Scout Patch Collectors

About The Santeeswapper

Jason Spangler 14039 Hwy 74 East Suite A6, #116 Indian Trail, NC 28079 (910) 671-4919 [text or call – leave a message] santeeswapper@yahoo.com email www.santeeswapper.com website

Publisher of the Scouting Hot Finds Newsletter
Antique mall booth in Charlotte, NC SanteeswapperStore.com
Facebook Page Facebook.com/ScoutingHotFinds
Webmaster at CarolinaOA.com
Co-founder and Admin of Scout Patch Collectors Facebook Group
Host of Patch Collectors Podcast at Scouting Hot Finds Radio
Publisher of the Santeeswapper YouTube Channel
Patreon Group at ScoutingHotFinds.com
eBay Powerseller at Patchblanket.com
Owner of BestHobbyPages.com
Online Memorabilia Store at ScoutPatchHQ.com

Eagle Scout, past Lodge Chief, past Section Chief, Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor Member, Camp Director

I started collecting Boy Scout memorabilia when I was inducted into Santee Lodge 116, Order of the Arrow at Camp Coker in the summer of 1986. All the guys of ISWA chapter in Elk campsite seemed to be trading and since my dad sent me to camp with a small bag of patches, I jumped in and never looked back. As I kept working on my collection I focused on collecting my home council, camp and lodge. However, as happens with most collectors, I eventually spread my wings. I finished my lodge collection in 1992 and started collecting the other lodges in South Carolina. From there I eventually started collecting North Carolina lodges. Today I’ve got one of the better collections in the Carolinas including a complete Santee 116 and Dixie Fellowship collection.

However, please don’t think that I’ve only been a patch hound. Quite to the contrary I’ve always enjoyed camping and troop activities. I earned my Eagle Scout rank in 1989 and attended two National Boy Scout Jamborees (1989, 1993). In my college days I was active in Alpha Phi Omega (Iota Mu – University of South Carolina). In APO I helped work on the Merit Badge University program that is still strong to this day in the Indian Waters Council. It was also during this time that I helped start Explorer Post 1801 at USC in my dorm room with other Scouters from across the state. But the real service to Scouting came at the rip old age of 21. When I became the Scoutmaster of the oldest troop in the state of South Carolina. Troop 5 was continuously chartered to Shandon Presbyterian Church in Columbia since 1912. As luck would have it, my college girlfriend (now wife) was a church member and I started helping the troop and going on camping trips. When the Scoutmaster got transferred with his job, I took over the position even though I was barely old enough. During those two years I took my Scoutmaster Fundamentals and Wood Badge which really helped me grow into being an adult volunteer.

When we got married and moved to Lumberton, NC I again found myself drawn to the local troop at the Presbyterian Church we were attending. After a year of being the assistant I once again got handed the job of Scoutmaster in the summer of 2000. For the next 5 1/2 years I was camping once a month and helping several more Scouts on their trail to Eagle. I was working across the border in Dillon, SC at a Junior High school during these years and found myself recruited to help out with the local troop there also serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster. For a few years before kids I was typically going to a Scout meetings twice a week in different states and camping twice a month with each. When my daughter was born it was time to slow down the big time commitment as a SM.

Fast forward to my daughter being in Girl Scouts and looking at a big turnover in leadership in her troop. All the leaders were bailing for different reasons and my wife and I decided it was time to step up. So I signed up to be a Brownie leader and then rolled up to Juniors and later Cadettes. Being a Girl Scout leader was a true blessing because its the first time that my wife Allison got involved and of course I get to see my daughter enjoy it. My daughter Sophia completed her Silver Award project in May of her 8th grade year. She eventually joined Scouts BSA Troop 233 in February 2019 as a founding member.  She has since attended Sea Base, a World Jamboree and is about to serve on her 4th summer on camp staff.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Eventually our son Patrick entered the 1st grade and it was time for us to get a dark blue Cub Scout uniform and an orange Tiger Cub hat. I had the great joy of leading Patrick’s Cub Scout den for five years along with some great dads.

My latest Scouting adventure is taking on the role of Camp Director at Camp Barstow in Columbia, SC. For 10 summers in the era of BC (before children) I worked on Boy Scout summer camps. Now I’m returning to my “camp guy” roots working for the Indian Waters Council, BSA. I’ll be spending my summers on Lake Murray in SC.