Wearing the Wood Badge Tokens

The following guidelines were instituted by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) that has been approved by the World Scout Conference (WSC), which consist of the representative from each National Scout Organization (NSO) from each WOSM-member nation. These NSO agreed to disseminate this information.

The Wood Badge refers to the two wooden beads on a length of boot-lace worn around the neck of the wood badge holder. Sometimes, the wood badge may come with three or four beads in total for Assistant Leader Trainers and Leader Trainers respectively. All these, regardless of the the number of beads, are collectively called the wood badge.

Tradition dictates that the wood badge may be worn with any official uniform of the movement or nation that is formal in nature. This includes the Type-A, the Safari uniform worn by Scout Executives and Board Members, the Barong Taglog, and Coat-and-Tie. It should only be worn during Scouting functions.

If worn with the Type-A the lace are worn under the neckerchief from the back (or collar if wearing a necktie), and above-and-centered on the neckerchief (or necktie) from the front. If worn with the Barong Tagalog, Safari, or Coat-and-Tie it is worn under the collar from the back, and above-and-centered from the front. The wood badge is worn on top of any other awards placed on the uniform.

When a neckerchief is warranted, only the wood badge neckerchief or the official BSP adult leader neckerchief may be worn with the wood badge. The wood badge turks head (woggle) is the only neckerchief-slide permitted to be worn with the wood badge regardless of the neckerchief. When someone refers to the Wood Badge regalia, it refers to the entire set: the Wood Badge, the scarf (not the BSP leader neckerchief), and the woogle.

During Wood Badge training, I have seen staff members wear their Wood Badge regalia over their Type-B.

Wood Badge Neckerchief

This is the neckerchief with the swatch of the MacLaren Tartan on the neckerchief apex.

The neckerchief is worn as an option and the wood badge holder may use the official BSP adult leader neckerchief in its place. However, tradition dictates that the wood badge neckerchief is worn at any formal Scouting occasion such as Courts of Honor, District or Council.

The neckerchief may not be worn by itself. It should always be worn as part of the regalia. Therefore, the neckerchief may not be worn in cases when the wood badge itself cannot be worn.