Group name tags

 

 

 

As local troops came in contact with other troops from other towns more, the problem arose to keep the troop apart. Locally it wasn’t a problem, as there weren’t two troops with the same name and the same collar in one town it was easy to keep the troops apart. But problems could turn up with troops from different places with the same name and for instance the same red collar.

 

To solve this problem a cotton khaki tag was chosen late 1913, 8 till 10 cm long with the letters N.P.O. on it in black with for instance Amsterdam 10e troep underneath it. This tag was worn on the left sleeve just below the shoulder. Until now this is still the place for the nametag. 

 

 

Slowly the troops got a name besides the number and that was also put on the nametag.

 

 

 

 

After 1915, when the NPO and the NPB were merged to the NPV, “N.P.V. afd. ……. (name of the department)” came after the number of the troop. After 1920 when the cubs and rovers joined “troep” (troop) was changed into “groep” (group).

 

 

After forming Districts, the word “afd.” disappeared, leaving just the name of the town with perhaps a Group number.

 

The PVN (1932-1937) used a tag with “P.V.N. - afd. …” under the tag with the name of the troop.

 

In the fifties some variety in letters and colour of the letters occurred.

 

 

In the beginning the KV (Catholic boy scouts) initially used khaki tags, but later on they used greyish tags with mostly black letters, just with the name of the Group and the town of the Group on it .

 

Sea scouts wore dark blue tags, mostly with white letters.

 

 

 

In contradiction to the boys, where the name of the Group came first and under it the name of the department, the girls wore separate tags with the name of the department above the tags with the name of the Group. Until 1933 it said “N.M.G.  afd. ….”, after that  “N.P.G. afd. …”.

 

The girl scouts and pioneers wore dark blue tags with white letters.

 

Brown tags with dark brown letters were worn by Brownies.

  

 

The girls of the NGB (Catholic Girl Guides) wore dark blue tags with just the name of the Group and the name of the town, just as the girls of the NPG.

 

After the merge of the four different Scouting Associations in 1973 everyone wears nylon tags. There is a large variety of colors for both the tags and the text on it and nowadays it’s also possible to put the sign of Scouting Nederland on the tags.

 

Besides Group name tags several other name tags were emitted like tags for jubilees, activities, districts. etc.


The museum is always interested in "old" Dutch scouting stuff.
Are you considering removing your old stuff, please contact us.