Scouting collectors who have spent time learning about Scouting history have an obvious way to give back to the program. Collections merit badge allows a Scout to take a patch collection and with the right coaching fulfill the requirements. Scouting Heritage teaches Scouts about our movements history while also getting them to take an active role documenting their own troop and local history. Stuart Tucker of the Mecklenburg County Council is a regular merit badge counselor for both of these badges. For going on three years now he has also used a Boy Scout Trade-O-Ree as a useful backdrop to teach these merit badges. In this interview Stuart explains how he has incorporated merit badge instruction into the Charlotte Trade-O-Ree held in April. You can also find the resource material that he shares on the show notes page at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

The National Scouting Historian Summit will take place June 9-15, 2019 at the Philmont Training Center.  This week long course will teach over 100 Scouts and Scouters the rules, tools and strategies needed to preserve and share Scouting history in your troop, lodge, council and community.  In this interview the two co-leads Bill Topkis and Jeff Morley share the details of this first of it's kind event.  We also chat about how this unique course came to develop including the work over the course of a decade or more with the musuem at the National Order of the Arrow Conferences. Bill and Jeff also share a few examples of the things participants will learn.  Do you love to share the history of Scouting with others and want to be equipped with expert level advice on how to do it successfully?  Do you dream of having a Scout museum or historical society in your council?  Do you want to become part of a network of experienced and dedicated Scout historians that you can then call on for advice?  Then the National Scouting Historian Summit is for you!  But don't wait to sign up as it's already filling up fast. http://www.historiansummit.com Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

Andrew Silverstone could teach us all a thing or two about the Scout Oath and Law.  When he heard that some Scouts had lost their patches at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree he sprang into action organizing rescue boxes.  Using social media he gathered donations and made sure that these Scouts first experience with trading patches wasn't a disappointment.  In my interview Andrew tells the story of how it all happened.  He also shares why this was so meaningful for him as he was a victim of this mishap himself back at the 1985 Jamboree. Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

Scott Wheeler is a Boy Scout memorabilia collector who has a collection with over 100,000 unique items.  The only way he can keep track of all these items is by creating checklists.  That has led him to create the best 2017 National Jamboree checklist of council issued items.  By Scott's estimation there are around 2000 items issued for this Jamboree including some amazing sets.  In our interview we talk about how Scott got started in collecting and as you might guess it goes right back to a Jamboree. We also go off down many other topics is a fun and lively interview with one of the good guys in the hobby. Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

Nick Wolf, the Patch King, has a Top 10 list just for folks headed to the Jamboree.  As a veteran trader of several Jambos now Nick has come up with ten important tips he shares with the listeners.  I was able to sprinkle in some stories and commentary on Nick's list to give you some good examples.  The bottom line is that anybody going to the 2017 National Scout Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve would get something helpful from his tips. Certainly his list is not all inclusive and so if you have some you'd like to share please leave them as a comment.  Likewise if you have questions regarding patch trading at the Jamboree please reach out to me. Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

In getting ready to host a Boy Scout memorabilia show (we like to call them Trade-O-Rees) I was asked by the troop committee chairman to come give a patch trading class to the Scouts of Troop 33.  Episode 79 is the audio of that patch collecting talk that I gave to about two-dozen Scouts ranging from fresh Tenderfoots to high school aged Eagles.  I know that many other people have been in this situation.  Tasked with creating a 30-40 minute talk on a hobby that not that easy to translate.  After getting some advice from others my spin was to focus more on the "why" rather than the "how".  I tried to make connections with the Scouts through their participation in the program and show how easy it was to use the memorabilia to walk back in time.  I would appreciate any feedback and likewise feel free to take what I've shared and use it if you are ever in that situation.  I discovered that anyone born after 1996 is referred to as Generation Z so my goal was to try and speak on their level and not make it a pro-level how to class. Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

Becky Byrns was the first collector to host a national Girl Scout collectors show back in the 1990s.  Now with 15 shows under her belt and another coming up in a few weeks she is my guest on Scouting Hot Finds Radio.  Becky and I talk about the unique points of Girl Scout memorabilia including badges, dolls, jewelry and more.  Since I've been collecting Girl Scout stuff for about four years I've enjoyed leaning on her as a resource and was excited to get her on the show to share that with everyone.  We also try and compare and contrast how Boy Scout collecting is different from Girl Scouts. Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

Today on the podcast I welcome Nick Wolf who many of you know as the "Patch King".  After using some customized patch trading blankets at the 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference Nick set about seeing if he could design and produce a patch trading blanket for the hobby.  After six months of developement he released his blanket which features room for up to 30 different flap/CSP shaped patches along with a zipper system to keep them in place.  Since then Nick has also released a matching blanket that is the perfect size for OA two-piece sets and is about to come out with one madef or neckerchiefs and jacket patches. 

In this interview Nick shares the story of how he got inspired to make the patch blanket and we talk about the process of getting it to production.  The hope is that many Scouts and Scouters attending the 2017 National Scout Jamboree will put these to good use.  Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

Join me as Russell Smart shares details on this summer's Boy Scout National Jamboree. As the Program Chairman he has spent many hours planning since the 2013 National Jamboree to iron out the wrinkles and make this summer's event amazing.  During July 2017 over 40,000 Scouts and Scouters will descend on the Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve in West Virginia.  As the Summit is the world's premier high adventure base the memories that will be made will last a lifetime. Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.

Listen in to hear the wisdom of Uncle Nick.  My interview with Nick Loesch will trace his history in the hobby and get his impressions on how it's changed over the years.  Nick attened the 1964 Jamboree as a boy and caught the patch collecting pretty hard.  It was at the 1965 NOAC that he burned a Blue Heron Lodge flap to make a point about boys ripping off each other while trading.  After taking a break from the hobby to raise kids Nick jumped back in the late 1990s and never looked back.  He started on eBay in 2001 and has been a regular on the TOR circuit for years. Find more Scouting memorabilia content and all of my podcasts at http://www.scoutpatchcollectors.com.