1930s era Camp Billy Gibbons (TX) felt patch
Got this in from Roger Schustereit of Texas. I find it noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First camp patches prior to 1940 are MUCH scarcer than most folks realize. They are some of the first, if not THE first temporary patches Scouts issued. Second, identifying these early camp patches is a serious challenge. All this has is a “C” and a “B”. Fortunately the Museum holding this patch has some of the provenance that helps fill in the story.
Roger passed along this information:
Bob Black sent me this pictire of the very rare Camp Billy Gibbons felt patch. I was used in the early to mid
1930’s. It is in the South Plains Council museum on the merit badge sash of the father of Lodge 150. He was a Scout in Comanche Trail Council.
on August 20th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Roy, Looks like the ‘C’ is really a ‘G’ for Gibbons. Very cool.
on August 21st, 2008 at 9:06 am
Good eyes. You’re right. Bob Sherman has done some real good work on trying to create references for some of these patches but the hobby really hasn’t organized them well.
on September 21st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Kind of cool, naming a Scout camp after the lead singer for ZZ Top… 🙂
on January 6th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
I have a photograph of Troop 2, Brownwood, at Camp Billy Gibbons taken in 1931. They are standing in front of a rock outline of this patch, and you can see the patch on the shirt of one Scout.