Gift Ideas

[eagle-pete]

I will soon be headed up to The Hill. I am a Troop Guide on this course. I am trying to think of good ideas for other staff members.

 

What have you given? What are some good ideas?

 

We do have some guidelines like no gifts over $5. Gifts are not mandatory. Gifts can be given in private or in front of the whole staff, giver's preference.

 

I understand a big "staff" gift to the Course Director is already being arranged. I am talking about gifts from individual staff members to other staff members.

 

Before you start saying, "It depends on the individual. We don't have any idea what you should give." I understand that. What I am looking for are ideas or examples of gifts.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Eagle Pete

[John-in-KC]

At my course, the staff gave each other hand done leathers of their own patrol totems. The idea, as my TG told me, was the time and the thought... not the bux.

[dan]

Here ya go!

 

http://www.woodbadgestore.net/shop/

 

When I attended wood badge My troop guide give me a fox bead on a leather necklace, I wear this more than I wear my beads.

[OldGrayOwl]

Here is a site for totem critters on a leather cord:

 

http://www.spiritcreatures.com/(rk3a00mr502p0py0ai3gvvic)/totemimages.aspx

 

using tinyurl.com to shorten above link:

 

http://tinyurl.com/3d35ou(This message has been edited by OldGrayOwl)

[kb6jra]

OGO, that was a nice link.

 

Some things that were given at my last course that may fit the bill were:

 

"Class B" Beads (like above, sets of 3 on lanyard)

engraved coin

handmade coin purse w/ course # n WB logo

handmade book mark w/ name, critter, course number, theme (I like this one, cheap too)

hand made keychain w/ course number

small treasure chest (our theme "treasure the values of scouting" and pirate everything)

WB Critter patches

Christmas Ornaments w/ course number and one with critter and course number

hand made gigantic woggle (fun to try and wear)

 

Larger gifts that more than one can go in on...

canvas boat bag w/ coarse # and theme embroidred on it

plastic plate w/ axe n log logo, course nubmer printed on it. This was actually the hit of the course. It was a simple plastic plate with Wood Badge accross the top in Log Letters, the axe n log w/ the course number in it. All were screen printed and looked nice but not exquisite. One member started having all staffers sign the back, before you knew it, everyone was doing it. This will be one of my best memory pieces w/ everyone's sig on the back. I don't think it was too expensive either.

 

Good luck, the gifting is a lot of fun.

 

 

[eagle-pete]

UPDATE:

 

Well, the (practical) course is complete and I must say I was sad to leave. It was a great Wood Badge course.

 

Here''s what I gave as gifts to my patrol (each participant got one of each):

SMART keyring - handmade with letter beads which spelled SMART strung on a small leather string

"I Can" cans - small (6 oz) cans with a short poem inside. Outside lable printed with "My ''I Can''" and beads clipart. Meant to remind them they CAN finish their tickets and earn the beads.

Seizing Bend knot - made with two ropes tied in a Seizing Bend http://books.google.com/books?id=HpV86k0kLagC&pg=PT193&lpg=PT193&dq=seizing+bend&source=web&ots=Yfkay7sPEd&sig=VEbvaAzadJ1GlQP7MkH-EZWaNQs#PPT256,M1 This represents the leader and the scout.

Monkey''s Fist knot - this represents holding tight to Scouting like the monkey that holds onto the bait.

Small (1 1/2 inch dia.) wooden medalion hung on a rope with a picture of an axe and log.

Large (7 inch dia.) wood decopage with a photo of an antelope on it.

Home made card with a personal letter written inside.

 

I wrote letters to particular staff members that made the experience special for me in some way.

 

Eagle Pete

[kb6jra]

Eagle Pete, at the course I was just on, had I done just one of those things I would have received the Mommy award. LOL I do like the personal hand made gifts. Nice touch IMO.

 

I think the I Can is a neat thing. Good work.

 

 

[OldGrayOwl]

Another thing that I have given to members of my patrol, as they get beaded, is an Owl Knife, http://tinyurl.com/2e9s36 , as most Scouters use knives, I figured that this would be a nice gift.

 

John

 

 

[eagle-pete]

kb6jra

 

I didn''t get the Mommy award. Must have missed that one.

 

My patrol commented that they got several compliments on the gifts (they wore many of them around their necks).

 

The Troop Guides on this course were not big on gifts at first. But after a couple days they got more into it. Of course I had mine all prepared, they had to make theirs on the fly.

 

From what I could tell, all the gifts were much appreciated. I didn''t get any indication, either from participants or staff, that this was overboard. These were small gifts, hand made, and inexpensive.

 

Before the course began, I was able to visit with a former Course Director and we talked about Troop Guides - what makes a good Troop Guide, etc... One of the things he told me was to make sure that each day the participants have something they can carry with them which represents something they learned at Wood Badge.

 

If one of these gifts meant something, other than a wall hanging, then I did my job.

 

Eagle Pete

[kb6jra]

Pete,

 

I think your gifts were a great idea. It was kind of a joke on the course I staffed. Apparantly the previous course one of the TG''s had given gifts, had not backed away from her kiddies like she should have in the course, and they wrote songs and cheers about her, bought her presents, put her name on their patrol flag...she was a bigger part of their patrol than the patrol members at one time. They gave her the Mommy Award.

 

On my course we were threatened (light heartedly of course) with the Mommy Award if we gave or received 1 gift on course. Giving gifts at the beadings is a different story apparantly, and I''m going to be prepared with something along the same lines you''ve done here.

 

Again, good work.