Sanhican Lodge Prototype Flaps

Dr. Larry Gering writes:
I was Lodge Chief 1974-1975. The discussion and creation of prototypes began in 1975 so we would be ready for the Bicentennial. The idea was to commemorate the bicentennial with a new flap. The basic flap was S2 and that wasn't going to change but the idea of having a new border was appealing.

Ray Carey was the 'patch guy" he liked to go down to Leonard Patch Company (which made the flaps) or Moritz (which made activity patches), drink coffee and come back with prototypes. Putting a new border on the basic flap was easy. He created the red/white/blue version and no one liked it. I saw one once, and never again until, Curly Edwards had one in a glass frame in his house. I told him it wasn't a lodge issue, was meaningless and he should throw it away. He didn't and I guess it was sold along with the rest of his collection when he passed. Were there more than two? I have no idea.

The set of three single-color borders, red, white, blue was the next idea. Someone thought that the three flaps could be for the Ordeal, Brotherhood and Vigil but no one knew which color went with which. Became meaningless because in 1975, the council had a severe cash flow problem and the lodge account was zeroed out to pay the staff's salaries. Huge problem because we were unable to get cash to pay for food for Lodge pilgrimage in June, the bill from national for sashes, etc. And there certainly wasn't any dollars to order new flaps.

Randy and I have discussed these three flaps. I was sure prototypes had been created but never seen any of them until just recently. Interesting that you guys have been able to dig them up and I'm guessing that there are only a handful of each. Curly didn't have the red/white/blue flaps because they would have been in the frame next to the red/white/blue and I never saw them (doesn't mean much if any of you remember his house - wall to wall stuff (he could be on the TV show "Hoarders")
 

Randall Holden writes about Prototype 4:
The white border is one of at least six prototypes issued by Sanhican from the 1969 to 1997. I have all but one at this point. I am working on the last one but not sure of the authencity of the YS1 (yellow dates verus white dates on the S1).

Randall Holden writes about Dr. Gering's comments:
I basically agree with the statement Larry has made here. Those of us that knew Curly well enough saw his 'collection' hanging up as well in every corner of each room. I was there one time with the late Camp Hopkins (Curly's counterpart for North Jersey...both men served as Area Advisors, Camp for Area 2B, and Cirley for Area 2C).

Also, somewhere, and it might have been in Carey's handwriting, I saw possible designations for the borders...white, scratched in favor of keeping the gold, for Ordeal, blue for Brotherhood, and red for Vigil.

Prototype YS1
This patch is listed in the current Blue Book (2012). YS1 looks is quite similar to S1, the official 50th Anniversary patch.

Prototype YS3
This patch is listed in the current Blue Book (2012).The patch is quite similar to the S16 series, created in 1992. Check it out under the Solid Flap section of the index page.

Prototype 5:
There are four official Sanhican 1997 Jamboree patches. The prototype is quite similar in appearance. However, I think this is the only Jamboree flap with a yellow Jamboree and the only Sanhican flap with a red FDL. Check out the Jamboree issues.

I believe these are all the Sanhican prototype issues.