dfolson 70 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I just finished weekend one at Gilwell. What makes for appreciated gifts to staff? Still a Buffalo(?) David Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 The best gifts are an honest and true evaluation of the course and you completing your ticket. Any and everything is unnecessary and unneeded. Welcome to the forum. Ea. Link to post Share on other sites
Basementdweller 608 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Why would you give a staff member a gift???? You paid several hundred dollars for the course, right???? If your tipping for service then I like 20% for great service. I think the best gift you could give is to use the skills learned as they were intended..... If you insist in giving a gift, do it in a private manner. We stood at gilwell while this went on for way to long.......One participant after another would come forward and gift a staff member or members.......then it went to thank you speeches and hand shakes....... I will add that when we made totems and such for the Patrol..made an extra for our troop guide. So he had Patrol gear to wear and adorn his tent with. It equaled a critter necklace and tent sign(This message has been edited by Basementdweller) Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle92 110 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Gifts are not really needed, and as Base points out, can go way overboard. However some of the gifts I've seen with BA22 abd JLTC and heard about are the following Duplicate patrol flag to give to the patrol councilor with everyone's signature Patrol or troop t-shirt with everyone's siganture Oversized beads with a note written on them The "Green Bar Bill Bubble Award" Basically a wooden trophy stand with an engraved plate and a xlarge green marble on top. Picture of the patrol with sigs on the back. Helping Hand: Glove on a wooden 2x4" base painted gold. BONUS put the glove in the Scout Sign for their primary program. Link to post Share on other sites
Basementdweller 608 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 We all signed our Patrol flag and gave it to our troop guide.... Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutBox 11 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Have to agree. Gifts aren't needed. We didn't give our TG a gift when I went through. But we did but the first letter of her name in our Totem. Last year when I staffed, the Patrol I was TG for didn't give me anything. But I did get gifts from a few other patrols. I know that gifts can go way over board. And they do. I made gifts for my Patrol as Staff. And my TG gave us a Critter bead. We again got three critter beads on a thong from our SPL last course. We gave loads of gifts to one another as Staff. and got the SM/CD a very nice gift. But I suggest that if you want to give a gift, then make something. Try not to buy anything.. Something I though was a kool gift I received was a coin shaped piece of Birch wood with the Patrol's Totem on it.. Link to post Share on other sites
dfolson 70 Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 Eagle92 and ScoutBox, Thank you - that was the kind of ideas I was looking for... I also intended to give them privately such as a toy sand shovel with our totem on it for the facilities ASM when we finish that duty... YiS, David Link to post Share on other sites
SR540Beaver 116 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I've staffed four courses and was gifted at two. Nothing is required or expected. People staff to give back and staffing is its own reward. That being said, a bond is often developed between the TG and Patrol or the Patrols and SPL, etc. Something inexpensive and simple is best if you choose to give a gift. When I served as QM, one of the patrols gave me a paperback Dutch Oven cookbook.....because as the saying goes, "all good things come from the QM". But no one's feelings will be hurt if you don't give them anything. They will be humbled and honored if you do. Link to post Share on other sites
Austinole 43 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 It's a personal choice. I don't think they expect anything but it's fun and a good way to show them you appreciate all their hard work. Usually, the gifts seem to be tongue and cheek. I did give a gift some of the staffers that stood out for me. I made them personal in my own way. Link to post Share on other sites
ScoutBox 11 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 During Day "0", after participants register, we have them go in to the dinning hall, and make a Para cord bracelet. I then made everyone in my Patrol a colored bracelet with a hand carved WB bead to close it.. Link to post Share on other sites
Twocubdad 665 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I absolutely despise the little giving ceremonies. They're all about the giver -- "oh, didn't we come up with a clever/expensive gift" -- not the recepient. The idiot patrol that spent lots of time and money on some doo-dad gets to feel smug and superior while the patrols that didn't know they were supposed to bring gifts feel like schmucks. Tacky, tacky, tacky. If it is a tradition that the patrol flag goes to the Troop Guide, then the patrols need to be inform of this tradition. Otherwise, if a patrol or individual has a heart-felt need to memorialize an activity with a gift, then the gift giving should be done privately. Link to post Share on other sites
Basementdweller 608 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 twocubs......that is what we felt like.....The patrol flag thing was last minute at gilwell so we didn't look stupid. We all signed it and presented it to him at the last minute, it really wasn't planned. Link to post Share on other sites
GKlose 24 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Our patrol heard that other patrols were going to be giving their TGs a gift at the completion of the course. We talked about it briefly, and decided to throw in $10 each towards a gift. We didn't have any great ideas, but I saw a Leatherman on sale at the local REI and asked the rest of the patrol if they thought that would be a good idea. They agreed, so that's what we bought for him. At course completion, everyone was doing a quick presentation, so we gave it to him. No problem. But then others started giving out their gifts, and they were more "thematic" so to speak. Like the Fox Patrol gave something Fox-oriented to their TG. In other words, we didn't really catch on to what everyone else was doing. Our gift was kind of over-the-top compared to the others (even though it was only $10 each). Guy Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I've staffed a lot of courses. I've been around Scouting for almost 50 years! During my half century I've been given a lot of Patrol flags and stuff like that. While I know and appreciate the thought. However the truth is that in many ways they become like the drawings my son did when he was a little fellow. Sure we gave them a place of honor on the fridge, but after a while there were just so many drawings that when he wasn't around they disappeared. What does the Patrol who gifts a flag to a staff member really think is going to happen to the flag? Eamonn Link to post Share on other sites
SSScout 1616 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 E: The flag will be put away in the Scout drawer, or framed and hung on the wall, or sewn onto the back of a jacket or.... The WBC that I staffed got "gifted" by some of the participants, but it was all privately done. One fellow made keychain wood pill holders (for lack of a better term)for all 20 of us(!), wood-burned with the date and WBC# . I received an engraved plastic garden trowel from one man who said he really liked my bugling (I was on QM staff, too). Several of the TGs received the signed patrol flag. Such was neither encouraged, spoken of nor decried. We accepted them graciously and said good bye and good luck to everyone. Link to post Share on other sites
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