History of Dr. George J. Fisher with the Boy Scouts

Posted on February 15th, 2024 in Adult Position Badges,BSA Info by ramore

We just took our 400,000th picture of Scout patches. It was of the National Commissioner patch issued and warn by Dr. George J. Fisher. Dr. Fisher was instrumental in the development of the Boy Scouts of America serving as the first Deputy Chief Scout Executive (DSCE) to the first Chief Scout Executive James E. West. Fisher served as DCSE from 1919 to 1943 when he retired from the Scouts. Upon retirement he was named National Commissioner, the first since Dan Beard.

Dr. George J. Fisher as National Commissioner

Fisher’s Influence on Scouting

Fisher’s earlier youth involvement was with the YMCA. He served as President of their International Physical Directors society from 1904 to 1919.

William Murray, Charter Member of the BSA Executive Board, wrote extensively of Fisher’s contribution to Scouting. In Murray’s book, The History of the Boy Scouts of America (1937), he covers the first twenty-five years of the BSA. He references Fisher’s leadership and operational involvement with nearly twenty-four references.

Fisher was involved in the creation of the original twelve regions and building the Field Committee for the BSA. Per Murray, Fisher “had been from the beginning, an active volunteer in Scouting and had been first Chairman of the Committee on Badges, Awards, Scout Requirements and Uniform Design” (p. 149).

Fisher retained this position from 1943 until is passing in 1960.

The 400,000th Picture – 2nd National Commissioner patch

So here is our 400,00th picture of Scout patches we have taken. You can see Fisher wearing it in the black and white picture above. Here it is in full color.

Boy Scout OA Patch Restrictions

Posted on February 8th, 2024 in Hobby News,NOACs,OA,Section Conclaves by ramore

I came across an interesting booklet that came with one of our recent acquisitions. I had not seen it before. It is from 1970. It documents an era now generally passed but some of us remember from our youth. It records the patch restrictions for every lodge!

Collector Rory Freeman from Brooklyn, NY put it together. It is titled simply “1970 Order of the Arrow Lodge Flap Restrictions List“. It sold for $1. It was mimeograph printed and not fancy but remember this was before Adobe Pagemaker or any other computer assisted tools.

Cover to OA Restrictions booklet

In this era many (most?) lodges had some kind of restricted issue patch. By “restriction” we do not mean the modern era restriction of only so many made.

A personal example

My home lodge was Munhacke 88 of Portage Trails Council. My flap was restricted to one per OA honor. That is, when one completed his Ordeal he would receive one. One more could be bought when completing Brotherhood. One more could be bought if and when one was awarded Vigil Honor. It was considered “No trade.” That is, if one were found to have traded it, one could be kicked out of the lodge.

Restricted lodge flap for Munhacke 88

Now Rory gets this sort of right and sort of wrong. He mentions it being one per life (a common restriction at that time.) He also mentions though that we had a trading flap with the term “RTA” or “Restricted but trading flap available.”

Trading flap from Munhacke 88

I was awarded my Vigil Honor in 1973 at the last conclave for Munhacke as our council absorbed Wolverine Council out of Monroe, MI. Thus I had three of our restricted flaps. At that summer’s NOAC I could have traded one of my restricted flaps for a stack of flaps if I had wanted. But I honored the no trading restriction.

Inside the booklet

Rory records the various types of restrictions. Some being like Munhacke’s (or harder). Some were so many per year or work session.

List of patch restrictions
Inside example page from the Rory Freeman book

Patch examples

For some lodges at this time they even went to the point of number their restricted patches as they were issued. Here is an example out of Pennsylvania, Tunkhannock Lodge 476.

Their X3, not flap shaped but worn on the flap, was numbered on the back. Their earlier issues were not numbered.

Back of the 476 X3 showing the stamped number.

Other books showing restrictions

I am not sure the earliest printing of the Bill Price OA collecting books but Rory’s work might have pre-dated it or certainly coincided with it. Bill’s books were much more actively distributed and used from my experience.

1971 Edition of Bill Price OA collecting book
Inside of the Bill Price book

Due to lodge restrictions, some of the hardest lodges to collect a flap from were active lodges and not long merged lodges. The example pages from the Bill Price book show three of these. They include Kepayshowink 89, Canalino 90 and Tom Kita Chara 96. A survey collector Bob Cylkowski did at around this time put all three of these in the “Top 10 Hardest OA Numbers” along with Calusa 219 and Michikinaqua 155.

Original lodge letter from 1960 for Canalino 90
Canalino Lodge 90 S1 restricted flap

For Canalino, if one’s patch became damaged, one would have to turn their patch in to get a replacement. Each patch was numbered and associated with the lodge member. The patch turned in was destroyed.

Rory issued a couple of supplements but wrapped things up after one year of research and publishing. The supplements are included in the link to the PDF of the booklet.

Part of one of the supplements to the booklet.

Going beyond flaps

The supplement makes reference to lodge neckerchiefs. At this time many were just as heavily restricted as lodge flaps and in many cases more so.

My Munhacke 88 neckerchief was also one per life no trade. It is much rarer than the restricted flap as only a few lodge members bought neckerchiefs typically those going to conclaves or NOACs.

We were quite a sight to see though as a contingent all wearing this neckerchief as it was so distinctly colorful for the time period. A former lodge officer who was serving overseas during the Viet Nam war era arranged for the neckerchiefs to be embroidered there in a style that was not available here in the US. No two are alike. There are a couple of cloth differences. The first ones were embroidered on cotton cloth. The later ones were embroidered on rayon. The rayon ones were a pain to wear as the cloth rubbed against one’s neck.

Addendum

I shared this blog to some collecting groups on Facebook. Collector Bob Cylkowski shared a picture of the cover of a similar booklet put out by the Northern Illinois Traders Association (NITA) around this time.

NITA OA Restriction Booklet circa 1972

Book Review: Complete Guide to Collecting Wabaningo Emblems

Posted on January 24th, 2024 in Hobby Trends,OA by ramore

As time marches on, we sometimes lose our history. Fortunately, an author came forward last year to remind us with a new update. Joe Taylor did this with his writing and publishing The Complete Guide to Collecting Wabaningo Emblems.

I have written for the International Scout Traders Association (ISCA) several Hobby Trend articles that have discussed collecting the Wab issues. I credit such a collection as an “Everest”, a climb up the tallest of mountains in our hobby. In last December’s issue in my article on “OA Trends” I noted how:

“This area overlaps with several of the previously mentioned themes including First Flaps, First Issues, and First Solid Flaps. Getting the particularly correct variety can be very challenging. Trend: Hot and Heating up” … ISCA Journal December, 2023.

Some History

In 1952 Scouter Dwight Bischel wrote and published the Wabaningo Lodge Emblem Handbook. It was the first “catalog” of Order of the Arrow issues ever done. Wabaningo (248) was his home lodge at the time of his writing although his Scouting youth was in Bay City, Michigan and Gimogash (214) lodge. The hobby has often shortened this title to “the Wab book”.

WAB book original cover

Joe’s new book includes some reprints of interviews down with Dwight over the years including senior collectors Jeff Morley and Bill Topkis and one by senior collector and ISCA OA Editor Bruce Shelley. Both are very informative and original source which is getting harder every day. Dwight has since passed away at age of 91 in 2020.

Dwight’s drive for creating the book was that when attending the 1950 National Jamboree he noticed that it was becoming a collecting theme yet there were not even published lists of the lodges let alone whether they had an “emblem”. Working with the OA National Secretary, the lead professional support person to the OA, he got a list of all lodges and their councils. He contacted the lodges and heard back from many of them. His book includes not just an example patch where he could but also lodge name, number, and history.

Inside pages from the original Wabaningo book

Prior to this the only picturing of lodge emblems was in the OA handbooks. But the handbooks were showing examples, some of which were not even OA patches, rather than a catalog.

Page 46 from the 1948 OA Handbook. Shows lodge emblems at that time although one is a camp patch and another is one we now call a section conclave. It also points out one of the problems that Dwight was trying to address for collectors – patches with no name or number designation. For example, the picture shows an Anicus 67 chenille (upper left corner) and a Tipisa 326 round (bottom center). At least the Mannaseh 81 arrowhead has the lodge name.

The Joe Taylor edition

Besides going to full color and full size, Joe has done several things not thought of Dwight’s time:

The book includes:

Difficulty ratings

Valuation guide (which likely change over time but give a starting point)

Clarification about the variety specifics between the issue featured in the original Wab books and other issues from the lodge that might be similar but are not the “Wab issue”. Which in several cases the original Wab issue turns out to be an earlier and harder variety.

Additional historical information including the transcripts of the interviews previously mentioned.

Table of Contents for the Joe Taylor Wab book
Example part of a page from the new Wab book.

Conclusion

The hobby has needed this book for some time for what was one of the first collecting areas in our Scout memorabilia hobby. It is a worthwhile library addition for those wanting to collect this area.

Post Script

The original Wab book is still coveted as it has historical information about the lodges and councils at the time. Only 2,000 were made so it is relatively scarce. There are though both copies (usually have a single color cover) and a reproduction printed likely in the 1960s that is similar but not an original.

Identifying Boy Scout 12 Region Neckerchiefs

Posted on October 19th, 2023 in Regions by ramore

We recently offered up for auction many items from the original twelve Boy Scouts of America regions. Included in the offerings were several neckerchiefs that do not say any region name on them. We received a number of questions about them so thought we ought to share some of the reference material we use for these items.

The neckerchiefs in question are from the 1920s. That is, they are 100 years old or soon will be. They were worn by professional Scouter to regional and national training conferences.

Region 11 Boy Scout Neckerchief circa 1920s
Region 2 Boy Scout Neckerchief circa 1920s

The original 12 regions were formed in 1921. They went out of existence in 1973. Our key reference work, THE reference work, on the original 12 regions is Paul Myers book. Paul wrote and published this book in 1985.

The states making up the original 12 regions of the Boy Scouts of America

Collecting Boy Scout Council Shoulder Patches – CSPs

Posted on September 14th, 2023 in Baden-Powell,BSA Info,CSP,Jamborees,Legacy Interviews,RWS by ramore

We are handling the council shoulder patch collection for long time collector Bob Walton of North Carolina. The collection is special in it’s own right. It is among the top 5 (3?) such collections in the country and arguably the deepest in some of its specific themes. It is what we call a “generational collection” as it represents over 20 years of collecting. His collection is near complete in first issue CSPs. I call these the “rookie cards” of the hobby. His collection includes virtually all of the toughest of first issues. It is one of the most extensive Eagle Scout CSP collections we have ever seen (and we’ve seen a lot.)

But I’m burying the lede here. What is the most significant message here is that we are not selling this for Bob. We are selling it for Cape Fear Council, BSA. Bob has donated this whole collection to the Scouts for the council’s restricted endowment fund! He will be helping the hobby as today’s collectors will have a chance to pick up needs that rarely come available as there are so few. He will also be helping to assure that Scouting continues going forward developing today’s youth that will become tomorrow’s leaders!

While Bob was here we shot a couple of interviews. The first part discusses his collecting history and a few of the special issues in his collection.

Attending the 1957 Jamborees

In the first part Bob mentions starting his collecting in 1981 at the BSA National Jamboree that year. This wasn’t his first jamboree. Bob attended the 1957 BSA National Jamboree AND the 1957 World Jamboree! We did a second part where we go over those experiences and what it was like to start from Valley Forge and head to England and Europe.

The 1957 World Jamboree was an “extra” jamboree (my term). The prior World Jamboree was in 1955. Normally jamborees are four years apart. What made 1957 special is it was the 50th anniversary of the founding of Scouting and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lord Baden Powell. Bob recounts seeing the young Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Phillip as they toured the entire jamboree site as well as other signatory experiences that such an event offers to the world’s youth.

Here’s the video.

Kodak Camera Company and the Boy Scouts

Posted on July 6th, 2023 in Baden-Powell,Equipment by ramore

In the early years of Scouting here in the USA there was as good partnerships with major companies. Here is an example of a booklet Kodak Camera company published talking about what Scouts do (and how to use a Kodak camera while doing it.)

Cover for Proof Positive – A Kodak Story for Boy Scouts

The booklet is undated but given some of the pictures and that it features Baden-Powell I am thinking this is from BSA’s earliest years. It is quite likely from pre-1915 and may be from 1910 or 1911.

Back Cover of Proof Positive – A Kodak story for Boy Scouts

The 64 page booklet features B-P but also the photography merit badge. It has a “story” of a Scout named “Bulb” using their camera.

Kodak made BSA branded cameras in the early 1900s. We occasionally get them in but rarely complete with the case and cover. Here is an example though of one such that came through our hands. This was likely after the booklet was issued as the booklet does not show any BSA branded products.

Going forward post BSA’s bankruptcy, we need to look again at what companies that might make suitable partners. I am sure Kodak Co. is a reason Scouting was so strong in Rochester, NY.

Add-ons to Jambo Collection

Posted on June 22nd, 2023 in Jamborees by ramore

Posted the other day a blog about things to collect at the upcoming Boy Scout national jamboree other than jamboree shoulder patches. Well, we keep coming across wonderful Scout collectibles from prior jamborees that are neat as heck. Here are some more of our recent ‘finds’.

Cascade Area Council for the 1950 BSA National Jamboree
Playing card from North Shore Council (IL) for the 1950 BSA National Jamboree – Do A Good Turn Daily
Hand made neckerchief slide for the 1977 BSA National Jamboree at Moraine State Park in PA.
Wooden coaster from Daniel Webster Council (NH) for the 1960 BSA National Jamboree

The hood ornament below from Old Kentucky Home Council does not specifically say jamboree on it but it was common back in the 1950s and 1960s for the cars to have these for the jamboree contingents. They exist for other councils. Also one can find license plate border pieces for cars as well.

Car hood ornament from Old Kentucky Home Council.

Technically in the category of “ephemera”, that is things that were issued during or for the jamboree that were used at the jamboree but are not patches or uniform pieces. Here is a mess hall card from the 1960 national jamboree.

1960 BSA National Jamboree general headquarters mess card

Cast metal sign, about 5 inches across used at one of the BSA national jamborees held at Valley Forge PA (1950, 1957, 1964)

Addendum 2 – 06/27/23 – Keep finding more fun items

A fun piece from Summer Trails Council out of Bay City, MI. Some eye glass wipes (sight savers) obviously handed out at the 1950 National Jamboree. Made by Dow Corning Company, headquartered in Midland, MI which is in their council.

Dow Corning Sight Savers issued to the Boy Scouts for their 1950 National Jamboree
New York Troop 61 to the 1960 National Jamboree plaster neckerchief slide
Plastic coin purse from Akron Area Council given out at the 1964 National Jamboree
Locally made flat metal neckerchief slide for the 1964 Boy Scouts of America national jamboree

First Boy Scout Equipment Catalog

Posted on June 22nd, 2023 in Adult Position Badges,Insignia,Rank by ramore

This is likely the first equipment “catalog” for the Boy Scouts of America circa 1910. Actually it is a small eight page pamphlet. What is interesting is that it shows the first rank badges that are very much modeled off of the English ranks. This was before star, life or eagle ranks even existed.

Cover and back page of the first Boy Scouts of America uniform and equipment catalog

Now adjusting for inflation, a uniform shirt that cost a $1.35 back in 1910 would be $43.20 today. Today’s shirts cost $40 so uniforming for Scouts has increased basically in line with inflation. (We won’t go into quality differences between the shirts though and that the shirts were USA made.)

Inside cover of BSA’s first equipment and uniform catalog.

All of the rank badges were pins and not cloth. Also, the leader insignia was hat plumes to be worn with the campaign-style hat.

First BSA rank badges and Leader hat plumes

We did an interview with senior collector Michael Feigenbaum who researched and documented the differences in these badges from their British counter parts. The video can be seen on YouTube here.

Jamboree Collecting – More than JSPs

Posted on June 15th, 2023 in Jamborees by ramore

This is an article I wrote for the current issue of ISCA’s quarterly journal. Since the publication, I have come across additional fun and interesting jamboree collecting from local councils over the years. Here’s the article with more pictures.

The 2023 Scouts/BSA National Jamboree is coming up this summer. The Scouts delayed the jamboree for two years due to Covid lock-downs. A similar situation happened in 1935 with a polio epidemic in the Washington, DC area, the host site. It will be the second national Scouts/BSA event after last year’s highly successful National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC).

At this time last year, that the jamboree would even be held was in doubt among some national leaders. The Scouts had scaled back the attendance target which affected the revenue side. Attempts to raise several millions in donations had not been productive. Sign-up was in the low thousands. Even by the time of NOAC there were nearly twice as many attendees at that event as compared to those who had signed up for the jamboree. With the fall and Scout membership on the rise, the jamboree though has exceeded its registration goals!

1937 National Jamboree trading post booklet given out to Scouts and leaders

Jamboree shoulder patches (JSPs) have become the main trading and collecting item at recent jamborees. With the exception of 1985 when hat pins were all the rage, JSPs have been the main focus for jamborees since the late 1970s. I remember having discussions with senior JSP collectors post the 1993 jamboree when we thought that would be the high point on the number of JSPs issued due to a series of council mergers across the country that year. Wrong!

In a recent Paul Myers post on Facebook, he noted that there were over 2,000 issues (JSPs and other patches) at the 2010 jamboree. The patch companies love us as they sell by the embroidered inch. For collectors, these can be fun but collecting a complete jamboree may be a mountain top collection or a fool’s errand. The designs are often quite creative but most have minimal connection to the home territory of the council they represent. Not long after the jamboree many fade in value. (But not all.)

The prevalence of all these JSPs does encourage trading. Although they can be budget busters just to keep a set for one’s home council. I do not recall the first year councils came out with a center backpatch to their JSP set but again it makes the patch companies love us. Collectors though, I am less sure. They do likely make for a nice framed set on one’s wall but they are hard to fit in a binder laid out to full design.

Nostalgia

It did not used to be this way. In the early jamborees, participants had items with much smaller production runs or items from local nationally recognized companies or even hand made items. Here are a few other ways to collect a jamboree that might be more manageable. Although with JSPs everywhere, arguably more challenging.

Some Non-JSP Jambo Collecting themes

Local Jamboree Memorabilia

This is the area that first came to mind when thinking about this article. It is little known and pursued yet create some of the most interesting discussion in our office when pieces, usually quite old now, come through our hands. There is no complete list of these. They might indicate some iconic item from the territory of the home council. They may be made by a nationally recognized company headquartered in the council. They may be hand made items that were swapped by individual scouts. They exist, I believe, for every jamboree where we had attendees even in the present. Just finding them though as JSPs crowd out folks’ attention is part of the challenge. And the fun.

Jamboree Contingent Neckerchiefs

A number of councils continue to issue Jamboree contingent neckerchiefs. These first appeared with the 1950 jamboree. Although neckerchiefs are fading from regular uniform wear in the USA, overseas Scouts often have their neckerchief as the only part of their “uniform” indicating they are Scouts. I am not aware of a compiled checklist of contingent neckerchiefs which could make for a fun challenge for collectors. These are often made in lower production quantities and less often traded than JSPs. Actually acquiring them at the jamboree can be hard as most may only have one and are expected to wear it throughout the event.

Jamboree Contingent Patches

This is a collecting theme related to JSPs but are non-shoulder wear patches. These actually were more common during the early jamborees than JSPs. Some councils still make them with arguably the backpatch centers to JSP groups, without the JSPs, being in this collecting theme.

Jamboree Region Patches

Regions are now a thing of the past. Today we have sixteen National Service Territories (NST). I do not know if any or all will be issuing patches. It is likely. They might make a more manageable collection number of pieces-wise while still having some challenge of the hunt. They could then be paired up with region patches from prior jamborees that date back to the 1950s. One could even argue that the shoulder arcs from 1935 and the shoulder flashes from 1937 could fit into this collection as each had a region designation.

Staff Patches

There used to be very few staff items for jamborees even into the 1970s. Certain armbands were issued for different staff with many organized as service troops. Starting in the late 1960s a select number of staff groups, aquatic staff and health service staff come to mind, issued patches. The OA Service troops went beyond armbands starting in 1973 adding pocket patches, pocket flaps and hat patches.

This area though has gone crazy in recent years. I remember getting in some staff patches from a person who was turned down for a staff position but had already made patches for the staff! Still, staff patches do exist and can be collected.

Jamboree ephemera

References:

Aldridge, Ron; Patches and Memorabilia of the Order of the Arrow at National Events, Volume 2; 1998

Hice, John; BSA National Jamboree Shoulder Insignia; 1998

Hoogeveen, Alburtus; A History of Council and Jamboree Insignia; 1981

More, Roy; Scouting History Through Memorabilia, volumes 1 and 2; 1997

On-line reference sites:

NationalBoyScoutJamboree.com

ScoutTrader.org

5 Ways Scouting Prepares You For Life

Posted on March 2nd, 2023 in General Commentary on Life by ramore

Southern Michigan had a severe ice storm come through last week. It knocked out power to nearly a million customers across the state including my home and warehouse. Power went out late Wednesday night (2/22/23). My electrical company Thursday morning said most would have power back by Sunday. Well I “sheltered in place”, for the most part. Afterwards, a friend asked “How’d you get by?” I replied, “I was in Scouts.” It taught me the life survival lessons on getting through it.

In Scouts we learned how to cook without a microwave or oven (unless it was a Dutch oven). We learned how to wash dishes using boiling water. (Thankfully I have, and prefer, a gas range which was still working). We know about the “three pot method” for sanitary dish washing.

Those of us who are in the more northerly climates have earned the Polar Bear Award. It is an award for an overnight when it is below freezing. We know how to layer up clothing and bedding. Albeit I will admit I did not expect to be eligible for it by sleeping in my own home.

Now I have a gas water heater. But, it has an electrical vent system directly to the outside. It shuts down when the power goes off. There is still though, for a while, hot water in the tank. Thus, one is able to get in a shower if done carefully and quickly. Those of us who attended the 1973 National Jamboree and many of our camps know how to get through one of these kinds of showers.

Oh and with no power, there is no lighting. The Scouts’ motto though is “Be Prepared.” So I keep lights and batteries available as well as candles. They came in handy in this situation. I have often said that if one needs to really get by having a Scout Fieldbook (vintage preferred) will cover a lot of situations. I did not need to use it in this situation. Fortunately.


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