The Neckerchief

… since the honour of your Troop is bound up in the scarf, you must be very careful to keep it clean and tidy.
Scouting For Boys By Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell

Neckerchiefs or “neckers” are part of the Scouting uniform. These pieces of fabric are folded into a triangle with the point at the back of the neck. The necker is meant to be fastened at the throat by a knot or by a slide or “woggle”. These pieces are often made from cord, metal, bone, wood, or even metal. Every Troop is unique and has its own scarf colour(s) that represents itself! The necker was not recognized as a necessary part of the Scout uniform until 1915.

Black Necker with Yellow Border

Canadian Jamboree '97 Necker

Sea Scouts Necker

Stump Woggle

63rd Gilwell Reunion Necker

Canadian Jamboree '01 Necker

Necker - 1988

Legion Badge on Necker

Don Mills '88 Necker

Cub Scouts BSA Necker

Necker with Tartan Patch

ISt. Lawrence Council BSA Necker

Yellow Necker

Canadian Jamboree '87 Necker

Red Necker with White Border and Jamboree Woggle

Plaid Necker - Boy Scouts of America

Tartan Necker with Wolf Cubs Woggle

World Jamboree Necker

Gilwell Necker

Woodbadge Reunion 1978 Necker

Green Split Necker

14th World Jamboree Necker

Gilwell Reunion 1986 Necker

Necker with Gold Embroidered Maple Leaf

Otter Lake Cub Camp Necker 1979

Necker with Lions and Rotary Badges

Lions International Badge on Necker

Necker with Kingston District Badge

CFB Rockcliff - 54th Ottawa

National Scout Jamboree 2001 Necker

Blue Necker

Soest Badge on Necker

Second Canadian Jamboree 1953 Necker

6th Canadian Jamboree Participant Necker

Canadian Jamboree '89 Participant Necker

World Jamboree Logos

Soest Badge on Necker with Red Key

23rd World Conference Badge on Necker

Red Necker with Fleur de Lis Woggle

1st Clarkson 1976

B.P Guild Necker

17th World Jamboree 1991 - Korea

19th World Jamboree Necker

It wasn’t until 1915 that the necker was recognized as a necessary part of the Scout uniform. Now each troop wears a coloured necker to identify who they are. It has evolved to become an integral and important part of a Scout’s uniform. Many Scoutmasters have taught the values of the Scout Oath and Law using the neckerchief.

While wrapping the neckerchief up for wear, he said to wrap it tight in small twists, twelve in fact. And to repeat the twelve points of the Scout law as you did so. Then as you placed your neckerchief around your neck for wear, the elements of the Oath and Law were with you. They were in fact part of you.

Did you know? A necker can be used for making a sling and bandage! As mentioned in Scouting For Boys: “For binding a broken limb you want a good large three-cornered bandage, such as your Scout neckerchief. Its two sides should each be about forty inches long.”

The Origin of the Woggle

During the early days of the movement, the Scout scarf was tied in a loose knot at the throat- which naturally became very creased. In the early 1920s, American Scouts were experimenting with new ways to “tie” their necker by using a ring made from bone and other materials to keep their scarves together, crease free. These American rings were termed “Boon Doggles” with many likely being made of bone.

An employee at Gilwell Park, Bill Shankley, learned about the American rings and decided to attempt to make one himself. After a few attempts he finally made a Turks Head knot, made from thin leather belting. He submitted this to the Camp Chief and Chief Scout for approval, and it was accepted. Shankley named his ring- a “woggle.”

The term woggle was then used by Lord Baden-Powell in the 14th edition of Scouting for Boys in 1929 and has become apart of the uniform since!

World Brotherhood Camporee Loyalist Area 2003 Woggle

Crab Woggle

Axe Leather Sheath Woggle

Boy Scouts of America - New York City Necker

1st Elginburg with Woggle

Duck Woggle

Stump Woggle

Red Necker with Grey Border

Tartan Necker with Shell Woggle

Wine Necker with Cub Scout Woggle

Stump and Axe Woggle

Battery Woggle

Camp Strake 1964 Necker

Green Necker with Yellow Border

25th World Conference Necker

24th Kingston Necker

Wooden Leaf Woggle

Boy Scout Jamboree Necker

Bell Woggle

Leather Painted Woggle

Drum Woggle

Blue and Orange Split Necker

1st Fort Henry Necker

1983 World Jamboree BSA Woggle

The Importance of the Woggle

If a slide or woggle is not used, a knot must be tied. However, a knot is never tied the same and the position close to the throat can result in an untidy appearance.

The woggle also has many advantages in adverse weather. If it is hot outside, you are able to loosen around the throat to allow a breeze to help cool you down. In the cold, it can be drawn up closer to serve as a muffler/neck scarf. If there was an emergency, the woggle can be instantly drawn down, allowing the neckerchief to be pulled off over the head.

Not only are woggles an immense convenience, they also add a distinct appearance to the neckerchief!

When you get up in the morning, remember that you have to do a Good Turn for someone during the day. Tie a knot in your handkerchief or neckerchief to remind yourself of it.
Scouting For Boys By Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell

Every Troop has it’s own colour necker, check out some of the neckers from Kingston and area!

1st Point Pleasant

Westbrook Necker

1st Joyceville Necker

1st Wolf Island Necker and Woggle

1st Elginburg Necker

24th Kingston Necker

1st Yarker Necker

1st Dufferin

1st Fort Henry Necker

Green Split Necker

1st Barriefield Necker

4th Kingston Necker

1st Pittsburgh Necker