Daveeby

I just became aware of the T.I. situation. I wrote the article on the oldest camps a number of years ago that some of you are referencing. In my estimation Owassipe (1911) is the oldest BSA camp in the country followed by T.I. and Camp Teetonkah (in Michigan), both dating to 1913 as far as being local council summer camps. As far as I know, Owasippe, or rather the disposition of it by the Chicago Council is still mired in legal issues. The third of the three oldest camps, Teetonkah, was on the sale block a number of years ago after a council merger. The local folks in Jackson Michigan did the

Here is the history that I have researched since I first posed to question. The Silver Beaver award was created by the National Council and first presented in 1931 as an award program to be utilized by a local council with National Council approval of the recipients. The intent of the award was different in 1931 than it is today. The award program was optional as far as any local council using it. A number of councils in the early years chose not to use the program. The Toledo Council did not start until 1932 and the Wolverine Council in southeast Michigan did not make their first present

I think there is some confusion. The neck ribbon did not start because of women getting a Silver Beaver. The neck ribbon started in 1933. Women didn't start getting the award until 1976. The original medal was quite heavy for a pocket ribbon although I am not sure if anyone really knows why it was switched.

Looking for ideas and thoughts about what makes a Boy Scout trade-o-ree a good if not great experience? In reverse what things make for a bad experience? Would like to hear from those who have organized or who attend trade-o-rees.

Looking for a 4-B conclave patch for a museum collection. Let me know if you have one to trade/sell.

Hi, I am looking for a gold mylar border flame bottomed flap from Tindeuchen OA Lodge 522 in Toledo Ohio. Have quite a bit I could trade depending on your interest. Want it for a museum display and not a private collection.

We have some GREAT stuff in our museum. It is housed in the original building erected at Camp Miakonda in 1917 when the land was purchased. Miakonda is the oldest Boy Scout camp in Ohio and the 6th oldest in the nation. We have a display case on the Tribe of Gimogash which is the oldest known honor program in national BSA history, predating the OA by one year. We have one of the three largest Hornaday Award collections in the country. Miakonda's history is considerable and can be read at: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9426/miakonda.html A page on the museum itself can be viewed

Official Boy Scout shoes literally date back to 1911. There is an advertisement for them on the back of the very early issues of Boys Life. Those were patterned after the U.S. Army shoe of that time and were all leather although they were really what I would call boots as they were tall and went above the ankle. As I recall they were made by the same manufacturer of the Army shoes of that time period. At the Miakonda Scouting Museum in Toledo Ohio we have two pair of official BSA shoes on display. Both are in the original boxes and are both mint in unused condition. The one is the Buster Brown

One mess kit that I did see mentioned was the only square official BSA mess kit ever made. It was the Upton variety and was made by the Upton Machine Company of St. Joseph Michigan. It was a telescoping set and included a folding steel firerack. It had a tall stew pot and square steel cup that slid together and the rectangular fry pan, three wire handles and fire rack all fit inside. It was stamped with the BSA logo and was manufactured in the late teens and early twenties. They are very hard to find and I believe most were destroyed during the massive scrap metal drives of WWII. Upton also ma

Does anyone know if there is an existing history of the Silver Beaver award given to adult Scouters within a local council? I am curious as to why the beaver was chosen over some other type of animal. My guess is because a beaver is such a known dedicated worker. Also wondering who originally designed it. I know that since 1932 about 50,000 have been awarded and I have been told that about 12-14 people have received it twice since its inception. (I was also told that two people have received the Silver Antelope twice) I know that during the first year they were presented with a pocket ribbon l

There are at least two honor programs that predate the Order of the Arrow and possibly if not probably more. The Tribe of Gimogash was created in mid 1914 and the Order of the Mystic Circle at least as early as 1914. Both programs were used in the Toledo Ohio Council. Gimogash was created in the Kansas City Council and it is likely that the Order of the Mystic Circle was as well. The scout honor society pages at the USSSP site were written by myself and Paul Myers with a lot of help from a lot of people. There are over 100 known programs that existed around the country. Among the biggest or mo