Melrose Area Scout Troop 68 holds a Troop Auction following its December court of honor. This auction is a tradition that has been held for over 30 years. The first was held in 1987.
The Scouts use “Troop Bucks” they have earned during the year to bid on prizes. Troop Bucks, which are not real money, are earned by attending outings, earning merit badges, and earning ranks. The more active a Scout is during the year, the more Troop Bucks he will earn. The Troop Bucks are handed out during the December court of honor. Any bucks not spend may be saved by the Scout to use in next year’s auction.
There were fifteen prizes for the 2022 auction. The total cost of the prizes was only $120. Some of the prizes were donated. Surprisingly, the most expensive prize was the Boy Scout Handbook at a $25 cost. The item sold for the lowest bid happened to be a Scout web belt. Bids were place in $5 increments.
Once the bidding began it was fun to watch the Scouts. Some items were quite popular and had a lot of bids. Sometimes you could tell a Scout or two was bidding just to raise the stakes, hoping they would not get stuck with the item. Sometimes a Scout really wanted the item but did not have enough Troop Bucks to bid high enough to get the prize. In total, the Scouts bid a combined $3440 for the prizes.
So, what were the prizes and what were the final bids? Boy Scout Handbook – $160. Troop 68 Tee Shirt – $230. BSA Web Belt – $65. BSA Bolo Tie – $125. Merit Badge Sash with Clip – $350. Five piece Mess Kit – $125. Lock Blade Knife – $400. LED Flashlight – $175. Smartphone Adjustable Stand – $205. Pair of Carabiners – $150. Rawling Baseball – $175. Sharpening Stone with case – $310. Fleece Throw Blanket – $330. Gamer 3 Ring Binder (with a hidden $20 bill) – $450. Laptop Bag – $190.
More fun came after the auction ended. Some Scouts were trading their winnings with other Scouts. It seemed that all the Scouts were happy after the trading ended.
