Wonderful Broad Creek Camp Patch Reference site

Posted on February 24th, 2013 in Camps,Hobby Trends by ramore

Camp Broad Creek 1969 neckerchief slideOur hobby is naturally a social hobby. We enjoy getting together and sharing our collections, meeting with others that have our crazy obsession, learning about what we did not know, making new discoveries, making new finds. So its natural that we build a community using the social media tools out there.

These thoughts come to mind as collector Shaun Woolmer posted on the Facebook group page Scout Patch Collectors a picture of his Baltimore Area Council Broad Creek camp patch collection. I thanked him for sharing but also asked him about close-ups of some of the patches and a question about one of the segments. Collector Dave Scocca then posted a link to his web-site where he gives close-ups and pictures of the patches. This all happened in less than a day. In the era of mail trading, if this occurred it would have taken weeks and likely would not have occurred as we would not have had digital pictures or even good copiers.

It starts with the passion of a collector. That collector building and displaying his collection and now its easier than ever before to share that. That builds our knowledge. That builds our fellowship. That builds our hobby. All of which speak well to our hobby’s future.

 

Remembrances from Camp Tulakes

Posted on December 7th, 2012 in BSA Info,Camps by ramore

Several years ago I blogged about the now California Inland Empire Council Camp Tulakes. A Scouter shared recently some of his memories of that camp and Scouting in CA from the 1940s. Enjoy! I did.

 

Hi Roy

You are bringing back a lot of good memories to this 79 year old ex-scout.

I was a member of troop 12 at first.  There was a log cabin type building constructed at the rear of Washington elementary School (located on San Antonio Ave. in Pomona).  It was strictly for our scout meetings.  We were sponsored by the local VFW.  Our scoutmaster at the time was “Uncle Earl” Lawliss and we would practice camping at the rear of his apple orchard on Garey Street in South Pomona..

The day WW II ended we troop 12 scouts (in our uniforms) rode in the back of a one ton open truck and put up all the American flags (hundreds) all along second street in downtown Pomona.  I remember the flags at that time were each mounted on a (6 ft?) wooden pole which would be stuck in a small hole in the sidewalk spaced about 10 feet apart.   It was a crazy day with people yelling, kissing and going totally bananas.  Every time one of us would hop out of the truck with an American flag the place would erupt with cheers.  It was really something to remember for a 12-13 year old kid.

We were definitely  part of “Old Baldy Council” which, if I remember correctly, had its offices on San Jose St. in Claremont.

The second troop I belonged to was troop 14 located at and sponsored by the Church of Christ Church on Garey Avenue and 7th St. near what was then Fremont Jr. High School.
Also part of the same “Old  Baldy” Council.

In regards to Camp Tulakes here is what I think I remember.  I think I was there for 2 weeks each year I went, but it might have been just a week

We were divided into small “patrol” sized groups of perhaps 10 or so and each group located their own campsite out on the perimeter of the main part of the camp and we set it up with “army cots” grouped together under the trees and the stars.  We were encouraged to make our campsite neat and tidy.  I remember outlining the area with rocks, sweeping the pine needles, etc.  We got judged for the best looking campsite.  I don’t remember what the award was.

There was what I would call a “chow hall” building in the main camp for hot meals and I seem to remember the food was pretty good Their were daily organized  activities.  I do remember swimming and canoeing at the lake.  And I have a hazy memory of some kind of a treausre hunt kind of activiy where we had to use our compass and go out in the woods and find things.

During each 1 or 2 week stay two days were reserved for the big hike.  We hiked up to “Dollar Lake” where we all spent the night and those that felt up to it went on to the top of “Old Greyback” the next morning.

The reason I remember the girl scout camp being something other than “Tulakes”  because every evening at the big campfire at an exact scheduled time we would all together yell something like “hello camp gummygatchy”, then listen quitely to hear “hello camp tulakes” coming back at us from the distance through the forest.

I also remember the ghost stories the camp leaders would tell at the campfire.  Afterward we had to walk with our flashlights through the dark woods to our own camp site.  I remember it being really scary in the dark.   Ghosts behind every tree! 🙂

Another thing I recall was, while it was strictly “against the rules”, some of the boys after dark would sneak over to the girl scout camp and creep up on a tent and make nnoises to scare the girls just to hear them scream..

Hey, boys will be boys!  🙂

My scout experiences were a wonderful time in my life that I value to this day!  I think we all learned a lot toward helping us become independent self relient responsable citizens.

Still have a real soft spot toward the BSA.

It is a shame so many parents today don’t understand the value of having their boys belong.

Phil

1920s Camp Biddle patch brings $787

Posted on August 13th, 2012 in Camps,Hobby Trends by ramore

Many know that we here have a passion for vintage Scout camp patches. A couple of felts popped up on eBay this week from Philadelphia Council and have now closed. One is from Treasure Island. The other ascribed to Camp Biddle.

The Treasure Island patch is a known but certainly uncommon felt. It is cut out of felt in the shape of the initials of the camp. Several collections have one. If memory serves me, they may exist in different colors of felt. This one was red or maroon. It brought $355.

To us the more interesting to us was one ascribed to Camp Biddle. Camp Biddle is not listed in the first edition of the Sherman/Minnihan Camp Book. This item brought a VERY respectable $787 even in this condition.

Now don’t get to thinking every felt camp patch is a multi-hundred dollar item. There was a 1931 Treasure Island that brought $206 which is healthy for this patch and there’s a 1949 Hidden Valley up at minimum bid of $25 that may not get a bid.

 

Scouting Service at 1964 NY World’s Fair

Posted on June 18th, 2012 in BSA Info,Camps,General Commentary on Life,Legacy Interviews by ramore

We recently received some patches from a Scouter out of New York. While asking about his involvements, an Eagle Scout and 1960 National Jamboree participant, he mentioned he served on the Boy Scout Service Corps for the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

 

Less and less we come across participants let alone staff members from the World’s Fair so I asked him about his remembrances. Here’s what he had to say (nice piece of personal history about his guiding Vice President Nixon btw):

Working the fair was a great experience. I think I worked a week or two mainly weekends and holidays (it was during the school year) before they rotated in other than local scouts to man the pavilion over the summer. Our principle jobs were to demonstrate scouting skills (I remember demonstrating a lot of first aid), give directions, help with lostchildren, and escort dignitaries. I do remember taking the then King of Burundi around and the then former Vice-President Richard Nixon, whose foot I stepped on. I was kidded for years about that.

I went to the 1960 National Jamboree,  went to Philmont in 1962, worked the Scouting pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, and I was an Order of the Arrow member (Horicon 246). I grew up in  southern New York State, Washington Irving Council, and was a  counselor at their Camp Read. I was later active in the explorer  program.  I always felt that scouting was tougher than the   peacetime Army.

Camp Woronoak Award Patch & Card

Posted on May 28th, 2012 in Camps,OA by ramore

Destry just picked up on this item that came through eBay.

This is from Camp Woronoak from Hampden Council (MA). The patch has caused some controversy as it was also pictured in the 1948 OA Handbook as an OA issue for lodge 83. (Its also been shown, as it was in the eBay listing with the arrow point down and the “W” becoming an “M”.)

Well this listing clears up that (1) it is NOT an OA patch and (2) that it is a camp award patch as stated on the accompanying card:

Camp Chagres History Canal Zone Council

Posted on February 13th, 2012 in Camps by ramore

Camp Chagres was the camp for Canal Zone Council, and later Panama Canal Council. These councils, finally consolidated into Direct Service in 1987, had lots of Scouts over the years but they traveled through as most were family members of either stationed military or foreign service. It was never a very big council so the opportunity for finding information about the camp does not often come up.

But, recently I traded some e-mails with a former Scout of the council. Here’s some information he passed on:

Hello Roy-
  There is a national park where the scout camp was in Panama, Parque Nacional Chagres. I think this was once a US military training area. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute used to send biologists there to find snakes and birds.  There were lots of limestone cave formations and it rained quite a bit.
    The population of Americans in Panama had always been fairly transient, what with military families rotating in and out regularly, and other employees on short term assignment. After the 1979 treaties went into effect, the population of Americans living in Panama for longer term declined fairly substantially. If your job were eliminated, your family was not eligible for Canal Zone Government housing, so the friends and neighbors started leaving as the treaties were implemented.
    There was a strong sense of community among the people who had lived there for years and years which has been maintained with the Panama Canal Society. You may be able to follow up on your questions by starting at http://www.pancanalsociety.org and looking for contacts there.
-Doug

Schiff Society of Singed Eyebrows

Posted on September 7th, 2011 in Camps,High Adventure Bases,Hobby Trends by ramore

If paper could talk. I wonder what the requirements were for the “Schiff Society of Singed Eyebrows”?

This is a cute piece of our history. I don’t know what it was for but through Scouting’s 100+ years we have had many gifted volunteers and staff create some of the most innovative programs and ‘recognitions’. As the certificate makes reference to the person being a “Full, Fledged Fire Bug”. It is part of the fun in Scouting. Scouting builds community and memories. I’m sure all of those recognized by the Consolidated Conflagrationists of America can attest to. Maybe some of them will chime in with their rememberances.

From a collecting perspective, these documents, more so than than just the patches tell the ‘story’ of Scouting. If you can add such items in to your collection, you’ll set it apart from the run-of-the-mill

 

 

Where the price surprizes are – Felt Camp Patches

Posted on May 23rd, 2011 in Camps,Hobby Trends by ramore

We’re not going to blog about every interesting item that comes through eBay but every once in a while there are pieces that speak to trends in the hobby. This is one of them. Offered up was a felt field cap, probably Army surplus, that had several felt camp patches on them including one from Prince Creek Scout Camp dated 1930. The item realized $1,476. There were two other felt patches on the hat, also probably camp patches but with initials only. So that works out to about $500/patch or more likely $1,000 for the one with wording and $500 for the other two. And that’s the story here. The right camp patches can be four figure values, so long as the buyers are there. For those who did not track the Phil Parlett estate auction conducted a few years ago, the most expensive item sold was a felt Camp Josepho felt staff strip at $3,600.

 

Prepping for the Jambo

Posted on July 26th, 2010 in Camps,Insignia,Jamborees,OA by ramore

Sam Fairchild through his Scouting Century Foundation is putting on a special museum display at the Jamboree. Now the Foundation has significant holdings but it was needing a few pieces for their displays. Sam flew in and we went through my camp patch collection to help fill in a few holes. Particularly we were matching up camp patches as best as we could that were contemporary with the formation of the the various lodges.

We also provided some patches for other areas of the display:

Explorer Service Scout Honor Guard for Mackinac Island

Segregated Scout Camp in Central Florida Council

Canalino Lodge 90 Sun Dance Camp 1948

Red Jacket Council - merged in 1939

Red Jacket Council - merged in 1939

While we were working on this collector Rick Hubbard of Iowa drove in to personally deliver some incredibly rare, vintage Jamboree staff armbands (see the cell phone picture below)

The loan was made a local restaurant. We got some interesting looks from the wait staff as we carefully laid out these armbands.

The display at the Jamboree will be the most extensive of its kind. Not to be seen at the National Museum and of a different take than the best permanent display which is at the Las Vegas International Scouting Museum.

Over at the Collections Merit Badge  & ISCA booth we’ll be smashing pennies again, technically called ‘elongates’ for the cost of a penny (or free if you don’t have one as a Scout is prepared and we have a supply of pennies.)

Off and running – 100th Anniverary Patches Ramping Up

Posted on February 8th, 2010 in Camps,CSP,Hobby News,Hobby Trends,Insignia,Jamborees,JSP,OA,Rank by ramore

Last week I was at my Scout office for a meeting and stopped by the trading post. They have the new boy rank patches out commerating the 100th anniversary year of the BSA. I think these are neat but the quality control is poor. There are at least three major varieties in this group alone. Some appear to have been made by the BSA. Others have ‘Made in China’ stickers on the back. The latter is a separate sore point but we’ll leave that for another blog. Anyway, variety collectors are going to have a field day figuring these out. I’m told there’s an Eagle patch as well but I’ve not seen it. I’ve also been told that Scout shops are to have returned their inventory of the regular items so as to be replaced with these 2010 pieces.

Then Destry and I went to the Indy TOR this past weekend. Their hospitality was great as always (except for the 9″ of snow.) Several councils now have out 2010 patches. That got me asking around how many items do you think we’ll have for the 100th anniversary? By “items” I mean regular issue pieces – CSPs, JSPs, OA items. I’m figuring it will be up to 5,000. Could be more. And this is not counting camp and camporee items or Jamboree staff items. One could spend a lifetime just to collect this year. Also, I was hearing quotes for “rare, limited edition” varieties at huge prices. Councils and lodges could kill a good thing. If you know of some egregious abuses, please pass on the comment. Thanks.


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