Welcome to Patch-L's Information Page.
Patch-L is an internet LIST aimed at furthering the principles of the Scout Oath and Law in the hobby of collecting Scouting's patches, badges and memorabilia. Subscriptions are free and open to members of Scouting programs associated with the World Organization of Scouting movements. Membership is not automatic, however, and potential subscribers must provide background information that will be reviewed by the list owners who will ultimately determine whether an applicant can join Patch-L.
Subscribers must be at least age 13 in order to apply.
What is a "LIST?"
A LIST is an information distribution system made up of a LISTSERVER and Subscribers. It's not terribly complicated, but in essence, members subscribe to an e-mail distribution server. Subscribers send a note to the Server's address and the server redistributes the message to all subscribers. Recipients can reply either to the original sender or respond to the entire list. The server has two addresses: one for posting notes to all of the subscribers and another for adjusting your mail options (like setting your subscription to NOMAIL if you are going to be away for awhile and don't want your mail box filled when you get back). It's important to remember both addresses and send commands to the server and notes to the list.
What can I expect to see on Patch-L?
Offers to trade patches, badges, books, neckerchiefs and just about anything that has to do with Scouting. Most members are from the United States and belong to the Boy Scouts of America, but membership is open to all Scouting memorabilia hobbyists from any country and the list includes collectors of Girl Scouting and Guiding memorabilia as well.
Are there rules?
Everything seems to have rules and Patch-L has had to develop a few to prevent problems that have occasionally occurred on the list. Subscribers are expected to comply with Patch-L ETHICS and Patch-L RULES (so you should review them before you apply) and any new rules that Listowners may need to announce to the list. Members agree they can be removed at anytime by the listowners without notice if the listowners decide it's in the best intersts of the list. A couple of important rules we emphasize:
- You must not offer to sell in postings to the list (even if you don't include prices - you cannot post offers to sell). This includes offers to trade for "dead presidents", announcement of your e-bay offerings or any other kind of post that puts you in the position of selling something or otherwise involved in what could be considered commercial activity by our host.
- You must not post any sort of "virus" warning to the list. Nearly all of these are hoaxes and posting will get you removed immediately. If you have a concern, contact a listowner first.
- Negative posts about another trader will result in your removal from the list.
Who are the list owners?
Patch-L was started by Eric Pierce (New York) in November of 1995 while a struggling college student in response to complaints by subscribers on other Scouting lists that did not want "patch trading" clogging up their e-mail boxes, Eric Pierce (New York). Kevin Doyle (Hawaii) joined Eric as a co-owner 10 months later to help lighten the load (Eric did not tell Kevin that list-owners don't have a life.) Eric finally decided he wanted a life and turned over his share of the burden to Donald Shull (Ohio) in 2001. Generally, Don manages the mechanics of the operation and Kevin handles subscriptions.
How do I join Patch-L?
Easier than you think. First, you must be logged on to the internet from the account you wish to subscribe from. Then send an e-mail note to:
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU
with the message:
SUBSCRIBE PATCH-L YourFirstName YourLastName
(on one line, in the message portion of the note) and then send it. Be sure and use your real name - anonymous subscriptions are not tolerated.You will get a background information request from one of the owners. If you have any concerns about providing information such as your real name, your address, your telephone number, your age, etc., please DO NOT send the subscribe command, since your application will be denied.
Should you find the need to unsubscribe, the process is simple: Send the command:
UNSUBSCRIBE PATCH-L
while logged on to the internet at the same address you subscribed from.
Changing addresses?
We use changes of address as the opportunity to update our records, rather than bother everybody quarterly. Just send the subscribe command (as above) and follow the instructions. When your information is received, we can add you in at the new address. When you get the message that you've been added to the list at your new adress, log on to the internet at your previous address and send the UNSUBSCRIBE command to delete your old account.
Other Useful Commands
| Command | Result |
| SET PATCH-L DIGEST | Sends you Patch-L in Digest mode (all messages combined into one, once a day) rather than individual messages as they are posted. |
| SET PATCH-L NODIGEST | Sets your account back to receiving individual messages |
| SET PATCH-L NOMAIL | Stops sending you messages until you send the mail command to turn it back on. Usefule for vacation to prevent a full mailbox. |
| SET PATCH-L MAIL | Turns Patch-L mail back on |
|
|
|
| Updated August 28, 2003 |
 |