Direct Service Private Issues Direct Service BSA (formerly known as Direct Service Council, but now part of BSA's International Division headquartered in the National Office in Irving, Texas) provides services to BSA Scouts and Scouters outside the boundaries of the United States. The Direct Service has issued a number of CSPs on behalf of some overseas communities (Argentina, Egypt, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Venezuela). Private individuals and units have issued "CSPs" or PISPs (private issue shoulder patches) in the following overseas communities. In at least one case, a Scouter was told not to play up the issue, because "National might not let them recharter." Later, a Scouter dealing in the same issue claimed it was authorized by National. Taking the two claims together, one can see how the market gets manipulated. The truth is, "National" neither polices, nor authorizes such private issues as the ones found on this page. So if your overseas unit is planning a PISP and somebody tells you to keep it quiet, there's a good chance he's just trying to beat you to a very lucrative market among name collectors. Issue name History scan Key Direct Service: Alexadria-Lone Scouts Scan provided to firstCSP by Phil Abbey. Patch produced late 1999 for Scouts in the Alexandria Egypt BSA unit. S-1 Direct Service: Ashkelon Scan provided to firstCSP by Phil Abbey. Patch produced in 2002 for BSA Scouts in Ashkelon, Israel S-1 Direct Service: Gaza Scan provided to firstCSP by Phil Abbey. Patch produced late 2001 for BSA Lone Scouts in Gaza. T-1 Direct Service: Ghana West Africa Scan provided to firstCSP by Russ Tanner, who created this PISP for BSA Troop 111 in Ghana West Africa. S-1 Direct Service: Himalayas Dr. Gene Berman came upon this patch in August at the Detroit Trade0ree, He traded for it from Mike Bastian who had gotten it from a Scouter who was traveling in Nepal. He had no further information. It was not issued by the Direct Service Council Office. S-1 Direct Service: Iceland Phil Abbey discovered this one while on his seemingly unending quest to find unit and local issue shoulder insignia. Thanks, Phil! S-1 Direct Service: Israel Another Phil Abbey find. This was issued by the BSA unit located in suburban Tel Aviv. T-1 Direct Service: Iraq Scan provided to firstCSP by Phil Abbey. Patch produced in 2004 T-1 Direct Service: Kuwait Phil Abbey discovered this one while on his seemingly unending quest to find unit and local issue shoulder insignia. Thanks again, Phil! S-1 Direct Service: Lesotho Another Phil Abbey find. This is actually in use by the BSA unit located in Bothe-Butha, Lesotho. S-1 Direct Service: Mexico Phil Abbey discovered this one while on his seemingly unending quest to find unit and local issue shoulder insignia. Thanks yet again, Phil! S-1 Direct Service: Pakistan Believed to be issued by Scouters associated with the American School in Islamabad in 1988 or 1989, it first surfaced at the 1993 BSA National Jamboree where four patches were purchased from a Scouter for $5 each. At least one was resold shortly thereafter at a substantially higher amount.  S-1 Direct Service: Pakistan S-1 reproduction Issued by firstCSP in 1999 to provide a placeholder for collectors and raise money for the endowment funds of the Aloha Council and the Inland Northwest Council. Full details here. S-1 Direct Service: Panama Issued 1987. Direct Service Panama CSPs have never been issued by the National Office, but reportedly were being sold at the Scout office in Panama City S-1a Direct Service: Qatar First showed up in1999 with the return of a Scouter from Qatar. It was reported to be issued by a trader. A set of "S-1 and S-2" was privately auctioned on the patch-l discussion list for at least $850. The final price was not revealed. This patch is on the "Chang" list. S-1 Direct Service: South Africa Issued 2003 to serve Lone Scouts in South Africa. S-1 Direct Service: South Asia Issued 2003 by Troop 69 in Bangaladesh. S-1 Direct Service: Ukraine Issued 2003 to serve Lone Scouts in Ukraine S-1