Scout Badges and where to get them.

Every time I pull out my camp blanket in the presence of my Cubs, I get the same questions: where and how did I get all of those badges, can they steal the Minecraft ones, can I please give them my badges and when the answer to these last two question is no, where and how can they get badges?

Now, as a leader, the first answer I will give you and a quite obvious one at that, if you want badges, you can earn them by meeting the requirements!

But what I will also tell you is that you can buy and swap many badges with the help of the internet and social media and of course you should bring your spare badges at camps to swap with other scouts you meet from around the world!

There even is an annual European Scout and Guide Collectors' Meeting! Every year in Autumn, the Scouts and Guides Museum in Leuven organises this international meeting where Scouts and Guides from all over the world come for the day to sell, buy and swap badges and scouting memorabilia.

If you really get into collecting badges you may need to get creative and start spending a little time to find gems on ebay or second hand websites such as vinted, 2ememain, etc.
If you are lucky enough to have friends from all over the world, you can find scout shops from their countries and ask them to send badges to you!

Ask your family! Do you have an aunt that was a Brownie, a dad who was an Explorer, a distant cousin who went to a Jamboree? They may still have their old badges and may give them to you if you ask nicely enough! Bring out those puppy dog eyes if you need.

And you know what? Nothing is stopping you from customising your blanket however you want. I cut letters out of fabric and sewed them onto mine to spell out my name. I've cross-stitched and embroidered quite a few badges myself! Look for the big panther, the wolf, the star shape necker (European Jewish Scouts), the pomegranate badge (religious European Jewish Scouts), the Preston coat of arms (I studied there!) or even the acorn which I've knitted.

If you look closely enough you will also find a QR code I've cross-stitched too. Now that was not simple as the simplest little mistake can render the whole code unreadable. Next time you see me at camp you can ask to scan my QR code with your phone (I'll show you on mine if you don't have your phone with you), it makes the Scout Promise appear on your screen!

See that Pocket? I cut it from an old and damaged Boy Scouts of America shirt and sewed it on! Get creative! And the rainbow necker at the bottom right corner? I did not sew it all the way, I left an opening to make a marshmallow bag pocket! How convenient!

Alright, alright, you've read this far, you deserve some links to start growing your collection! So here is a non exhaustive list of links that will certainly help you:

Belgian Scout Organisations:

Dutch Scouts:

UK Scouts:

US Scouts:

Not official scout badges but run by scouts:

Lego patch (!!!):

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