A guide for new collectors and an overview of how to use this site
Scouting memorabilia covers a wide range of collectibles used all over the world since the movement's founding by Lord Robert Baden-Powell in 1908. This site has initially focused on Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America (BSA)) and affiliated organizations. The most actively collected items include patches, neckerchiefs, pins, and other insignia produced for Jamborees, Councils, Districts (used somewhat differently in the USA than other countries), camps, and Order of the Arrow.
The BSA organizes its membership into local councils, each of which serves a geographic region. Over the decades, hundreds of councils have been chartered, merged, renamed, or dissolved. Each council has produced its own memorabilia — council shoulder patches (CSPs), event patches, neckerchiefs, and more. The Trade-O-Ree catalogues every known council, both active and inactive, along with the memorabilia they have produced (when known).
The Order of the Arrow (OA) is Scouting America's national honor society. Each BSA council charters an OA lodge, and lodges often produce the most sought-after collectibles in the hobby: lodge flaps, odd-shaped patches, neckerchiefs, activity patches, pins, and more. Like councils, lodges have been chartered, merged, and disbanded throughout BSA history. A single council may have had multiple lodges over time.
Collectors value patches for many reasons: rarity, historical significance, visual appeal, or personal connection to a council or lodge. Limited-issue patches, errors, and items from disbanded lodges tend to command higher prices. Understanding the origin, issue date, and reference designation of a patch is key to evaluating what you have — and what you're looking for.
You'll encounter these abbreviations throughout the site, in reference publications, and in the broader collecting community:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
BSA | Boy Scouts of America — the national scouting organization (rebranded as Scouting America in 2025) |
OA | Order of the Arrow — the BSA's national honor camping society |
NOAC | National Order of the Arrow Conference — a biennial national gathering of OA members |
fdl | Fleur-de-lis |
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
OA Flap | The standard lodge pocket flap patch — the most commonly collected OA item. Worn on the right pocket flap of the BSA uniform shirt. |
OA Odd Shape | A lodge patch in a non-flap shape |
OA Neckerchief | A cloth worn around the neck, issued by a lodge |
OA Activity Patch | A patch issued for a specific OA event or activity (fellowship, ordeal, etc.) |
OA Activity Neckerchief | A neckerchief issued for a specific OA event or activity |
OA Chapter Flap | A pocket flap issued by a chapter (subdivision) within a lodge |
OA Chapter Odd Shape | A non-standard-shaped patch issued by a chapter within a lodge |
OA Chapter Neckerchief | A neckerchief issued by a chapter within a lodge |
OA Chapter Activity Patch | An event or activity patch issued by a chapter within a lodge |
OA Chapter Activity Neckerchief | An event neckerchief issued by a chapter within a lodge |
CSP | Council Shoulder Patch — the colorful shoulder emblem identifying a BSA council (generally post 1970) |
CP | Council Patch — the colorful non-CSP shaped patches issued without an event noted or a date (except when used for a council anniversary, which are generally considered CPs as well) |
SAP | Shoulder Activity Patch — a CSP-shaped activity patch |
LSP | Lettered Shoulder Patch — the shoulder emblem identifying a BSA state, council, or community but using only letters |
Pin | A metal pin, often enamel or stamped |
| Field | What It Means |
|---|---|
Brand Identity | This is specific to Scouting America / BSA, which required a fleur-de-lis (fdl) / scout symbol or "BSA" to be present on emblems. |
Branding Color | The color of the BSA identifier, shown alongside the Brand Identity |
Border Type | How the patch edge is finished: cut edge (C), rolled edge (R), neckerchief piping (P), etc. |
Backing | The material on the reverse of the patch: embroidered, plastic back, gauze, etc. |
c. | "Circa" — indicates an approximate issue date rather than an exact known year |
Dimensions (mm) | Physical size in millimeters: height (h) × width (w), and sometimes depth (d) for three-dimensional items |
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
Collection | You currently own this item and it is part of your collection |
Wanted | You are actively seeking this item |
Available | You own this item and it is available for trade or sale |
Divested | You previously owned this item but have traded, sold, or given it away |
Since the 1960s, Order of the Arrow collectors have used shorthand code to better communicate what any particular lodge has issued.
| Code | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
F | Flap | The pocket flap shaped patch worn on the Scouting America uniform (non-solid embroidery or chenille) |
S | Solid Flap | Any pocket flap that uses solid embroidery |
L | Leather | Any Order of the Arrow patch constructed using leather as a base material |
C | Chenille | Patch made using the chenille process (like an athletic letter in high school / college) |
A | Arrowhead | Arrowhead shaped patch |
R | Round | Round shaped patch |
J | Jacket Patch | Larger patch generally worn on the back of a jacket |
X | Odd Shape | Patch non-conforming to other types listed such as rectangles, triangles, ovals, etc. |
N | Neckerchief | A neckerchief issued by the lodge |
e | Event | Items issued for lodge events |
The number after the letter (e.g., F1, S3) indicates the sequence within that type. A lowercase letter suffix (e.g., S3a) denotes a variant of that issue — such as a color change or slight embroidery variation. Various catalogs over the years may identify an object by different numbers and letters but the code style is generally the same.
From the home page, click BSA Councils to see a searchable list of every known BSA council. You can filter to show only active councils, inactive councils, or both. Click on any council to expand its details — including its number, location, charter and disband dates, and associated OA lodges. Click View Memorabilia to see all catalogued items for that council.
Click Order of the Arrow Lodges from the home page to browse all known OA lodges. Like councils, lodges are searchable and filterable. Each lodge entry shows its number, totem, charter and disband dates, and associated councils. Click View Memorabilia to see all catalogued items.
On a council or lodge memorabilia page, items are displayed in a list with key attributes visible at a glance: badge type, shape, material, border color, border type, background color, brand identity, and name colors. Use the filter checkboxes at the top to show or hide specific badge types (e.g., show only OA Flaps, or only Pins and SAPs).
Click any item in the list to open a detail panel showing the full set of catalogued attributes, including photographs (when available), publication references, and — for eligible members — collection management tools. The detail view is organized into sections: identification, physical attributes, references, and your collection entries.
The councils and lodges pages each have a search bar. For councils, type any part of a council name or number. For lodges, type a lodge name or number. Searches match against names and exact numbers, so you can search "Wabaningo" by name or "248" by number.
The Trade-O-Ree uses a tiered membership model. Everyone can browse councils, lodges, and basic memorabilia data without an account. Registering (free) and subscribing unlock progressively more features:
| Tier | Cost | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
Visitor |
Free | Browse councils, lodges, and basic memorabilia data (badge type, shape, material, colors) |
Enthusiast |
Free (registered) | Everything above, plus: forum access, dimensions, backing information |
Collector |
$1/month | Everything above, plus: more detailed notes and links to active council and lodge websites, issue dates |
Eagle |
$5/month | Everything above, plus: collection management, extended search |
Patron |
$1,000/year | Everything above, plus: influence over future features and early access to new capabilities |
Collection management is available to Eagle tier members and above. It lets you track what you own, what you're looking for, and what you've traded away.
When viewing any item's detail panel, you'll see a My Collection section at the bottom. Click + Add to Collection to record an entry. For each entry, you can set:
You can add multiple entries for the same item — for example, one marked "Collection" and another marked "Available" if you have duplicates.
Items you mark as "Wanted" can be published as a want list, which automatically creates a forum thread so other collectors can see what you're looking for and reach out.
The Trade-O-Ree forums are available to all registered members (Enthusiast tier and above). Forums provide a space to discuss collecting, share knowledge, ask questions, and coordinate trades.
Once you're logged in, the Forums link appears in the Member Benefits section of the home page and in your dashboard. You can browse threads, post replies, and create new topics.
When you publish a want list from the Collection Manager, a forum thread is automatically created with a formatted post listing the items you're seeking, complete with clickable links back to each item's detail page. Other members can reply directly to offer trades or provide leads.
Forums are moderated to maintain a respectful, productive community.