Neckerchief Other Than With The Uniform

[TAHAWK]

Do you wear one?

[Gone]

Do you wear one?

Nope. No adults do. Been a tradition in these parts a while.

[ScoutWithNecker]

I always wear a neckerchief. With the new guidelines I will wear a lot of my vintage full-squares very often.

[TAHAWK]

 

[Scouter Matt]

I am in favor of this. I don't know how popular it will be with the boys, but it is still a good idea.

 

Maybe we can finally end the schizophrenia about the "field uniform" being both an outdoor/active wear item and also a dress/formal item.

 

Comfortable active wear "activity uniforms" with neckerchief for most uses. 

 

Full uniform for flag ceremonies, courts of honor, boards of review, and more formal usages.

 

Now, I just need to find some neckerchiefs suitable for wear on the trail or out in the sun, while still looking scout like.

[Gone]

BSA won't get rid of the Class A. They make too much money off apparel.

[Rick_in_CA]

I like this rule.

 

I always wear my neckerchief. As do most of the  (male) adults in our units (though not all - and most of the women don't. Not sure why).

[qwazse]

...

Now, I just need to find some neckerchiefs suitable for wear on the trail or out in the sun, while still looking scout like.

Been going through my humble collection. The Wood Badge tan (with the tartan patch) one seems to be the only material of substance and girth.

 

Our PLCs opted to uniform sans necker long before Son#1 joined the troop and shortly after troops were allowed to do so.

[SSScout]

As the Unit Commish/old timer from my home Troop, they let me do a little presentation about the neckerchief during  our February CoH . I sponsor a small contest to create necker slides (woggles) . For prizes, I solicit coupons from local shops for ice cream, donuts,  burgers and fries, etc.  Many shops are very willing to support Scouting that way.  Some years I get some real creative entries, sometimes circles of duck tape.

Each year, I set up a display of the slides I have created and collected, and the neckers I have collected over the years.  I always make note of the difference between the necker the Troop uses now and the one I had away back when.   Mine is noticeably bigger, the patch on it  (which reads  "Always On The Go!"  ) was designed by the Scouts and made up by a local seamstress.   It is noticeably worn from being used as a signal flag and (practice!) first aid arm sling.   The present one is bought in quantity at the ScoutShop, and is smaller.  The Scouts notice this. Maybe someday they will want to design their own.  

[Gone]

 The present one is bought in quantity at the ScoutShop, and is smaller.  The Scouts notice this. Maybe someday they will want to design their own.  

 

We had a rather energetic old time scouter do the same. Just could not get the scouts to wear them. go to any troop in our region and it is about 80% or more who don't wear them. Every year or so we get someone who tries to vote them in to the standard uniform, always fails by a huge margin.

[Cambridgeskip]

Interesting looking in on this one.

 

First it sounds like your uniform police are even worse than the ones in the UK! And I thought ours were bad!

 

I think one of the reasons why neckers are so popular here is population density. I often read on here about patrols camping 300 feet apart and leaders likewise. For the most part the idea of having that much space on camp is frankly laughable! I'm just back from our summer camp. The site is 31 acres, there were 12 different troops/units/packs camped there and that was considered a quiet week! And that is pretty standard. As there are so many groups camped so close together and there's lots of mixing and mingling most troops insist that the kids where there neckers at all times so adults can identify their scouts at long range.

 

On top of that programs generally, not just on camp, do tend to be more troop than patrol based. That means there tends to be an espirit de corps for the troop rather than the patrol, hence more pride tends to be taken in the troop colours, so they are keen to wear their necker to mark themselves out.

 

We also have a very attractive national red, white and blue national necker that genuinely looks good and kids want to wear. In itself that has lead to more use of a friendship knot as the triple layers of the necker means it gets wrecked when a woggle (slide) goes up it.

[TAHAWK]

Ran across this language in my first SMHB:

 

 

During the first few weeks of a new troop, correct uniform may consist of the troop neckerchief worn over regular clothing."

Scoutmaster's Handbook (1959) at p. 145.

 

I wonder when the just-removed prohibition of wearing the neckerchief over civies originated.

[qwazse]

Thanks for the reference!

... I wonder when the just-removed prohibition of wearing the neckerchief over civies originated.

About the time $omone a$ked, "Let's make $ure they purcha$e a  $hirt and $lack$ with every neckerchief."

[reeddma]

This change was very timely.  A Scout of mine who moved out of the area a few years back had his ECoH and a contingent from his old Troop made the trip.  A few who are in college didn't have a uniform so they wore the Troop neckerchief (and yes, all are Unit College Scouter Reserve).  It looked good and identified all of us as from his old Troop. 

 

DDR