Donated Personal Gear-How to handle?

[SiouxRanger]

Our unit has recently received very high quality personal gear, 3 pristine Osprey 65L packs, for example, and us adults are at a loss to come up with a method to gift such donations to individual scouts who could use it.  Only a couple of senior adult leaders are aware of the donated gear at this point.  More gear is likely to come.  We are considering quietly investigating each scout's needs, and making the gifts privately.  Probably on a leader to parent basis.  Our hope is that this procedure would avoid a scout feeling like they have been overlooked or slighted.

Has anyone suggestions?  Thanks.

[RememberSchiff]

7 minutes ago, SiouxRanger said:

... making the gifts privately. Probably on a leader to parent basis.  Our hope is that this procedure would avoid a scout feeling like they have been overlooked or slighted.

This is the way. A win-win for scout and parent.

[InquisitiveScouter]

Make the private inquiries first, as you have outlined.  If they are not given to someone in need, then make them Troop "loaners".  Loan them out with the stipulation that they be returned when the youth leaves the Troop or decides not to backpack any more.

We have bicycles in our Troop that are done this way.  Good bicycles are expensive, and Scouts outgrow them.  So, parents have often donated bikes to the Troop, and we hand them back out as needed.  Keep the bike for as long as it fits you, maintain it, and give it back when you are done using it, so another Scout can use it.

And we don't keep track...leave it up to the Scout.  

[SiouxRanger]

Our current thought is to have a campout shakedown session at a troop meeting with every scout packing his pack for a tent campout.  We'd give them a list of suggested equipment.  Adults "in the know," regarding donated equipment, would be able to see who is most in need.  All the scouts are unknowingly participating in the gear review for donated gear (so no one is overlooked).  And the scouts would get a chance to experience a shakedown and gear review and pointers. Then parents would be approached with an offer of donated gear.

This is the best we have been able to concoct so that all of the scouts have an equal chance.

[Wëlënakwsu]

Another option...  Keep the packs and loan to any new Scouts.  Loaning a pack for the 1st or 2nd trips is a big help for the youth/family uncertain about Scouting and thus hesitant to spend too much initially.  Who wants to buy a tuba if your child does not stay in the band!

I found that most 'lower income' Scouts got their own pack if they stayed in Scouts after the 1st or 2nd trip, and if there is a problem and if you get more gear...  yes distribute discretely.

We also had loaner sleeping bags, but that option comes with the potential cleaning hassles!

 

[SiouxRanger]

Thanks everyone.  Great ideas. I have passed them on to the leadership.

[sierracharliescouter]

I agree with the idea of having them to loan to scouts. On the packs though, a 65L pack is likely not sized properly for a younger scout, and could make their first backpacking experience miserable. You might even consider selling/trading those big packs for smaller ones more likely to be used by younger scouts, or sending a note out to the troop and troop alumni asking if they have smaller packs they would be willing to donate for the troop to loan out.