Patch of the Day????

[SctDad]

I went to the Jamboree as a visitor with my son and Daughter. We had a good time even though the first thirty minutes we got completely drenched as we were out when the rain started. But we had fun and that was the important thing.

 

Someone had asked me after the fact if I had taken patches to trade. I told them no and that was not the reason why I was there. I went with my kids to see the sights, do the activities that we were allowed to and have a good day.

 

When we pulled in we paid our entry donation and the guy there told us that there was a triangle patch for all visitors paying. They would give you 1 patch per $10 donation. We got 4. They told us that those would only be available for the visitors. Then I get in the trading post and they are on sale for $3.99. I though that was messed up. I would have paid the donation anyway but it was the implication of the patch that upset me.

 

The OA puts out a book that has all the current national lodge flaps. I think that it would be interesting to see National put out a small 4"x6" book for scouts to carry around so they know what the real patches are and who has the fakes.

 

I also think that if you are caught stealing patches from another scout you should be removed from the jamboree. Attendant or not.

 

Yes everybody is right, patch trading is getting out of hand. I like the way our lodge is making trading rules. It is almost always a 1:1. youth to youth, adult to adult, not mixed. All end with a hand shake. Conversation is a great thing.

 

We hosted conclave for our section this year and I had more offers for my host staff member patch then I wanted to count. But as soon as I told them that the one on my uniform was the only one I had and I was not trading it, everyone left it alone. I had one guy give me a legend as a good faith that I would bring our work patch to trade. He wanted nothing in return, just the oppurtunity to get one of my work day patches.

 

Some places still have polite and just trading.

[emb021]

"The OA puts out a book that has all the current national lodge flaps."

 

No they don't. All the OA flap books out there are put out by collectors. the most recent, good work on this is the Blue Book, which hasn't had a new edition is a few years.

 

"I think that it would be interesting to see National put out a small 4"x6" book for scouts to carry around so they know what the real patches are and who has the fakes."

 

Impossible. the collectors' hobby can't keep up with this, how can national????

 

 

 

[Bando]

National must approve all patch designs, correct? How difficult would it be to compile all the electronic files (or scan those submitted in paper) and put together a quick and easy PDF or something to send out with this year's patch designs?

 

Either that or have Jamboree security heavily enforce against those visitors who bring in fake patches, like the Avatar set or the Facebook game patches that showed up at the end of the week. I never saw a participant with credentials behind a patch blanket of fake council issues, they were always visitors.

 

Like I said at the beginning of the thread, there needs to be greater emphasis by National to force councils to pare back their patch sets. There's no need for a few dozen unique patches for a council. None. And it only encourages these people making fake sets.

[johndaigler]

My 13 year old went. After a day or two he learned there were patch traders and patch Pirates. I'd rather planners prevent him having to learn that lesson the hard way, but, c'est la vie.

 

He seemed to handle it OK, though the lack of PODs frustrated him and cost him hours on the couple of days he wanted the patch. Why not just make them participants patches? You do some themed activity that day and you get that patch. And if you visit the merit badge midway you get that participation patch.

 

Getting sets of the PODs out through scoutstuff is a good solution - after the fact. Hopefully, they'll have a new plan for 2013.

[SctDad]

I stand corrected on who puts out the book. I do not have it in front of me to look at.

 

As for national making one for Jambo, it should not be that hard. Have councils submit their patch designs by said date, Then send the book to print and have available for all scouts to purchase so that when they are looking at pacthes they know which ones are the approved council patches. It can't be that difficult, not to mention if they print this book for scouts to buy (say $3-$4) then the boys will be able to tell where they need to go for patches and have a record of what they already have. Make it a commemorative book and have any of the speciality patches in there, like the National Guard, Forestry Service, The Rocker Set.

 

They could also use it in the future when they are trading at another event, so they can say, "Hey do I have that one yet/" Look in the Jambo Book and have an answer.

[skeptic]

Yes, it does appear that there likely are a number of high profile type patches that may very well be "made up" ones. Right now on eBay, one guy is selling one that supposedly is real that says "I saw the president of the United States". I somehow do not think this is an authentic issue, as there was no sign of it until a week after the event was over. The same guy is also selling a "black" staff medallion which is supposedly authentic. But, it was never offered in the catalog as far as I know, and also I do not remember seeing it offered in the TP. I bought the official event one, so know what it looks like. Are a few other suspicious ones on eBay at the moment; but people still buy them. Too bad that some feel the need to make a fun pastime more difficult and cumbersome.

[Tokala]

Bluebook is not anywhere close to accurate. Even when you find an error and notify the editors they refuse to remove it becuase they don't want to appear to have made a mistake.

 

While National does approve the artwork, I suspect that they are largely understaffed and have absolutely no interest in providing the images for a book.

 

Councils will not reduce the number or variety of patches that they produce. It's contrary to the real reason to have a patch now: CASH. Patches used to represent membership or participation, now they're just away to pry more money from people's hands. Anyone that tells you differently is lying.

[Twocubdad]

Ain't happening.

 

National couldn't get the food prep guides out until the first day of jamboree. The scouts got their participants' handbooks the week before. What makes anyone think they could get the thousands of images in from all the councils in time to publish the books. And they would cost a fortune. And who is going to put their neck on the line and take the liability for getting it right.

 

It may help if councils afixed one of the BSA hologram logos to their official patches, like the they did on the on the participant patches. That's easy enough to control and police. And there does need to be "patch police" patroling the hard-core area watching to be sure the existing rules are followed.

 

I also think scouts should be encouraged to check the IDs of the people they're trading with. Exchanging names should be part of the friendship of patch trading, but many people would be hesitant to make clearly abusive trades if they know it could be traced back to them.

 

(And maybe this is a different thread, but with all the grief we went through to get credentialed and the constant threats not to leave the campsite without them, what was the deal with thousands of visitor roaming without IDs?)

 

But part of the fun of jamboree are the thousands of patches and other stuff generated by councils, troops and individuals. At world three years ago, there were quite a few people who had their own, personal, JSPs. Generally, they gave them away like business cards and didn't trade them. But who's to say they aren't being traded secondarily? This year our troop produced troop patches which our guys traded. No one approved them. Should they be considered illegal? Shoot, when I went to jamboree as a youth, my mom and I made handmade neckerchiefs with a stenciled logo.

 

 

[prairie]

I can understand National not having a patch guide book, why not each council have a poster at their gateway showing what patches are ligit?