a question

[diamondbackAPL]

I was wondering if I need to keep the records i took for my merit badges (fanily life chore chart, personal management spending plan, etc.), or can I just throw them away. will I need the proof for my Eagle BOR when I get there?

[Rick Tyler]

I was wondering if I need to keep the records i took for my merit badges (fanily life chore chart, personal management spending plan, etc.), or can I just throw them away.

As long as you have the signed blue cards and merit badge cards, you are fine.

[DadScout]

The blue card/MB card is all that's needed but I think I'd still keep the supporting documents. Should the cards be lost or destroyed you'll now have to count on troop or council records to recreate them. Not to say that Troops and Councils don't keep great records but, you still might need to rebuild a history. Besides, might be nice to show at your Eagle COH or to your child in 25 years or so.

[riverwalk]

Some things have value for future Boards perhaps. Others serve well for displays. But in the longer term....they can mean more. As a Scouter, I often think of my time as a Scout. I have a few items from that period, and wish I had the other things. So think it through before tossing everything.

[Chief J]

BLue Cards and Merit Badge Cards should be sufficient for any advancement questions. However, I would also like to caution the sentimental value. Think before pitching. I was a very active Scout when I was younger. However today, I have no memorabilia as it all got tossed between then and now.

Chief J

[odin]

was a very active Scout when I was younger. However today, I have no memorabilia as it all got tossed between then and now

Very true! Although I don't know what value all of my scouting artifacts would have today, I'm sure that current scouts would enjoy seeing some of the stuff from the "old days"!

[riverwalk]

True, some of these items do have value. And yes, do find ways to display items from earlier periods. I think some Scouts don't realize their Program has a history. I often do this next to my International displays.

[scoutaholic]

...Think before pitching. I was a very active Scout when I was younger. However today, I have no memorabilia as it all got tossed between then and now. ...

The awards and such can be easily replaced, if you want the current versions of them. If you want the ones like you were awarded at the time, you will have to do some searching to find them. You can get some on eBay, others from traders, and some will be hard to find at all.

Patches from specific events you attended years ago will be hard to find. Collectors may have some from the bigger events, but may not be willing to part with them. For council and district events, your only hope is to find a willing trader in your area.

As far as paperwork and such, what is gone is unfortunatelly gone.



My Mom had a great idea for displaying all the scout memorabilia we earned. She took all the neckerchiefs (cubs, webelos, 3-4 different troops, jamboree, etc) and put them together into a quilt with the patches sewn onto it. She has only done one of them so far, but my Brothers Quilt top is about 6'x5' with all his neckerchiefs, patches, skill awards, etc.

With my current adictions (that is right, I am a scoutaholic), it would be hard to do such a thing for me. I haven't stopped getting new neckerchiefs, badges, etc. I guess we could do one with all the stuff I earned as a youth, and then start a whole new one for my adult stuff. (At this point, I have too much for one quilt anyway.)