old BSA neckerchiefs are square. So yes, you folded them first to make a triangle, then folded them along the long ends several times, depending on the size of your neck and shoulders. They were folded, not rolled, and were worn over the collar.

[Adrianvs]

I routinely fold neckerchiefs instead of rolling them. It makes them look fuller and more impressive (in my opinion) than having the two tightly rolled 'funnels' sticking down. Of course, using a slide in such a case is more difficult. Instead, I simply use a reasonably decorative tie to hold the neckerchief in place. I'm sure that the woggle started out as a similar phenomenon until someone tied such an impressive and/or difficult knot that they didn't want to untie and redo it each time they got dressed. Instead, they simply began to slide it off and on. My tie isn't as complicated or difficult as a woggle, so I simply remake it each time.

 

Given the size of most neckerchiefs, I usually put them under the collar. With larger ones, however, I think that they fit best over the collar like FOG suggests. The Eagle Scout neckerchief is large enough to do this with. Smaller scouts, of course, can do it with the "standard size" neckerchiefs.

[willysjeep]

for a while I folded my collar under. I made a square necker for myself and think it is not only more useful, but also better looking that those modern ones. If they sold a 36X36 necker in the catalog today without marking it up a few hundred percent and embroidering it I would be really happy. But they are easy enough to make out of a yard of cloth too. Besides, I don't ind using it for a washcloth if it only cost me a dollar or two.