Author: Michael F. Bowman
Company: Attorney at Law

SCOUTS-L
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CSPs
(See Also, Insignia)

 Date:         Sun, 13 Aug 1995 22:06:56 CDT
From: "Settummanque, the blackeagle" <waltoml@WKUVX1.WKU.EDU>
Subject:      Re: BSA: What are the most wanted *current* council strips.

Randy Finder <NARAHT@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU> writes:

>I know CSPs are generally traded one for one (at least current). But what
>CSPs are considerred the most wanted?

Any CSP without a "BSA indica".  This includes the wording "BSA",
"B.S.A", "Scouting/USA", or a stylized BSA logo.  This also includes
the one-color or multi-color fleur-de-lis logo or the current "mod"
BSA logo.

Any CSP from a "merged" or "non-existant" local Council.  Since the
BSA went on a "Council diet", those local Councils that don't exist
anymore are becoming harder to find CSPs of.

Any CSP from any of the "Overseas Councils" of the BSA (the current
Transatlantic, Far East,
what-ever-the-name-of-the-one-the-BSA-is-considering for the Near and
Middle East, and Direct Service CSPs) and the old Canal Zone Council
which was merged into Direct Service about four years ago next month.

>My guess would be the strips outside the 50 states, Trans-atlantic, Far
>East and Direct Service (does the last have a CSP?). I think of these the
>smallest in terms of scouts is Far East Council, so I guess it would be
>up there. I know everyone has CSPs they particularly want. (I wanted the
>one for the council by dad was in).

The Direct Service Council (serving youth around the world from the
BSA's International Division offices in Irving, Texas, USA) has
authorized sub-Districts (zones) with a "significant number of American
units present" to create specialized CSPs to be worn instead of the
traditional CSP which is worn by DSC Scouters and Scouts elsewhere.
It was drab, the DSC admitted, but there was no way to place on one
patch scenes from 180+ countries, principalities and locales.

There are ten current CSP patches out there for DSC Scouts and
Scouters (and others as well) to wear and share:

Direct Service (the original)
Direct Service Saudi Arabia (which may become the "prototype" for this
    new local Council)
Direct Service Egypt
Direct Service Guatemala (?)
Direct Service Hong Kong
Direct Service Kenya
Direct Service Indonsia
Direct Service Singapore
Direct Service Venezuela
Direct Service Argentina

In addition, there are three other Direct Service "non-official" CSPs
issued for Jakarta, Indonsia; Hong Kong; and Narobi, Kenya.

(I have only one of those three "rare CSPs")

A word about the "unnamed local Council".  According to those that
know at BSA's International Division, there is still NO OFFICIAL WORD
on whether or not the BSA will part out part of the old Transatlantic
Council and several large "pockets" of Scouting in the Middle East to
form a new local Council.  There is "significant interest" in
developing a new Council to serve American youth in an area of the
world that is being populated more and more every week by Americans.
However, nobody at National is willing to go "on record" as saying
that anything other than Direct Service will be providing
Council-level support to countries like Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, the United Arab Emerates, Oman, Jordan, and Palestine.

So, I guess the "Cradle of Civilization Council" (*my name*, not
anyone else's) will STILL be on indefinate hold.  When that Council
(if that Council) gets chartered, then I guess, Brother Randy, that
Council's CSP will also be "marketable".

One or both of the "National Council Visitor" CSPs.  The first one was
created for the career staff at the National Council to wear instead
of nothing at all.  When the National Office moved, the patch was
recreated and retailed as a sovenvir of the visit to the National
Office.  Both patches are the ONLY ONES authorized to be worn
presently since the BSA created set design patterns for CSPs in 1979.
(they take up both the traditional CSP "space" as well as the unit
number "space"). There were several others that did similar designs
but they have all been redesigned since.

Any CSP that HAS NEVER EXISTED as a CSP.  This includes some rather
creative CSPs like the "Dixie Council", featuring the Stars and Bars,
as well as former Councils that merged or dissolved before 1973 but
"somehow, somebody was working on a special shoulder patch for Scouts
and Scouters in their Council *just when* the BSA announced the new
multicolor CSP designs.  I've seen some at tradeorees, and some of
them are really nice looking (I have one or two in my collection to
show someone someday).

Any CSP that is on my "one per local Council" list that I've started
in 1977 and still haven't got completed.  Send me some *private* email
and I'll share what I have and what I am looking for

Settummanque!
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