ScoutWithNecker

On 2/29/2004 at 10:23 PM, Fuzzy Bear said:

One consideration for a practical neckerchief is to cut squares instead of triangles. I suggest making the adult neckerchief larger than the Scouts'. You may have the material cut to size, stitched or hemmed and have a color design sewn on.

 

You may consider having a troop contest for the choice of logo. You can use a stencil technique or silk screen with permanent ink for finishing the design yourself.

 

At one time, the neckerchief could be used for a head bandage, arm sling, or ankle support. The smaller triangle neckerchiefs can only be used for decoration and custom. The smaller neckerchiefs look good at ceremonies and inspection time and are generally cooler in warm weather but lack sufficient size for function.

 

FB

 

I love the old full-squares.

On 3/2/2004 at 1:32 AM, Eamonn said:

The Scout Group in which I was a Scout and Venture Scout back in England had a really nice necker. No one seems to know how it came about, as we were one of the early Troops. The 17th Fulham (Pioneers) Neckerchief was black with a quarter inch white border and a patch which was black with a white rope border meeting in a reef knot inside the rope were two crossed axes.

The neckerchief was part of the offical Scout uniform so it was worn with the uniform. At the time the Scout shirt was a dark green.

I don't wear a necker very often but seem to have a lot. In fact I seen one from the 75 Jamboree selling for over $200.00 on e-bay. I have the full set from all the sub-camps.

The Lad who attended the last word jamboree gave me the necker from the English contingent. I have never counted how many. Some years back I got them out and OJ seen them, he was only a little fellow but he looked at me and said "Daddy when you die can I have all of them"

At least they will find a good home.

I'm not sure where I will be!!

Eamonn

You have a wonderful son.

On 3/1/2004 at 8:34 PM, Proud Eagle said:

My troop uses the official dark green neckerchief with embroidered logo and edges in red. To my knowledge every troop in my home town uses that same neckerchief. I don't really know why that developed that way, but it did.

 

New Scouts are usually presented a neckerchief during the bridge crossing ceremony, or their first troop meeting.

 

At one time every youth and adult was expected to wear the neckerchief at every meeting. Now it is only loosely encouraged.

 

Also, it is common to see other neck wear in use. This is especially true of the adult leaders. Many choose to wear bolo ties, or special neckerchiefs. Occasionally a youth member will also wear a bolo or other neckerchief.

 

Most people wear the neckerchief under the collar. I personally despise that method of wear and instead turn the collar under and wear the neckerchief over it. The troop has never really set a policy on this matter, to my knowledge.

I would never be without a neckerchief and I much prefer to wear mine over the collar.

On 2/29/2004 at 7:10 PM, eagle90 said:

Our troop does have a custom neckerchief. We had a contest among our scouts, parents, and siblings to design the Logo. The neckerchief is black with orange piping. The Logo is a campfire in red, yellow, orange and brown, with "90" in the flames of the campfire.

 

We insist on neckerchief wear at COH's and other formal activities, and summer camp. They are not usually worn at regular meetings, except by me. I love neckerchiefs and have a collection of over 200 of them!

 

ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??

I also love neckerchiefs and have several hundred in my collection. I especially love the vintage full-squares. I have a lot of dupes and would gladly send them to a fellow neckerchief fan.

On 3/2/2018 at 10:33 PM, HelpfulTracks said:

I collect neckers (I love them) and have several different Eagle versions (Blue, White NESA, Lifetime NESA, NESA Jambo, Staff etc).

I usually wear my white NESA to Eagle CoH. But I have seen various versions worn by adults and think it is appropriate no matter which color, after all, Once an Eagle Always an Eagle. And I have never considered the blue one to signify anything other than Eagle Scout (no age qualifier I mean).

BTW - if you are looking to return the favor, NESA makes a red "Eagle Awarded in 2018" necker that would be a nice gift

I also love neckerchiefs and have a huge collection. I especially like the vintage full-square neckerchiefs.

On 3/9/2020 at 12:21 PM, The Latin Scot said:

I'll admit I am ... not a fan. I love larger neckerchiefs, don't get me wrong (and being a slightly-built fellow, most neckers are large on me), but this trend towards the 'friendship knot' is honestly rather silly-looking if you ask me (not that anybody has, but I'm answering anyway).

Part of the reason we use slides or slipknots is so that, in an emergency, the neckerchief can be whipped right off and used as needed. It's the very practicality of the neckerchief as an emergency tool and garment that makes it so important and and demonstrative of utilitarian Scouting values. Taking the time to undo a fancy knot like that seems like the very antithesis of that intent - a Scout should be able to snap off his neckerchief to use as a first aid or emergency item in half a second, and that kind of knot would take forever to undo (especially if wet). Slides are also long-used, venerated tokens of Scouting, and I cannot imagine them disappearing any time soon. I love my little collection of slides, gathered from every era of Scouting, each with a story to tell. Furthermore, from a purely aesthetic, sartorially subjective point of view, it's simply a less attractive way to wear the necker, so I'm simply going to respectfully ignore it and hope that it's merely a passing fad. I myself shall continue to encourage the wearing of the neckerchief as outlined in the current Guide to Awards and Insignia.

Of course, I've only been at this for a few years as a leader - mayhaps some of the more experienced Scouters here would opine differently. But I am not pleased with this recent fad myself.

I love neckerchiefs, too. And I am so happy that National is making them larger, though I have a large supply of the vintage full-squares to wear with troop tee-shirts. I really do not care for the friendship knot. Nothing looks better than a scout wearing the neckerchief over the collar. I will say this. The neckerchief seems to be making a.big come-back among younger scouts. Every troop in our area wears neckerchiefs. The scouts wear them readily, smartly and proudly. It is rare to see a scout pulling off his neckerchief and shoving it into his pocket the second that the closing ceremony is over.

On 2/29/2004 at 7:24 PM, Bob White said:

We use a stock neckerchief that is given the scouts when they reach First Class. It is worn for COHs and special events. The scouts choose to wear it under an open collar. Other times the scouts can wear any neckerchief of their choice, or none. They may wear any slide they wish with any neckerchief.

Bob

That’s a super idea. When I was a scout, we wore a variety of neckerchiefs - camp,event, award, national issue troop color, vintage full-squares of various colors to troop meetings I. My buddy, who took me to my first troop meeting wore a huge, white, rayon, TMR full-square that I wanted to wear so badly.

On 3/4/2004 at 8:58 PM, Fat Old Guy said:

Being a card carrying member of the Uniform Police, I am required to point out that making a neckerchief other than the official size is a big no-no. That said, I am a scofflaw and wear one that is huge.

I wear the old national-issue full-squares . The ones from the 1930’s are soft as silk, cool, and so comfortable round the neck. Needless to say, they can only be worn over a tucked-in collar.

On 2/29/2004 at 7:10 PM, eagle90 said:

Our troop does have a custom neckerchief. We had a contest among our scouts, parents, and siblings to design the Logo. The neckerchief is black with orange piping. The Logo is a campfire in red, yellow, orange and brown, with "90" in the flames of the campfire.

 

We insist on neckerchief wear at COH's and other formal activities, and summer camp. They are not usually worn at regular meetings, except by me. I love neckerchiefs and have a collection of over 200 of them!

 

ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??

Yes. I want to trade.

The neckerchief, Jamboree or otherwise, is sufficient to identify scouts . In the very old days of the 1950s jamborees mothers could purchase silk scarves to wear as marks of their sons’ participation in the jamboree

20 hours ago, RichardB said:

So what is it called to just wear the neckerchief? 

A fantastic idea! And a privilege.

20 hours ago, Eagledad said:

Hmm, good question. Embarrassing? 

Barry

  Never embarrassing. Always a show of pride in belonging to the greatest youth movement ever - a movement whose universal symbol is the scout neckerchief or scarf.

I am a dyed-in-the-wool neckerchief nut. And I probably own more vintage neckerchiefs than anyone. So, here goes.  The standard issue neckerchiefs up until the end of the 1930's were 30 x 30 inches.  In the 1940's the size was reduced to 29.5 x 29 inches. The triangular - or half - neckerchief came into use in the late 1940's and by the 1950's had completely supplanted the full-squares. I love the really old full-squares. They fit today's larger scouts and scouters, and they can be used for so many purposes. The biggest international scarves that I have encountered are the Indonesian haduks.  They are huge triangles and look really neat.

Latin Scot, I love neckerchiefs, too.  And I collect them.  Over the years I have acquired a treasure trove of the old full-squares, especially the ones from the 1930's that are 30"x30".  Scouts love it when I do a presentation on Scouting's history, using neckerchiefs from different eras, jamborees, camps and events to illustrate it.

I couldn't agree with you more, Snow Owl. Leaders should always wear their neckerchiefs. The neckerchief is indeed the universal symbol of Scouting. The girls will call us back to that important truth.

Now with girls joining,  the debate about neckerchiefs is over. Girls love colorful kerchiefs and scarves. They will never allow BSA to ditch neckerchiefs.

Hi Latin Scot,

Greetings to another Knight of the Neckerchief; it's good to know that there are still some of us here in the States that have not abandoned this revered symbol of scouting all over the world.

I, too, love the old full-square neckerchiefs.  The first one I ever got to own was the orange and white regulation issue that was the proper color for our troop.  It started me collecting, so that I now have lots and lots of these old beauties.  I especially like the ones issued in the 1930's as the cotton pongee material they used then is very light, soft and absorbent as well as strong.

Hopefully the neckerchief will make a comeback now that the current ones are a decent size, even if triangular.

"The neckerchief is first and last a necessity." Was it James Beard that said that?  Baden-Powell declared that "a scouts honor is bound up in his scarf."

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

August 1st is World Scout Scarf Day. What a great opportunity to wear our neckerchief with our everyday clothes in solidarity with scouts around the world. I love neckerchiefs, especially the old full-squares. I have collected dozens of them in all colors - and conditions.

Yesterday was World Scout Neckerchief Day. Thousands of Scouts and former Scouts from all over the globe wore their neckerchiefs all day - to work, to school, to shops. From all around the world, except from the USA. American Scouts have rejected, discarded, reviled the scarf that is the universal symbol of the Scouting movement. What a shame! What a betrayal!

There is one part of the uniform that identifies Scouts - boys and girls, men and women - immediately and clearly everywhere in the world, and that is the neckerchief. It is THE symbol of Scouting world-wide, so much so that Scouts all over the globe are once again observing World Scout Scarf Day on August 1st. Scouts and former scouts from every country are proudly wearing their neckerchiefs all day. What a shame that American Scouts are increasingly out of step as they abandon the neckerchief.

Mike,

I believe that your estimate is correct. I would say that the neckerchiefs you describe date from about 1926 to about 1932. They are real beauties. I have a ton of the old full-squares, most from the 1930's. If you ever want some more send me a private message,letr me know as I am getting older and looking for good homes for them.

Ed

Full square neckerchiefs for sure, made of the old, super-soft cotton as the original Norman Rockwell type. And collarless shirts.

You are so right, resqman. A necker IS scouting. Develop the habit with the cubs and it will carry through their scouting career. New cubs are most often thrilled to be invested with the neckerchief, and they want to wear it. We should help them understand that the neckerchief is the universal symbol of Scouting, and that brothers and sisters all over the world wear their neckers proudly. They trade and exchange neckerchiefs with other Scouts. The neckerchief should never have been made optional.