wearing the beads

[Lisabob]

I have a question about how/when/where you wear your wb beads. Are there some unspoken rules of bead etiquette? For example: do you wear them every time you put on the uniform? How about to troop meetings? Court of Honor? Roundtable? District meetings? Just wb events?

 

I got my beads in June last year. I'm proud of what they represent and I can imagine that they'd serve as a conversation starter and recruitment tool among those who haven't gone to wb yet. But I don't want to appear to be showing off either. Also I'm in a troop now where there are a lot of very experienced scouters with a great deal of expertise and I am learning a lot from them. Apparently I'm the only person in the troop leadership who has done WB though! And I can absolutely see how the leadership and people-skill aspect of the current WB course would be extremely helpful to some of these folks, even though their knowledge of scout skills is phenomenal already. So I'd like to quietly promote WB without seeming to play any one-upsmanship types of games.

 

So what's the etiquette of wearing those beads?

 

Lisa'bob

[baden]

Lisabob-

 

I am not certain if there is a formal set of rules to wearing WB paraphenalia. The only formal restriction I recall is that it is to be worn with the Field Uniform (aka Class A). I believe you are not to wear the beads with the activity uniform (aka Class B).

 

I normally wear the neckerchief that our Troop wears to Troop functions such as meetings, COH, etc.

 

I wear my WB necker, woggle and beads to Roundtable, District & Council events, anytime I am acting as a Trainer and any Wood Badge function.

 

Your mileage may vary.

[Aardvark]

Mine go on whenever the tan shirt goes on; ASM or RT commish shirt-don't matter! Feel nekkid without them!

 

Mine are "Gilwell" beads; my buisness partner (a lowly Bobwhite) was on a trip to England and bought beads and woggles at the Scout Shop at Gilwell for us in my troop who did Wood Badge together. Thinner cord than the American Beads, woggle is a different type of leather also. Just different enough so they get noticed, which gives me a chance to "sell" Wood Badge and talk about Gilwell.

 

BAck to Gilwell!

 

Beaver

SR-542

[Loping Okie]

Might want to look at:

 

http://www.macscouter.com/WoodBadge/WoodBadgeStuff.html

 

Some good info here with references.

 

[John-in-KC]

Lisa,

 

Here's another site, though it doesn't quite cover what you asked:

http://www.woodbadge.org/index.htm

 

I think the rules on the WB neckerchief and beads are in the Uniform Guide.

 

John

A Good Old Owl too

(Got another ticket item set up last weekend)

[Eamonn]

Sad to say Wood Badge beads are never worn with the Sea Scout uniform.

However I'm with Aardvark my beads go on whenever I wear the tan shirt.

I was very disappointed with the woggles that Gilwell Park is trying to sell.

Back in the day ..

I seem to have heard that the leather was the same as was used in Singer Sewing Machines.

I have a nasty habit of "Bead Twirling" It drives everyone around me nuts.

I have read that wile it is OK to wear your beads by them selves. It is frowned upon to not wear the Woggle and Neckerchief and beads as a set.

I only wear the full set to Wood Badge functions.

Eamonn.

 

[Region 7 Voyageur]

A while back a poster that we have not heard from in a while (Bob White) made a comment that the leather holding the beads was not supposed to be wrapped around the neckerchief. My understanding of what he said was that the wood badge (leather lace and beads) was to go around the neck, under the shirt collar, with the neckerchief on top of the wood badge, and then the beads pulled in front of the rolled front part of the neckerchief. I hope that I have not confused anyone with my description.

 

On the cover of the current Leaders Edition of the scout catalogue there is an adult with his wood badge worn in the manner I have described. Every photograph or painting that I have seen of Baden-Powell in which the wood badge can be seen also shows it being worn in this way.

 

Does anyone (Eamonn?) know if the custom of twisting the leather around the neckerchief is wrong? How is the wood badge worn in the UK?

 

[acco40]

I'm registered as a Scoutmaster and a Unit Commissioner (frowned upon by some in "officialdom") and rarely wear my beads. I AM very proud of them but when working within our Troop, I wear our troop neckerchief. I don't wear the WB beads with the troop neckerchief. I don't think it is appropriate to wear my WB neckerchief at a troop function.

 

As a unit commissioner, I'm more prone to wear the beads but rarely to commissioners meetings. Not really sure why, just habit.

 

At all Woodbadge functions - I go full bore.

 

 

And, I'm not a "twister."

 

Now, if I could only formulate a cool hat out of a real kudu horn I'd look very debonair!

(This message has been edited by acco40)

[Owl62]

Lisabob,

 

The Wood Badge beads can be worn with the official field uniform anytime you where it. With that uniform you can wear the beads, with or without the WB Neckerchief and woggle but if you wear the neckerchief and woggle you must wear the beads also. The Wood Badge regalia can be worn with the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity, and Venturing leader field uniform. You should not wear the beads, neckerchief or woggle with anything else.

 

Someone on here once told me that it was permissible to wear the beads with other neckerchiefs, but I checked the insignia guide and it says only with the WB Neckerchief. If I wear our troop neckerchief, I do not wear my beads.

 

I tend to wear mine anytime I put on by Boy Scout or Venturing uniform. I wear the WB neckerchief and woggle with the beads at Courts of Honor, Wood Badge Functions, ceremonies, and other occasions that I feel is appropriate.

 

If you earned em, I say wear em when you want to as long as it is with the proper uniform.

 

 

[ozemu]

From the international perspective...

 

Always with a scarf. Never by themselves. Any scarf. The scarf identifies your unit, the beads your training.

 

Never the Gilwell scarf without the beads. Never when working with or representing your unit. Your first loyalty is to your unit not to the Gilwell Troop. Hence we do not wear them much.

 

But the beads always. (with a scarf)

[Owl62]

Ozemu,

 

I have a Scouter friend in the UK and he says that they can wear the Wood Badge Beads with their unit neckerchiefs too. And as you say, we are all always supposed to wear the beads when wearing the Wood Badge Neckerchief and Woggle.

 

The 2005 Insignia Guide states:

 

"Wood Badge slide or woggle, No. 02173 trained Scouter, with Wood Badge neckrchief; necklace with two beads, No. 02175; three beads, No. 02176; four beads, No.02177; worn under the Wood Badge neckerchief, and over the ends below the woggle, with the official field uniform; Wood Badge beads are not worn with civilian clothes, dress blazer uniform, or with a t-shirt. Wood Badge beads may be worn with a neckerchief as indicated, or alone."

 

That pretty clearly says that in the BSA, how the beads are to be worn, and because it says "as indicated' can only be worn with the Wood Badge neckerchief and no other.

 

Also, there is no mention of crossing or twisting the Wood Badge neckerchief. I interpret that to mean that also long as the necklace is worn under the neckerchief and over the ends of the neckerchief, it does not matter if the necklace is crossed or twisted under the neckerchief. I have heard people say that the necklace and beads should be worn as indicated here with the beads "hanging free" but the current guide does not say that.

 

Personally I put the necklace around my neck under the Wood Badge neckerchief and cross the necklace one time UNDER the neckerchief where it does not show, and then put the beads in front over the ends of the neckerchief (the necklace is not twisted in front of the ends of the neckerchief). That keeps the beads from moving around as much and keeps them more or less centered over the ends of the neckerchief.

 

I have seen people insert the necklace and beads through the back of the woggle and then put the beads in front of the ends, and I have seen the necklace worn around the neck under the neckerchief and with the necklace twisted around the ends even over the front of the neckerchief one or two times with the beads in front over the ends of the neckerchief. Personally I think that stretches what the guide says but again the way I interpret what it says, it does not say one cannot do that.

 

 

[Eamonn]

Hi Region 7 Voyageur

I admit that when I wear a necker with the beads I Wood Badge on first then the necker, twist the leather and then kind of thread the necker through the loop made.

I have read somewhere that the beads are supposed to hang loose. I have had a lot of old timers (Yes older than I!!) Tell me this.

I tried to find out where this came from?

It didn't come from Gilwell -I asked.

I really think it is just something like the Scouts traveling in uniform that belongs in the myth categoric.

If however you are wearing something else around your neck (Silver Beaver,etc)The Wood Badge should go on last and be worn freely.

I don't know why but somehow the title of this thread makes me smile.

There is an Irish poem which talks about old people fingering the beads. Of course it is referring to Rosary beads.

Back home where more people wear neckers, Wood Badge beads are worn with any necker.

Eamonn.

Hey ozemu

I'd be interested to hear about the Wood Badge course that you have in your part of the world.

Do you still have Patrols? If so what are they? Or are they like they used to be back home not a set like we have in the USA?

Is the course a practical type course or more of a leadership course?

 

[Eamonn]

While a little off topic.

Some years back I was staffing a Cub Scout course.

These courses were done at the Regional level.

Our Cubmaster was from the Transatlantic Council and was active in the army.

She was an outstanding Cub Scouter who had a wonderful insight into the program. But she had her moments.

One day I was rushing to get something done. I walked passed her and she called me back.

He looked at me and I looked at her. Without saying another word she informed me that I looked unloved and needed to go and iron my neckerchief.

I was flabbergasted and it was one of the very few times that I was lost for words.

Unloved -I wonder if I were to use that line with the Sea Scouts if it would work?

Eamonn.

[SWScouter]

Owl62,

 

"Wood Badge slide or woggle, No. 02173 trained Scouter, with Wood Badge neckrchief; necklace with two beads, No. 02175; three beads, No. 02176; four beads, No.02177; worn under the Wood Badge neckerchief, and over the ends below the woggle, with the official field uniform; Wood Badge beads are not worn with civilian clothes, dress blazer uniform, or with a t-shirt. Wood Badge beads may be worn with a neckerchief as indicated, or alone."

 

I read that differently. I take "worn with a neckerchief as indicated" to mean any neckerchief but under the back and over the ends.

 

I imagine the odds that my interpretation is correct are about equal to the odds that your interpretation is correct. This, I think, is a good debate to have over several schooners of ale.

 

SWScouter

[BrentAllen]

From my observations, there are plenty in my area who agree with SWScouter's interpretation. I see the beads worn with all types of neckerchiefs. I would agree as well. To me, if the wording were to imply only with the Wood Badge neckerchief, the text would read "Wood Badge beads may be worn with THE neckerchief as indicated, or alone." Since it is "a neckerchief" it implies any. I think that fits with overall goal of showing the training completed, either when wearing any neckerchief, or wearing the beads alone.