In 1955, seeing that the trade was in dire straits, Chiang kai-shek's wife Soong Mei-ling suggested that middle school pupils throughout Taiwan should wear straw scout caps.
到了民國四十四年，蔣夫人宋美齡女士有鑑於帽蓆業的衰頹，曾建議全省國中生都戴草編的童子軍帽，張水連便是當時童軍帽的研製者。