Patches as prizes

[Scoutfish]

Let me start with some background: I have a 9 year old Webelos scout. He joined as a Wolf. That's where it all started for me. Never was a scout myself.

 

Working, volunteering, getting involved alot has me currently as the Cub Master of my son's pack.

 

So while signing up a new cub and dad at a roundup meeting , the dad says: "My neighbor used to be a scout and asked me to give these to you."

 

He then hands me 29 patches ...all from the late 60's , early 70's.

 

I do not mean any disrespect but these patches have no special meaning to me as I was never a scout myself. I do not recognize any special worth or signifigance to them. Not saying I don't think they are worth anything......just saying I don't know what they would be.

 

Hees is what they are so far:

 

2 leather "Historic Trails Awards" patches

1 leather "50 miler afloat award" patch

1 5" round "Order of the Arrow" patch

1 3" round YMCA "Indian Guides" patch

1 FT.TL. 4th annual Knox Trail Hike 1971 patch- Albany PFL'D Boston

1 Taconic Distric Fall Camporee 1968

1 1972 Scout-o-rama Dutchess County Council

1 "50 years of scouting" Dutches County Council 1969 Scout-o-rama

1 DCC BSA Taconic Distric 1970 Klondike Debrby

1 1971 Dutches Co Councuil spring camporall

1 Project Soar BSA 1971

1 "world Brotherhood" a cannon with British flag and maybe British

nautical flag?

1 Dutchess County Boy Scouts Jr Leader training camp shield

shaped patch

1 Knox Trail Kinderhook-Ghent 1970

1 Delaware River Canoe trip square with chopped corners

1 "plow the rugged Road" BSA patch with 2 revolutionry soldiers

1 Dutchess Co Council BSA Nooteeming Scout camp had a big

red letter "D" and a indian head dress on it

 

1 1976 Bicentennial Encampment Dutchess co BSA

1 4" Arrowhead shaped "Pwamas Distric Suffolk Co Council

Scouting in Axction" fall 1967

 

1 Camp Nooteeming BSA 1968

 

1 Camp Woodland Hiawatha Council has a chipmock? holding

a fishing pole and fish

 

1 1/2 " red on olive Instructor patch with gold fleur de lis and

two red stars

1 2" square gold fleur de lis on green background. ( rank?) patch

 

2 2" square Gold fleur de lis on gold star on OD green patch brown little swivel under star Is this star rank?

 

1 2" wide X 2 1/2 tall brown Eagle over gold fleur de lis on top of gold scroll/ribbon with gold swivel under it and the motto "Be prepared.

 

1 canoeing Merit badge

 

 

Okay, Like I said, I do not mean any disrespect, but these patches are beyong my education and I also didn't earn them, so no special signifigance to me. I offered hem to my DE to display - possibly at council scout shop.

 

He suggested that I save them and pass them out to the scouts in my pack as awards or prizes for such things as : "Most attentive scout during pack meeting:" or " most days of pack attendance" or stuff along those lines.

 

Not a bad idea if I sy so myself, but these are not pieces of candy or bubblegum. The are patcheds that had to be earned.

 

Your thoughts?

[AnaMaria]

I personally don't think the boys would be interested. If they have no meaning to you, an adult who might at least understand their historical significance, what meaning would they hold for a Cub Scout? I'd probably check online and see if there's a market for selling them or offer them on a patch-collecting site.

[Gary_Miller]

I suggest you find a boy Scout who collects patches and give them to him, or donate them to the local OA lodge to put in their next patch auction which they use as a fund raiser.

[SSScout]

What you have is the history of a Scout. I see a pattern but it is missing one or two pieces. The patches do have an intrinsic value in dollars to collectors, they also have (had?) a value in history and nostalgia to the "neighbor". Perhaps he had no family to pass them on to.

I have gone to conventions, Jamborees, and other Scout activities where an older Scouter, who made my acquantance, perhaps over hours or days or years, has asked if I would like to have "some of these old pins and things". I do not actively collect Scout memoribilia, but if it comes to me, I accept it in the spirit it was presented.

I attended a three day long Scout conference out in Indiana once. Some of these folks I knew thru long distance correspondance and it was good to meet them in person. Some I had never met in any fashion. One of the outgoing officers of the group announced to the rest of us, "I have some things I'd like you folks to have" and proceeded to empty out on the table a box of pins, patches, neckers, commemorative woggles and hats. We all leaned back and collectively gasped. These dated back to the 1950 Valley Forge Jamboree and earlier. None of us quite knew how to react. He gestured and encouraged us to take what we "took a fancy to". I came away with a necker from the Idaho Jamboree and some other items. He was passing on his tradition to us.

Most of my "stuff" is personal, earned or attended by me. I have some other "collector" stuff, and I respect the history and tradition it represents. They are artifacts. Kinda like my fathers westling award belt from high school or my uncles award for "aeroplane flight modeling". I value them, not for their collectability (Antigues Roadshow?) but for the connection they represent of ME NOW to THEM THEN.

Perhaps the "neighbor" would like to come out and be an "uncle" to the Cubs of your Pack? Now there's a new POR...We had a fine old Scouter who was famous for inventing new craft items (clothes pin woggles? "rocket launchers" out of paper clips?)and was a regular at Roundtable, though his children were long , long time out of Scouting.

Figure out a way to display them for your Cubs and learn what they represent. How did the "neighbor" come by them? Where did they come from? I don't think Taconic Scout District is in North Carolina!

Can your Cubs see themselves "earning", collecting such over their Scout career? Can you use these found items to intrigue your Cubs?

No, these are too valuable to use as "prizes".

 

Wow, what a Cubmaster's minute.... or two....

 

Good luck and KiS MiF!(This message has been edited by SSScout)

[Scoutfish]

When I aid they mant nothing to me, I meant only as in I didn't earn them. They are not sentimental to me. I would feel wrong to display them at my house as I have no personal connection, did not earn them myself or have a connection to them

 

But SSS, you have a great idea. That would make a great guest appearance at a pack meeting. Maybe get the guy to explain what each one means, what he did to earn them, and how he worked for them.

Give the cubs a glimps into the future.

 

Cool! I'm gonna see about doing that!