July 23, 2021

Woggles

44 minutes

Neckerchief slides. Rings. Turk’s Heads. Whatever you call them, these handy little fasteners have an interesting history.

Podcast Topics

Ken and Colin — in their first in-person recording in over a year (the last one having taken place on or about March 12, 2020) — discuss woggles, the ubiquitous neckerchief fasteners used by Scouts the world over, examining the history of the word “woggle” and the emergence of their use.

Particular focus is given to the Gilwell Woggle, which is awarded to Wood Badge recipients in some countries. This distinctive — but easily-made — woggle is fashioned using a Turk’s Head Knot (also called a Sailor’s Knot), a mathematically intriguing knot that might have had its origins as a means of denoting the king spoke on ships wheels.

Shout-Outs

Scouter Chuck writes in with some follow-up about the document we referenced in the recent knife safety episode:

Cool to see a document I co-authored referenced in your transcript. We have a permit system for safe use of tools: Knives, Axe and Saw, Match and Fire, and Stove and Lantern. There weren't any standards so we wrote them for local use in 2012, and have been happy to share them. You never know where they'll end up.

As always, a big thank you to the folks at Scouting Radio for rebroadcasting Scouting Stuff episodes to their worldwide Scouting audience. If you're listening to us on Scouting Radio right now, let us know; reach out and get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

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Music

Slow Burn, by Kevin MacLeod

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