Neckers back in the "news"

[MattR]

Well, I'll admit, while I knew of using a necker for first aid I hadn't thought of other uses. I always have a bandana with me while camping. But a 36" bandana would be more useful (except for blowing my nose).

It turns out my troop's necker is made from a 36" square and it looks large on just about everyone. Unfortunately it's made from really stiff material and is consequently useless for much of anything else. We finally got some better material. Maybe if it were used for more things and got a bit dirty and torn the scouts would like it better.

[JoeBob]

Neckerchiefs were good utilitarian accessories in my day.  Once you learned to be aware of slide slippage, the wad of cloth was always useful.

But I really didn't appreciate the necker concept until I was in the military.  We wore OD green triangular bandages as 'drive on rags'.  Worn backwards, bandit style, a drive on rag was critical to protect your face from back-blasted sand when firing large weapons.  Tying back a branch from an ambush sight-line, cleaning optics, smoke mask, earmuffs, blindfold, bandage and occasional snot-rag...  I became so accustomed to having a drive on rag in the outdoors that my civilian hunting apparel includes one that serves to carry calls or binoculars or disperse cover scents, as well as other uses.

[Ranman328]

On ‎6‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 6:37 PM, SSScout said:

   Why do American Scouts/Scouters have so much trouble accepting the tradition, the history inherent in that scrap of cloth ?

I think you answered your own question "accepting the tradition".  Lately, anything dealing with tradition is attacked and must be changed.  As the Committee Chairman, I asked that if the Adult Leaders were going to wear the uniform, they try to wear it properly.  I had a few female leaders coming to events wearing leggings and the Leader Uniform untucked.  One was wearing Disney Leggings with white socks pulled up over top of them.  I am not saying everyone needs to have a complete uniform but at least give the scouts a good example.

I wish BSA would invest in a better cloth and go back to the larger neckerchief.  I always keep a bandanna in my pocket.  Great utility item.

[FireStone]

3 hours ago, Ranman328 said:

I think you answered your own question "accepting the tradition".  Lately, anything dealing with tradition is attacked and must be changed...

I wish BSA would invest in a better cloth and go back to the larger neckerchief.  I always keep a bandanna in my pocket.  Great utility item.

Actually there have been hints that the BSA is going back to a more "traditional" necker style and wear. I'm not sure anyone has ever attacked neckerchiefs (we all have preferences, but I don't remember hearing any calls for national change in policy regarding neckerchiefs), and as mentioned, it seems that tradition is actually coming back around on this topic. 

[The Latin Scot]

6 hours ago, FireStone said:

... I also just recently picked up a Cub Leader neckerchief, in the "new larger size: 49 1/2 x 35 x 35", and it actually fits me decently. If larger is the trend, I think there's hope for us to catch up with the rest of the world on modern necker style and usage. 

I think we also need to do something about the plain flat design of American neckers. So many of them don't have the edge border that UK (and similar) neckers all have, which I think adds a lot of style to the look. I have that CS Leader necker, which is just blue with a very think yellow edge. Another guy in my pack has a Jambo necker with that cool thick border on it, and it's no question his looks so much better than mine. I'm sure those are more expensive to produce, but it also makes the necker more iconic and interesting, which I think would encourage more usage and wear. 

So, you may be happy to know that ALL of the Boy Scout neckerchiefs are now made in the same larger size as the Cub Leader neckerchief you picked up, and there is a large variety of colors available too that have a nice trim along the edge, as well as a neatly embroidered BSA logo. They've been available to Boy Scouts and leaders for a while now, though I can't say when the size upgrade took place - before I started as a leader two years ago, that's all I can say for sure.

The Cub Scouts themselves, however, still wear the really little ones which, I grant you, fit small guys better, but are little more than pocket handkerchiefs and have no practical use at that scale.

It has been nice to see the patrols in our Troop all wearing neckers lately, and even using them extensively to practice first-aid skills and even in pioneering activities! The patrols even coordinated their neckerchief colors to go with their patrol emblems - the older boys, or "Knights of Light" patrol, wear black neckers with silver trim to go with their black and white, medieval-looking patrol flag, which again goes with their patrol emblem which features a knight in silver armor. The younger patrol are the "Savage Vikings;" their patrol patch features a flaxen-haired viking wearing a brown fur cloak, so their flag is a pale 'fur cloak' (cleverly crafted out of a shag bath rug) decorated in brown and gold, while their neckers are brown with gold trim. And I cannot convey how much Scout spirit and patrol pride this has generated in our Troop! The boys have taken their emblems and "patrol colors" and run with them far beyond what I ever could have forseen - they use their patrol colors on equipment, activity t-shirts, troop records, decorations - I would even say our supply closet is more organized than it's ever been thanks to our "color coding." And ALL OF IT started just by getting the boys to wear neckerchiefs, and to select colors that would be meaningful to them. 

I have made it a point to procure a neckerchief in each patrol's colors for myself as well, just so that I have something to remember them by when I'm old and gray. Neckers can tell great stories if you let them!

[Cambridgeskip]

I find it interesting the way on your side of the pond you are quite flexible in terms of changing your necker. Over here once a troop has adopted colours for their necker it’s pretty rare to change it and I seem to recall you need permission from district or county or something. Anyway the kids can get quite tribal about their neckers and swapping them with someone you’ve met on camp from another troop or unit is often seen as a big act of friendship. 

From an adults perspective the biggest use I find for them is identifying my scouts at long range on big events. We go to a weekend jamboree type camp each January at Gilwell. About 2500 people in 130 acres. It’s pretty crowded! Having the scouts wear their neckers visible (except if it’s raining, they’re cotton unfortunately) at all times makes it a lot easier to keep track of them.

[Ranman328]

3 hours ago, FireStone said:

Actually there have been hints that the BSA is going back to a more "traditional" necker style and wear. I'm not sure anyone has ever attacked neckerchiefs (we all have preferences, but I don't remember hearing any calls for national change in policy regarding neckerchiefs), and as mentioned, it seems that tradition is actually coming back around on this topic. 

Never said anyone attacked neckerchiefs.  What I said is that lately, "ANYTHING DEALING WITH TRADITION" is attacked.  Not just in Scouting but ANYTHING dealing with TRADITION.  Seems like we have people that go around and see what kind of trouble they can cause and protest long standing traditions.

[FireStone]

8 minutes ago, Ranman328 said:

Never said anyone attacked neckerchiefs.  What I said is that lately, "ANYTHING DEALING WITH TRADITION" is attacked.  Not just in Scouting but ANYTHING dealing with TRADITION.  Seems like we have people that go around and see what kind of trouble they can cause and protest long standing traditions.

I assumed we were talking about neckerchiefs, this being a thread about neckerchiefs. Thank you for clarifying. 

[NJCubScouter]

Yes, let’s please keep it to neckerchiefs. Not every thread needs to be turned into an ideological discussion.

[Ranman328]

15 minutes ago, NJCubScouter said:

Yes, let’s please keep it to neckerchiefs. Not every thread needs to be turned into an ideological discussion.

Message received!  I thought this was a discussion forum to discuss things.  Recommend you provide your guidance on every thread as they all seem to veer off course.  I will keep my two cents to myself in the future.

[ParkMan]

Our troop doesn't wear them- always a bit of a bummer to me.  The big troops in two of the surrounding towns do.  They both have custom neckers and look very sharp!

[scotteg83]

As a cub leader, I never wore a necker past Tiger Leader (mainly because I bought a Tiger leader necker and didn't feel like getting a new one when I moved up).

When I moved to the Troop, we have custom Troop Neckers, which at first I only wore to Court of Honors.

 

After taking my SM/ASM training, one of the things that truly struck home to me.  How can you ask your Scouts to be in full uniform, if as an adult you don't wear the necker yourself.  So after that training, I have worn my necker ever since.  I even purchased an adult sized Webelos Leader necker for my Daughters den leader position and a Black and Red BSA Necker for my District Position. 

Lead by example

[WisconsinMomma]

I wonder if I can or should wear my Wood badge necker (plaid) with my Cub Scout uniform. 

[Eagle94-A1]

On 6/10/2018 at 5:51 PM, Cambridgeskip said:

I find it interesting the way on your side of the pond you are quite flexible in terms of changing your necker. Over here once a troop has adopted colours for their necker it’s pretty rare to change it and I seem to recall you need permission from district or county or something. Anyway the kids can get quite tribal about their neckers and swapping them with someone you’ve met on camp from another troop or unit is often seen as a big act of friendship.

Since my son joined the troop in 2014, we have been through 4 different neckers. First three were official BSA neckers that had been discontinued. We could not even special order them. Current one is custom made, but our source of material is gone. Apparently Uncle Sam is no longer making OD triangle bandages. :(

 

11 minutes ago, WisconsinMomma said:

I wonder if I can or should wear my Wood badge necker (plaid) with my Cub Scout uniform. 

Yes you can.

[SSScout]

12 minutes ago, WisconsinMomma said:

I wonder if I can or should wear my Wood badge necker (plaid) with my Cub Scout uniform. 

Absolutely.  That is the example you can set.   If your Pack has a "standard", you can wear the beads and leather woggle with your Pack Cub Leader Necker.  Looks good.