[Philmont]: Philmont Patches for Sale

This is the second "lost" posting, slightly modified in proof from the
original:

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This was the basis of a fairly heated thread some years back. I suppose
the hot-button issue is when someone is trying to acquire an Arrowhead
so as to wear it under false pretenses (that is, "I did a trek"). John
Leblanc wrote a fairly poignant response indicating that there can be
other purposes for wearing an Arrowhead (that is, in memory of a
deceased Scout or Scouter), but thus far it has been my observation that
anyone who is wearing an Arrowhead who didn't actually trek is
attempting to deceive. Which is pretty dumb when there are so many
Philmont Phanatics out there who can expose a non-trekker in a hot
minute's worth of questions. I always knew when someone was trying to
snow me about their alleged Philmont trek.

I agree that anyone who would trade or sell their Philmont patch
certainly didn't care very much about it - probably because they had a
miserable experience. Pretty sad. I do know that a large percentage of
Arrowheads for sale by patch traders were acquired via purchases of
large collections, often sold for peanuts by widows or children (I know
of one such collection sold about 10 years ago, a dozen large boxes of
hundreds and hundreds of items, including a dozen Arrowheads and many
other priceless items, that was "sold to" a trader for $40 - though
"removed by" is a more accurate descriptor).

I also agree that the "curator" collector that Jim describes below is a
different case, and I have no particular heartburn about his passion
(one I admittedly do not share). Again, when the intent is history,
preservation, display, and probably donation to a Scout museum some day,
that's a world apart from the jerk wearing two Arrowheads at a Jambo and
claiming to have earned them. I have respect for the first, and nothing
but contempt for the second. Certainly it is my intent that no one will
ever wear my Arrowheads and pass them off as their own....

- Dr. Bob

Jim Welton wrote:

If someone is willing to trade their Arrowhead for cash and prizes, it
is now in the hands of someone who cares about it a lot more than the
original owner.

Interesting that somehow an Arrowhead is better tossed in the bottom of
a desk drawer, tossed in the sock drawer, or twisting on a uniform, than
carefully cataloged, preserved, and cared for by a collector. Most
collectors I know of Philmont items have been to Philmont and desire to
create a kind of museum of Philmont artifacts. They will spend hours
pouring over the major Philmont collecting guides. Researching stories
and pictures, looking for forgotten items. Many times when Councils,
Camps, Districts and what not finally get around to caring about their
history, it is those collectors who they turn to and find long lost items.

This isn't about pretending to have completed a trek. It is about being
a curator.

Just an alternate opinion. Your mileage may vary.

YiS,
Jim Welton
McAllen, Texas

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Received on Tue Dec 20 05:26:49 2005