Activity and Event Patches- let's get creative!

[canchos]

This may sound like a silly question, but how do your other councils handle ordering patches? There are many volunteers who are firm believers that patches for events should be available by the day the event occurs. Problem I see with this is we are then going off of a predicted number, and end up 90% of the time having extras. It may seem small, but each extra patch definitely adds up in spent council dollars! Anything fun or creative your council does with said patches to make up for that loss?

It would be great to wait till after the event to order based on an exact number, but I also don't want to "diminish the quality of the program" as many like to claim.

Who knew patches would be such a HUGE thing! Anything else your council does besides patches? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Stosh]

Welcome to the forum @@canchos  I know that there are a few patches that if they are really well done can be used by scouts for trading.  After everyone has their patch, have a bin at the Scout Shop of left over patches that the boys can buy for a song and dance so they have something to trade when they go to out-of-council events.

[desertrat77]

Welcome to the forums!

 

I'm not sure how our council does it, but our district orders patches prior to the event.   It's a best guess, and yes there are leftovers.

 

From a bean counting/managerial standpoint, it might seem wasteful.   But you cannot put a price on the feeling that a scout has when they complete an activity (like a challenging camporee) and that patch is given to them after they break camp and police the area.   If it has a loop, they will wear it immediately.  

 

What to do with leftovers?   Give a few away to event organizers and financial backers (enclosing one in a thank you note is always appreciated).   Sell the others for a discount at other events.

 

A few other thoughts:   not receiving the patch at the end of the event?   Con:  no guarantee the scout will ever get it once the district/council distribute them post-event.   My first summer camp is the perfect example of that.   The camp ended, no patches, and my SM never gave me one when he did receive them.  It wasn't till 15 years later I stumbled across a ragged one in box of junk at a swap meet that I got that summer camp patch !?

 

Also, if you want the patch to be valued, make it unique.   Put the year, council/district, etc, on it.   Councils get cheap and order a metric ton of ho-hum patches that they buy for a song and hand out for multiple events.   Once a scout receives one or two of those, they don't give a rip thereafter.

 

All that to say, I vividly recall my first several camporees, and at the end of each, my SM handing me the patch before we got into the station wagon to head home.   Maybe I'm not stating it properly, but those were very satisfying moments, holding that cool patch in my grubby hand.

Edited April 13, 2016 by desertrat77

[Krampus]

Council and district have gone to using CampMaster for sign ups. Patch counts are based on paid registrants, usually well in advance of the cut off. After that, the patches are run. Leftovers are sold at the council shop.

 

I doubt, but don't know for sure, if council tracks the profit/loss on patches ordered versus sold versus unsold.

[JasonG172]

Here is my very first design, First time running an event and putting it together

 

 

Edited April 13, 2016 by JasonG172

[Stosh]

Here is my very first design, First time running an event and putting it together

 

I don't see any bears, snakes or mosquitoes on the patch... These are Webelos boys, ya know! 

[meyerc13]

Our Council hands out leftover patches at Cub Scout recruiting events.  Kids love getting old Scouting for Food or Camporee patches even though they weren't present at the events.