It doesn’t have the historical weight of W.D. Boyce’s meeting with the Unknown Scout, but Bob Olafson considers his meeting with William Hillcourt to be just as special.

Olafson met Hillcourt, known to you and me as “Green Bar Bill,” and was never the same. If you don’t know who Hillcourt is, read about this true Scouting legend in a 2006 Scouting magazine story. Then you’ll understand why Olafson considers Green Bar Bill’s signature to be his prized piece of Scouting memorabilia. Here’s how Olafson tells it:

I became a Scout in 1977. I have collected a lot of Scouting memorabilia since then. But no single person had more of an influence on the Scouting program while I was a Scout than Green Bar Bill (William Hillcourt). Nor has anyone since. I was a pleasure to meet him in 1983 and get his signature to remember the event. Although, I do not need the autograph to remember meeting the man who wrote my Scout Handbook and getting to shake his hand. (The left hand of course).

Great note. Now it’s your turn. Send me a photo of your favorite item for Memorabilia Monday. Here’s how:

• Take a high-res .jpg image of your favorite Scouting item.
• Just select one to send us (we know that picking one could be hard, but please try!).
• The file must be less than 2 MB in size.
• E-mail it to us with the subject line “Memorabilia” to scoutingmag@gmail.com.
• Include your name, position, and council.
• Tell us why this item is special to you.

Last week, I asked you to dust off boxes, dig through storage closets, and scour your attic for pieces of Scouting memorabilia.

But for some of you, I’ll bet your BSA memories aren’t stuffed in a box somewhere. I’m sure they’re proudly displayed in your home. At my parents’ house, for example, an entire bookshelf is dedicated to Scouting goodies. The items conjure up meaningful memories of the program and provide a nice decorative charm to the room.

But enough about me. Let’s get Memorabilia Monday started off right. This is the first in an occasional series where your fellow Scouters will share their favorite, well, stuff from the Boy Scouts of America.

So what have you got, Rob Pendle, assistant Scoutmaster from the Western Los Angeles County Council?

Here’s his note:

Here are my favorite pieces of memorabilia: a Patrol Leaders Handbook circa 1937 and a Scoutmaster’s Handbook circa 1938 (second printing). Both are in excellent condition, but more-so, I read and use them (very carefully of course!).

It totally amazes me how much harder Scouting was back then. The Patrol Leader’s book has directions on how to build a log cabin for a patrol meeting place. I am using some of the other scout-craft information, like Green Bar Bill’s Camp-o-sack (before he was known as Green Bar Bill!) to make my own gear again.

While I am trying to preserve these books as items, I am also trying to pass on the knowledge contained in them as well…after all, what good is a book if the knowledge contained in it is inaccessible?

Great stuff, Rob. Thanks for passing along your BSA memories. Check out a picture of Rob’s 1938 Scoutmaster’s Handbook after the jump.

As for the rest of you, keep digging for buried BSA treasures. Whether it’s from 1910 or 2010, we want to see it a picture of it for Memorabilia Monday. Follow the jump to learn how to send it my way. I’ll keep Memorabilia Monday going as long as you all keep sending me photos!

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