Corporate Sponsorship For Merit Badges ?

[Eamonn]

Have just seen in an E-mail from Gilwell Park, that the English Scout Association has allowed a chain of photographic store to "Sponsor," the photographer Badge. The name of the company will be on the patch.

The company is doing all sorts of nice things for both the Association and providing books and the like for the Scouts.

I know in the past the BSA,has done deals with soft drink firms, but this seems to be a little more then this.

What do you think about the BSA, allowing for profit companies sponsor some Merit Badges?

And what Companies would you suggest, for what Merit Badge?

I'm not completely sold on the idea. But I don't know how much the company is paying. Or all the details.

However, just for the heck of it, I will get the ball rolling with, maybe Crest toothpaste might sponser the Dentistry Merit Badge.

[dsteele]

In the pure interest of learning on the part of the Scout, I must say I'm adamantly opposed to the sponsorship of any merit badge if it requires the name of the company on the badge.

 

I'm not opposed to a company writing or underwriting the merit badge pamphlet, but to use a Boy Scout merit badge as advertising for any particular company, I would find offensive.

 

And I'm one of those money-grubbing professionals.

 

I also have to say that I have and hold Eamonn in the highest regard. This post is no reflection on him, but on the idea of sponsorship for merit badges. Eamonn is a great scouter.

 

And a dear ladd. You are, Eamonn. Truly.

 

DS

[OldGreyEagle]

lets try a few on for size,

 

The Eastman Kodak Photography merit badge

 

The Home Depot Home Repairs merit badge

 

The Bass Pro Shops Fishing merit badge

 

The REI Camping merit badge

 

The Nike Athletics merit badge

 

I dont think I like any of the, leads to all kinds of questions, can I use my Ozark Trail tent when doing the camping merit badge, what if I use Adias on the baseball team...

 

We have enough commercialization in our lifes as it is, we name sports facilities after the sponsor, Safeco Field, the United Center, etc. I think the Boy Scouts should not sell out.

 

 

 

On the other hand, if the traditional methods of support (United Way, Corporate Donations) shrink and its either severly effect the program or do it, it may be a way out. You know, having the General Electric Electicity merit badge could work, or the "crocodile hunter" nature merit badge or Mack Truck Truck Transportation merit badge might be ok.

 

I dont like the idea, but I could see why it might become a reality.

[saltheart]

Even though I understand all too well the reality of budget shortfalls, funding cuts, and tightening the belt...I find the notion of corporate sponsorship of merit badges with a corporate name attached to the symbol itself to be offensive. Have we come that far as a society (and an organzation) that we are willing to give up some of our self-esteem for the almighty buck to that degree? I would hope not. I'd rather see these corporate types simply recognizing that anonymous sponsorship (by way of name in the paper or on paper only, not on the badge) is a good thing and something that may come back to them when the scout becomes proficient in the skill and requires whatever they're marketing...no strings attached. This idea seems more like selling ones soul for a few bucks here and now.

 

Just my (adamant) opinion.

[evmori]

I'm with OGE on this one. If the BSA starts using corporate sponsors for merit badges then it will be like college football bowl games! And who knows what kind of pressure they would exert on National for their own interests!

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Laurie]

The idea of corporate support is very appealing to me. However, adding any company's or manufacturer's name to the merit badge is just wrong in my opinion. What about a press release stating that this company helped Troop 000 earn Thus and Such MB? What about a thank you note from the Scouts to the corporation? That sounds appropriate, but changing the MB does not.

[LauraT7]

I'm with Laurie -

 

i think corporations SHOULD help out kids - scouts or any group, in their teaching efforts - after all - these kids are their future employees and owners?

 

But it should be done as a public service. If they want to get a little PR out of it, fine - show the scouts in an ad working on the project, send out a press release - etc. But don't 'take over' the youth group organizations program for your own means.

 

and there should be no limits on what materials, organizations, etc can be used to earn the badge. If Home Depot wants to sponsor 'Home Repair' - that's great - but it should not have an exclusive on the badgework, productw or material.

 

The Challenger Space Center here in town and the Space and Rocket center in Alabama both do Space Exploration and have registered BSA merit badge counselors on staff as part of their programs - but you don't see their names on the badges, and the boys can still earn them on their own or at camp!

[Eamonn]

I'm still unsure about this. But OGE,does bring a few items to light that are worth thinking about.

Some time, maybe in the not too distant future we may be looking at new ways to bring in the odd buck.

While I am not a great collector of Scouting stuff, I do pay the odd visit to E-bay and only the other day there was a Scout watch with the Scouts all drinking a Coke, pictured on the watch face.

I don't know if we paid anything for using that darn cat-Garfield (I didn't like him!!) Or if we got a cut of all the dolls and stuff? I seem to remember a Garfield, in a Cub Scout uniform that could be stuck on a window, it wasn't a full uniform !!!

Many of our members are not happy with our uniforms, how would we feel if a company like Columbia, made the uniforms and donated them, as long as the company logo was on the uniform?

Some of our Scout Camps are getting a fair amount of money from the NRA, to help offset the cost of the shooting sports that we offer. While they don't have big signs telling what they have done, they are still doing it.

(I am anti Garfield, but not anti NRA!!) This does seem to be a win, win for both us and them.

Then there is the National Supply.

I tend to think that we need to sell it off.

We are not in the supply business, and we are not very good at it.

Maybe a company like L.L.Bean, along with Barns and Noble, would do a better job.

I really do think that as time passes, we are going to see the BSA, going into partnership with a lot more outsiders.

Still I hope we never see the Walt Disney Arrow Of Light.

Eamonn

[NWScouter]

Most of the old ads that you saw with scouts in them were in Boys Life and the back of the Scout Handbook. In the early years of scouting through the fifties, you would see a few ads like Coke and Buster Brown Shoes in the national magazines. Starting in the sixties there seemed to be a feeling that Scouts wasnt cool so those companies backed off but also I think BSA backed away from having Buster Brown Boy Scout Shoes and Kodak Boy Scout Cameras (I have one of these).

Back to merit badges, about 10 years ago I took up leather work and started hanging around the local Tandy Leathercraft Store to take classes. I then helped scouts get the Leather Working merit badge. Boy, that book was right out of the Tandy instruction books but the only mention of Tandy was in the back of the book as a place to find more information. That kind of support for merit badges is what I would like to see. Maybe a bike company provides the text and illustrations for Cycling, a rod and reel company for Fishing and sewing machine company for Dsteeles Sewing Merit Badge.

 

[saltheart]

With regards to the National Supply issue, I doubt that any major manufacturer/distributor/retailer would be interested in taking that on as part of what they do. The market is limited, even thought there's many of us, there's not that many. The return to the company would, therefore be limited, thus their participation would amount to a "good-turn" affair.

[troopmom]

I agree with NO sponsership because it potentially ties our hands. Currently we are a private org.. If we take sponsership then we are beholden to the sponsers who are also beholden to others groups--ie,st REI and Home Depot who support gays and therefore won't donate to us. If we used Galyans and Lowe's who currently do support Scouting, but then the gay rights groups throw a hissie, will we be forced to change our private policy? To much obligation for me.

 

[NWScouter]

Troop Mom, I dont know about your area but out here REI has supported scouting for years and many of our Eagle projects have Home Depot donated material. REI stores have climbing walls and give free use of them to scouts and store personnel have meet with troops to give workshops on gear.

[troopmom]

That's great. In our area Home Depot will donate for Eagle etc.. I wasn't thinking, again. However, REI said they won't give to Scouts when they were asked for a larger donation in our local area. My point is still---if we except sponsorship from a corporation and another public group tightens the screws on the corporation because they donate to BSA, wouldn't we(BSA)then feel the pressure to make exception to our policy, what ever the case may be.(This message has been edited by troopmom)

[buffalo2]

Perhaps we could think of ways to turn all of this potential corporate sponsorship to other uses - certainly don't see any harm in putting a company's name all over Food & Clothing Drive bags etc

And maybe even a tasteful logo on an event patch?

But straight onto the uniform is a bit much I think...

[NJCubScouter]

What about a Boy Scout camp with a "GE Science Building" with a GE logo on it? The building at the camp my son just attended had sign saying either that exactly, or maybe it said "Science Building courtesy of GE" with the logo. Either way, the deal was clear: You give us the $ for this building, you get the sign with your name and logo on it in front of the building. I did not get to go into the building, so I do not know whether the boys can see a GE logo and references how we bring good things to light in every direction or not. The sign is probably more for the parents' consumption, anyway. You drop your son off and drive or walk past a sign that basically says "GE donated the $ for this building for the Boy Scouts, isn't that nice." You may not feel a compulsion to stop into the next store on the way home from camp and buy a GE light bulb or toaster oven, but when you do make a buying decision, GE has just made it slightly more likely that you will buy their product.

 

I don't think I have a problem with this, though I'm not sure. Corporate names on merit badges sound ridiculous, though. I guess the difference is between making the parents and boys look at an advertisement in exchange for being able to use the building, and making the boys become an adverstisement by putting it on their uniform.