Cub Scout Neckerchief

[tdyer56]

I was wondering if anyone knew if a Cub Scout den could have their own custom-made neckerchief.

I know that a lot of Troops have their own. Does this also mean the Cubs MAY be able to do this. I have a den of Tigers that will be moving onto the Wolf Den, I will be as well. I thought it would be great to have them make their neckercheif and slides before the crossover. Any input is appreciated.

 

Tim Dyer

Pack56

 

(This message was not edited by OldGreyEagle)

[Bob White]

The uniform policies of the BSA do not allow customized neckerchiefs in the Cub Scout Program. They are an option in the Boy Scout Program however.

Bob

[scoutmom]

You can't customize the neckrchief but you can make your own slides! My cubbies love making slides. Get them to make as many different kinds as you can think up. They love them.

[NJCubScouter]

Now that the hats are color-coordinated with the neckerchiefs, I suspect that BSA would frown even more at custom Cub Scout neckerchiefs. As of this year, every rank of Cub Scouting that wears the blue or tan uniform has a hat with a front that matches their neckerchief -- yellow for Wolf, light blue for Bear and plaid for Webelos. The hat-front of the Tigers is orange, to match their shirt. (And I assume that when they put the Tigers in the blue shirts in 2 or 3 years, their neckerchief will be orange -- or else they will come out with a new hat. That is, unless they have already become bored with the color-coordination idea and have moved on to something else.)

 

I personally like the standardized color-coded Cub neckerchiefs because if a boy I don't know by sight strays from where he is supposed to be at a pack meeting, I can quickly narrow down which den leader he is supposed to be with and send him back whence he came.

[yaworski]

Cub Scouts are supposed to only wear the official neckerchief but there is no penalty if they don't.

 

If you think that it will improve the boys' pride in their uniform, go for it.

[scoutmomincolorado]

Hello all I am a mom of a cub scout and a boy scout. In the cub scout Progam when my oldest son was there we made a snake slide from the Boys Life. So please take a look through the Boys Life.

[Bob White]

Despite what I'm sure are the best of intentions on Yaworski's part his advice to you was incorrect. The fact that there are no punishments for wearing an incorrect uniform does not validate changing the uniform or give you, or yaworski, the authority to change the uniform.

 

The uniform is a trade mark of the BSA and they have the sole authority to regulate its appearance and use. The policies regulating the uniforms are in the BSA's Uniform Insignia Guide.

 

In there you will find that Cubs wear the neckerchief of their rank and no other. They can however wear custom slides as others have indicated.

 

The BSA, to be effective as a national organization, depends on the integrity of those us who volunteer to follow the written program and policies. This is the only way to maintain any level of continuity througout the program.

 

The BSA was not developed to track down and punish uniform violators. Hopefully the program develops youth and adults who follow rules in their home, their community and in the BSA , not out of fear of punishment but because it is a mature and responsible thing to do.

 

Bob White(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[tdyer56]

Since posting this thread back in march, I have done even more training and learning. I am now a Commissioner and realize the truth about the neckerchiefs.

 

Even in the Cub Scout leader book it states that the uniform is not to be worn with civilian clothes and vice versa. It is to be all or none.

The Cub Scout Pack does not have the athority to change it.

 

Thank you all for your input though. I will be making slides with the boys.

 

Tim Dyer

Unit/Roundtable Commissioner

[yaworski]

I still say go for it. I used to make custom neckerchiefs for my self and my Cubs. Checkered flags for the boys going the District Pinewood Derby. Stars and Stripes for the holiday parades.

Oddly, our Cubmaster who bleeds Scout green and never breaks a rule never said a word.

 

BSA expects us to shell out for new caps (Including those ugly plaid caps) and neckerchiefs every year for Cub Scouts because it increases their coffers but they don't want the boys to do anything that might give them some pride.

 

 

[yaworski]

I spend most of my life enforcing rules, I'm a baseball umpire and basketball official. At every level of the game, we make decisions about what rules need to be enforced and what rules we need to worry about.

 

If I show up to work a middle school basketball game and one of the players is number 67, I won't worry about it. By rule, it is a technical foul if that player enters the game. At the high school level, we'd enforce the rule.

 

There are plenty of other rules in all sports that are rarely enforced because they add nothing to the game, they are only used to control disruptive people.

 

This silly neckerchief rule is like that. It adds nothing to the game. If the boys, not the parents, have an idea for a neckerchief, it adds to the game by enhancing their sense of unsity.

 

Also, if you want to worry about neckerchiefs, you need to remind everyone that only uniform trousers are acceptable and that the official socks must be worn with the uniform as well.

 

 

[Bob White]

Tim,

I commend you for taking the time to learn the program and for understanding and accepting your responsibility as a leader to set a good example for others to follow.

 

Keep in mind that the rules do not say that everyone has to be in a full uniform to be a scout. A boy who cannot afford uniform pants immediately is not a bad scout.

 

What the rules say is that a unit or individual does not have the authority to alter the official uniform. for instance they cannot say that "in our pack blue jeans are the official uniform" or "in our den you can wear whatever neckerchief you want". It is not that leaders uniform to alter. Every Charter organization and adult leader signs an agreement to follow the policies and procedures of the BSA. Thank you for having the maturity to honor that promise.

 

Bob White

 

 

[yaworski]

The reason that BSA doesn't want Cub Scouts to design their own neckerchief is MONEY. With well over a million Cub Scouts who are told to buy a new neckerchief and now a new cap every year, that's about $10 million in revenue for products that cost about 10% of that to produce.

 

The longer that I'm with this organization, the more that I see that ideals don't matter at the upper levels, only money does.

[Bob White]

You know yaworski you might stand a little taller if you didn't carry around such a big chip on your shoulder.

[OldGreyEagle]

The problem is, I agree with Yaworski on this one.

 

Bob, you may see things differently, but from my experience most scouting professionals prize money and membership more than an actual quality program.

 

 

[Bob White]

The problem OGE is that scout professionals do not make these decisions. The committees that make decisions in the BSA on things like uniform, advancement, awards, policies, training etc., are composed of adult volunteers and youth members. The professionals are responsible for implementing the changes not determining the changes. If you want to lay blame you need to know where to lay it.

 

In addition the premise that the BSA wants boys to buy a new hat every year is faulty. In all levels of basic leader training the BSA syllabii stresses ways that packs can set up uniform exchanges, and ways to purchase uniforms at a discount. If their goal was to continue to sell more new product what would be the point of sharing or suggesting alternate methods for all trained leaders to know and pass along?

 

The reason for the uniform change is linked to the social needs of youth at this stage of their development. They want to have ways to display their growth and graduation from one level to another. For that reason steps were taken to make cub advancement more obvious than just the addition of a new badge. It is a uniform element that stems from understanding the needs and characteristics of the age group.

 

Bob White