Scout Patch Collectors

Sunday Scouting Hot Finds Newsletter November 24, 2024

I saw on Facebook yesterday that Larry Lane is working to update a list of Scouting museums across the country. This list also includes many council displays that might hang in the office or out at camp. But importantly he is seeking to identify who is considered the “curator” of these collections.

It got me thinking that 2025 would be a great summer for another Scouting Historian session at Philmont. There is no Jamboree or NOAC filling up the summer schedule. In fact is quite rare that there is a summer with nothing going on – not counting COVID you would have to go back to 2019 to see this opportunity.

One reason I am advocating for this is that in the end Larry might end up with 100-200 “museums” on this list. But how many of the curators have any training in capturing oral history or finding stories to tell through the memorabilia. Is it a museum if it’s just a bunch of patches behind glass with no context? We need some training to equip enthusiastic volunteers to serve in these roles (including me!). Now that I’m not running a summer camp and have more time to travel in the summer I look forward to the next opportunity.

On eBay I have 141 live auctions running. Don’t miss these! I have been scheduling some of the top pieces that I’ve gotten in the last six months. The project card on my dry erase board called these my “better items” and they include felt camp patches, OA, a 1937 Jamboree strip from Region 9 and more.

CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE NOVEMBER 24 2024 ISSUE OF THE SCOUTING HOT FINDS NEWSLETTER