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from an original member of the lodge,John Lorimer, who earned the badge himselfas a boy. He has provided a writtenfirst hand statement verifying the usageand significance of the badge. Furthermore,it was obtained on a badge vest thatbears his name on the front and otherbadges of the era, mostly from his counciland the surrounding councils, on theback (Figures 3-5). Membership cardswere also obtained from Mr. Lorimer furthersubstantiating his membership in theFigure 5– John Lorimer’s badge vest., lower back.Figure 3– John Lorimer’s badge vest.,upper back.when making their buying decisions. Bymerely offering an item for sale they lendcredibility to the issue. It is paramount thatdealers vigorously question the authenticityof previously unknown items bydemanding non-hearsay information beforeoffering them to the hobby, even if itmeans foregoing substantial profits. Wemust all accept that a minimum burden ofproof is required. It must be required ofthe magazines, books and newsletters ofthe hobby as well. They too have the dutyto properly verify “true” facts and not relysolely on hearsay or the word of a secondhand party. By publishing without hardfacts they give false legitimacy to unsubstantiatedclaims and aid those that aredoing the hobby harm.Will the fakers ever learn? If you makea fake, eventually it will be found out bythe hobby. You will be stripped from thehobby and become unwelcome in scouting.If you discover a previously unknownbadge you have a duty to satisfy the burdenof proof necessary to confirm theissue. ❏Figure 4– John Lorimer’s badge vest.,front.right place at the right time (Figure 6). Thistype of evidence is undeniable and firsthand.Fraudulent badges are a part of thishobby. When someone can make a fewbadges in their basement and sell them forhundreds, if not thousands of dollars thereexists an unfortunate incentive for unscrupulousScouts or Scouters to forget theirScout Oath and the Scout Law. Indeed,Blue Book has documented over 400 ofthese fakes in Order of the Arrow collectiblesalone.Dealers must recognize that the hobbylooks to them to obtain knowledge of whatis legitimate and what is not. They needto accept that potential buyers dependupon the information that they provideJournal of The American Scouting Historical SocietyFigure 6– John Lorimer’s Boy Scout andExplorer BSA Membership cards.27