Woodbadge Beads and other Neckerchiefs?

[Scouter.]

I am curious.

 

Can you wear your Woodbadge beads with other neckerchiefs?

 

I'm thinking...unit position, NJ, WJ, unit NC, etc., etc.

 

I think I saw somewhere on the web that it is permissible, and after searching Scouter.com, I am still at a loss. Most folks simply say Beads + NC is how they have to be worn.

 

So you see, I've found 2 opposing opinions and am confused.

 

Comments?

[Tokala]

I always wear my beads with my field uniform. I never wear my beads with an activity uniform. I don't wear neckerchiefs, but I don't see why you can't wear your beads with any old neckerchief.

[Stosh]

I attended an ECOH this past weekend and wore the old green necktie with the beads.

 

Stosh

[dg98adams]

I wear my Wood Badge beads with any Necker/woggle..., but if I start out the door with a Scout t-shirt I leave the beads behind. But if I left wearing my uniform with a necker/beads, and I end up removing the necker later, I leave the beads on.

 

The only time I skip the Necker with the uniform, is if it's gonna be hot, but I try to grab the beads.

 

In the years since I was a participant, up through the last 2 courses I helped staff, I only encountered 1 set of out-of-council Scouters who had a different take on the beads.

 

 

[Deaf Scouter]

What's seen and I think it works best is most just simply wear their beads as a neckerchief unless they are in a 'Unit' role like SM, ASM, CM, ACM, DL then they wear their unit neckerchief with the WB woggle and beads. If its a formal district/ council event requiring field A dress, then on goes the WB neckerchief, WB woggle and beads rather than the unit neckerchief as the youth scouts are presented here. Summed up youth attendance tells which neckerchief to wear. Even presentations like training or University/ POW WOW or committee/district/RT drops the neckerchief for bead as neckerchiefs for comfort.

 

I did google and found nothing so I went with the observed method to help me decide. Hope this helps.

[TAHAWK]

I find this language, or very close to it, at multiple Council sites,

 

"Wearing the Wood Badge Beads

 

After your beads are presented, you wear them only with the field uniform the main "official" uniform, with the khaki or yellow or green shirt. You do not wear your beads with activity uniforms, t-shirts, or any civilian wear. (If you are wearing the beads and then decide to take off the field uniform shirt and just wear a t-shirt, you can tuck the beads under the t-shirt so they dont show but they also dont get lost.)

 

You may wear your beads with the Gilwell neckerchief (dove-grey with MacLaren tartan patch) and Turk's head knot woggle, or with your troop/district/OA neckerchief and slide, or you may wear your beads with no neckerchief. For formal events, you would typically wear your beads with the Gilwell neckerchief and woggle.

 

Wearing the Gilwell neckerchief and woggle are more limited. They stay together. You dont wear the Gilwell neckerchief with a different slide, and you dont wear the woggle with a different neckerchief. And if you wear them, you need to wear the beads, too.

 

Wood Badge beads are always worn on a leather thong which is tied in an overhand knot. When worn with a neckerchief, the thong is placed under the shirt collar, followed by the neckerchief; thus the thong is worn under the neckerchief. The beads are then brought in front of the neckerchief and displayed below the woggle. Some Scouters thread the thong through the woggle before placing around the neck. If you cross the beads under the woggle and pull the ends of the neckerchief through loop formed, then the beads will appear immediately under the woggle without shifting."

 

See also: http://www.scoutinsignia.com/wbneck.htm

 

Interestingly, the Wood Badge section of the on-line Insignia Control Guide at Scouting.org is currently dead.

[JFL49]

This link refers to the woggle and other parts of the regalia:

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/06I.aspx

 

Parsing the language in the link, and using the "rules" that our Council goes by: your Wood Badge beads may be worn with any neckerchief or with no neckerchief, as long as you are wearing your field uniform ("Class A" uniform in the military parlance).

 

The woggle may only be worn with the Wood Badge neckerchief. And you if you wear your Wood Badge neckerchief, you MUST also wear your woggle and your beads.

 

BTW: "Wood Badge" is always two words.

 

[TAHAWK]

But the "as indicated" at this location http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/06I.aspx suggests the beads may only be worn with the previously-mentioned Wood Badge neckerchief.

 

As noted, the link to Wood Badge information here http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/topic-index.aspx

is dead.

[JFL49]

As with many "things" Scouting, oh how I wish that guidance from National was better written. The phrase "as indicated" clouds the issue, IMHO.

 

Since I also chair my Council's Wood Badge Committee, I will go with our Council's approach (and traditions): your Wood Badge beads may be worn with any neckerchief or with no neckerchief, as long as you are wearing your field uniform.

 

Personally, the only neckerchief that I wear my beads with is the Gilwell (taupe/dove grey/pink) neckerchief.

[Basementdweller]

Finds humor in this discussion

[TAHAWK]

Too true about the level of writing skill demonstrated. 0___0

[Eamonn]

While I really don't think that it's very important, I think, I'm not sure that I read , seen or heard that WB beads were not supposed to be worn with the participant WB course necker?

Wood Badge beads are not worn by Sea Scouter's in Sea Scout uniform.

Ea.

[JFL49]

Eamonn,

 

The WB Administrative Guide actually says the opposite.

 

Paraphrasing: During Days 1 thru 5, staff members will wear a Troop 1 neckerchief held in place with a participants woggle and Wood Badge beads. On Day 6, staff members will wear the official Wood Badge neckerchief, woggle, and beads.

 

According to the insignia guide, Wood Badge beads can be worn by adult Sea Scouters

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/09.aspx

 

However, I have been told the "tradition" is that Sea Scouters in uniform do not wear Wood Badge beads, apparently for safety reasons (the leather thong could get caught on something on board ship and injure the wearer). The same tradition seems not to apply to Sea Scouts and Scouters wearing a bonsun's pipe on a lanyard.

[emb021]

JFL49 is correct regarding beads and the participant neckerchief.

 

However, in regards to Sea Scout leaders wearing beads, its more then tradition. Its specifically mentioned in the uniform standards for some time that they are not to be worn.

 

 

[Eamonn]

Strike 2!

Thanks Guys.

Ea.