Jump to content

I love neckerchiefs!


Recommended Posts

The other thread got me thinking on this. When we designed our own troop "travel" uniform to get out of the horrid lime green things, we made neckerchiefs - big square ones that had to be folded diagonally in half. My friend who had attended a jamboree with the French Eclaireuses taught us to roll them the French way - three girls each holding one point to keep it taut while being rolled. My neckerchief still has the neatest tightest roll to it - wish I still had reason to wear it.

I've noticed in many of the older photos of Scouts that the neckerchiefs were usually just gathered up and tied with no rolling. I believe several Scout organizations still wear them this way around the world. For the BSA, is the method of wearing the neckerchief (to roll or not to roll) a troop option, or is there one and only one official way (apart from the over or under collar option)?

Do any of your troops currently use full square neckerchiefs? What dimension?

Thanks!

Anne in Mpls

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Anne,

 

I have almost always seen them rolled. I have been told that the appropriate length from the top of the collar to the bottom tip of the neckerchief should be the length of a dollar bill. This is as far as Boy Scouts of America goes.

 

I also like neckerchiefs I have collected them and have them from several countries.

 

JohnSned

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't have my son's Webelos book her with me, but if I recall correctly, it called for 6 inches of neckerchief showing. It also shows how to roll the neckerchief. I was a Cub almost 40 years ago and we rolled them back then. I just registered this past April and just returnd from Wood Badge this past weekend. While I think our neckerchiefs looked sharp (when worn correctly), I hated wearing it. I'm hot natured and having a collar with several rolled layers of material under my collar kept me with a wet neck most of the course.

 

SR540Beaver (formerly kwc57)(This message has been edited by SR540Beaver)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Don't have my resources with me but if I recall correctly ...

 

Yes, the neckerchief should be six inches in length in the back, no less, no more (a dollar bill is just a few millimeters longer than six inches so that rule of thumb applies too I guess). And, it should NOT be rolled. The prefered method is to fold it, not roll it (BSA preference, not mine). Can't recall where I read this but it was from an official BSA resource (insignia guide, SM handbook, Wolf/Bear/Webelos/Scout Handbook?).

Link to post
Share on other sites

The neckerchief is much more effective if worn over the shirt in the old fashion. It doesn't bunch up and absorbs sweat (one of its original purposes).

 

I view the 6" thing as a guideline. On someone of my height, six inches looks downright tiny. I dangle about 8".

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Back in the 17th Fulham(Pioneers), my old Scout group. Mine due to the fact that I was a Scout and Venture Scout in it. Only later did I serve as the Scout Leader.

We had a neat necker.

At that time the English Scout Uniform was dark green. Our necker was black with a quarter inch white boarder and a patch on the back.

The patch was round and also black with a rope on the edge tied in a reef knot (square knot)In side the rope there were two crossed axes.

No one seems to know who came up with the design.

As for the name the troop was an early troop starting in 1909 and it seems that a lot of the Scouts at that time completed the pioneering badge.

I have a wedding photo of Her Who Must Be Obeyed and myself leaving the church. The troop formed an honor guard. 84 Scouts all in full uniform wearing our much loved necker.

Barry Signs off by telling us all that he loves this Scouting Stuff.

You know he is right.

It is really great.

Eamonn

Link to post
Share on other sites

10-4 on folded rather than rolled. I use the term rolled because....well, because so many people roll them. When they put our working neckerchief on us at Wood Badge, they were rolled. All those many moons ago when I was a Cub, we carefullt "folded" or neckerchiefs. Heck, we even ran a hot iron over the folds to set them and keep them crisp. I taught my son to fold his Webelos neckerchief. The material is thin enough and soft enough that it really won't stay folded. It turns into a roll pretty quickly.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Beaver -- we must be of a similar generation.

 

Back when I was a Cub Scout, many moons ago, I pressed my neckerchief very carefully. If folded properly, the Cub Scout neckerchief formed 3 arrow points under the slide. If not folded properly, no arrow points. And my errant den leader at the time (my Mom) used to give 2 "demerits" to anyone who showed up without 3 showing arrow points on his neckershief. BTW -- I ironed the thing, not her (although she helped.)

 

I still have it -- it's on the bulletin board right behind me at this very moment.

 

DS

Link to post
Share on other sites

I love neckerchiefs, too. I always wear mine proudly as the symbol of Scouting all around the world. The neckerchief is the most distinctive and easily recognized part of the uniform. It bothers me that so few scouts are taught the wonderful heritage that the neckerchief represents or realize how much more like Scouts they look when they wear a neckerchief properly and proudly. Because I am tall I wear an old-time full-square neckerchief folded neatly over my tucked-in collar. I have collected quite a lot of them. The older scouts to whom I have given some find them comfortable and useful for first aid. They also benefit from the "Norman Rockwell look."

I read somewhere that one of the founding fathers of scouting said "the neckerchief is first and last a necessity." And I second that.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Did some research, kids........here's what I found. ALLCAPS used for ease of confusion. :-)

 

Scout Handbook, 11th edition, 2000 printing, p13.

"ROLL the long edge of a neckerchief until it is about six inches from the tip. Place the neckerchief smoothly around your neck, either over or under your collar depending on the custom of your troop. Hold the neckerchief in place with a slide."

 

Insignia guide 1999-2001, p7:

"FOLD long edge over several flat folds to about 6 inches from tip of neckerchief. A tight FOLD prevents gathering around the neck and is more efficient than rolling or twirling".

Also, "By vote of troop, ends may be left hanging loose or may be tied in a slipknot".

 

Skip 20 years back...

 

Scout Handbook, 9th ed, 2nd printing, June 1979, p52: "To put on your neckerchief, ROLL up its long edge to about 6 inches from the tip. Then place it smoothly around your neck. Hold it in place with a slide. Leave the ends loose or tie them with a slipknot depending on troop custom. Turn the collar of a long-sleeve shirt under."

 

Scout Handbook, 8th ed, 5th printing. P14 shows a neckerchief that is clearly FOLDED rather than rolled, but no written instructions are given on length of back of neckerchief, or fold/roll preference.

 

Wolf Cub Scout Book, 1972 printing, p24

"YOUR NECKERCHIEF

Here's how to tie it:

A. FOLD long edge over in several flat folds to about 6 inches from the tip.

B. Place around neck of V-neck shirt or over collar of official long-sleeved shirt. (The collar of your long-sleeved Cub Scout shirt may be turned under when wearing the neckerchief.)

C. Draw neckerchief slide over ends. Make the neckerchief fit snugly. The ends can be loose or tied in a slipknot as preferred by the pack."

 

Scout Handbook, 7th edition, 6th printing, February 1970, p59

"To put on your neckerchief, ROLL it to 6 inches from the tip. Then place it smoothly around your neck and hold it in place by a slide. Leave ends loose or tie with a slipknot depending on troop's custom. Turn collar of long-sleeved shirt under."

 

and finally from the oldest of my collection...

 

Scout Handbook, 5th ed, 4th printing, January 1951, p53. There are no written instructions for folding or rolling; just a line drawing with neckerchief clearly just wrapped around the neck with a slide in place, NEITHER ROLLED NOR FOLDED, but in more of a "blousy" manner.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'd guess that the "folding" thing came in with the Dino de Laurentiis designed uniform (okay, maybe it was Oscar de la Fuente). Stuffing a rolled neckerchief under the collar just wouldn't look nice (not that stuffing a folded neckerchief under the collar looks too nice).

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...