Neckerchiefs

[robvio]

I have to come up with something for our troop neckerchief.

 

Here is where my problem lies.

 

Most of the screen printers here in town use the material (guessing its cotton, who knows) that is basically a bandana. My problem with the material is that it tends to be small and bunches up terribly under the collar. I think thats about as tacky as a badly wrinkled uniform.

 

So does anyone know a good fabric for a neckerchief? One of the boys has their offical Webelos neckercheif and its big enough and wears nice enough, but if I recall the one listed on the ScoutStuff site (geen in color) is listed for a female leader. Anyone in the know??

 

Help of any kind or experience would be appreciated.

[scottteng]

You mean the troop really voted to keep neckers? I have heard of troops getting them custom made by a seamstress you could then screen print them for a graphics project. Find a couple of scouts who want to work on Graphic Arts MB.

[John-in-KC]

Have an area seamstress talk with you about fabrics. There are higher quality, heavier weight fabrics out there. Usually, it will mean finding someplace a bit beyond the Cloth World/Jo-Ann level of fabric and pattern shops.

 

My Eagle's mother was a home sewer and quilter. Amazing what guys learn about fabric, buying in support of their wives at times...

[SSScout]

Neckerchiefs....

 

When my Boy moved up to Scouts, he chose the Troop in which I had been a Scout, lo those many years ago...

They presented him with a "custom" made N, blue, with the T number and town embroidered in color on it. Pretty. Cotton/polyester, shirt weight I would judge.

I compared this with the N that I had worn as a Scout, ironed and folded up neat in the bottom of the bureau. My old one was a heavier cotton,"sanforized", red, with a seperate embroidered patch (3inches square) sewn on it's tip end. My well worn one was a full 4 inches longer, on the long diagonal, than my Boys new one. As a ASM, I got a new blue N to wear, but somehow the shorter N just doesn't seem to fit right. I recently got back from my WB weekend, and the WB N is also longer than the T N. It fits better, lays easier, looks (and is) longer. Adult neckties have the same problem, if the necktie isn't long enough, it just doesn't look right.

 

If you are designing/ordering a spanking new Necker for a new T, by all means, set a precedent. Get the boys to design/approve the design. Have a contest. Vote on the various designs. Try to convince them to get a heavier weight material, one that will last and take abuse, not just be "pretty". And make it large enough to fit well under OR over the collar, and lay flat enough to look in proportion for the Scout as they "grow into " it. And for the Adult leaders to wear, setting the example, as leaders, for the boys to emulate.

A larger, more durable N may be more expensive, but the idea is for the boy to never need (or want) another. And then look to the future, be confident of your success and order fifty (or a hundred)at a time (cheaper that way).

 

Note that the "new" Scout handbooks rarely mention any other uses for the neckerchief other than decoration of ones neck. Maybe that's why the necker has gotten smaller, less desirable for the Scout to wear.

 

Good Scouting to you

 

 

 

 

[Gunny2862]

It does seem weird to me that what was once as much a piece of Field gear: Emergency water strainer/clarifier; Medical bandage, Ankle brace; Head injury cover; Splint and Lashing for pole stretcher especially when used in conjunction with those of the other Boy Scouts around, as a decorative item is so out of fashion today.

 

I think if you aren't going to wear them, you should still have to carry them, especially when camping or trekking. Just MHO. (This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

[Stosh]

All of our boys wear the custom troop neckerchief, ordered through the scout office with our troop # and city embroidered on it. One of our patrols also has a patrol neckerchief they wear when doing patrol activities. This means that some of the boys carry two neckerchiefs at all times. In our troop a full uniform with neckerchief is your meal ticket and travel voucher. Yes, one can travel from Western Wisconsin to Chicago and then to Philmont on the train wearing a uniform and neckerchief without breaking out in a rash.

 

The patrol neckerchief is a square Meyer's flag folded diagonally and worn over the collar. Because it's a folded square, it is bulky, but wears nicely and I haven't had any complaints from any of them.

[frank10]

Before you invest in fabric, show a sample to your screen printer. Most now use heat cured inks and it takes some skill to cure them on anything but cotton.

[Nessmuk]

Whoa - I was so red eyed in my rant about Neckers above I did not see this good post on the same subject.. Keep it practical! - Heavy cloth (Some websites out there show how to rip (yes rip) the bolts of fabric before hemming and get the RIGHT size .. Frontiersmen (old time scouts) liked bright colors in the neckerchief.. It was one way to kick their outfit up a notch when they were on the town after a long time in the the wilderness blending in..

 

A heavy 100% cotton is nice if it has been presrhunk and does not bleed easily.. 50/50 is Ok but I have observed that it's all in the weave with 50/50..Sometimes 50/50 is rugged and comfortable and sometimes it feels cheap and scratchy..

 

Keep it simple -really "uniform" -- There's already too much division in how the "uniform" is worn and having different colors for females etc. seems really out of synch with the basic concept here.

 

And what's this "voting to keep the Neckerchief" stuff?/ OK let's vote to change our name to "Bubble Gum Scouts"! Do I hear a second to the motion?

[Gonzo1]

I think a cotton / polyester blend is OK. Our troop currently uses a pre-made neckerchief from supply that is embroidered around the edge with the BSA emblem on the back. I recently saw a trop that took the same neckchief and had it customized with the same color thread by adding the town name and troop number.

 

When I was a scout, we had our own neckerchiefs made by a lady in town and then had the troop sew on. When a new scout joined, he was issued a plain blue neckerchief, but, when he became a Tenderfoot, he traded the plain one for the one with the patch.

 

Screen printing may be cheaper, but may not last either.

 

[EMTBasic]

Thought I'd chime in on this one, since my troop did something unique "back in the day".

 

As one of the ways that the mothers would be made an integral part of the troop & its ceremonies, (don't start yelling at me for being chauvinistic- this was 25 years ago!) my troop's mothers club would take plain black BSA necker's and plain red BSA necker's, cut them in half, and sew one of each together lining up the emblem. I believe black was always left and red always right.

 

This created a custom, unique look for my troop, and you could ONLY get one of these necker's at your CoH where you formally became a member of the troop. And in a different time when it was fathers who were always more involved in scouting, it made the moms important, too.

 

I can't tell you how many times we were asked to trade necker's whenever we participated in events with other troops... and I won't tell you how much grief you got if you ever managed to lose it! :-)