Duck, Duck......Scout?

[Harris005]

So my high school daughter drives a Jeep Wrangler and loves it! She also enjoys having these damn ducks on her dash that drive me crazy. I'm always giving her a hard time about them, but she enjoys the connections made with other Jeep owners. I realized I'm in the wrong on this one. Why should I give her a hard time with something that is just for fun and sometimes strikes up conversations with other fellow Jeep owners.

So Scout Community, can we come up with something better? Something that doesn't require me to have ducks on my dash. Something more in the realm of 2026.

Spit balling here, but curious if you all have ideas to build off of it....

I'm thinking the Scout emblem is designed to be a Smart Scout emblem, meaning another Scout owner can approach a Scout and 'tap' that emblem with their smart phone. From there their "duck" is digitally put on the dash. The duck in this case is an image that pops up on the touchscreen when that driver hops in and starts their Scout (lets reference the duck as "Scout Connect" so I can quit saying duck ). The image is one that is uploaded on each Scout owners Scout Motors App. Maybe a picture of their family in front of their Scout, with a stored message like "Greetings from the [insert family's last name]. Loved your Scout!"

Some ideas to continue to build on:

• That Scout Connect now travels with that Scout, until someone else taps the emblem. You then get a notification that your Scout Connect is now with [insert that drivers uploaded image in their app] and is in [insert general location]. The thought here is continuing to connect with others in the Scout Community and the fun of seeing how far yours has traveled.
• I'm sure there are games/scores that could be created that the younger generation would enjoy. Whos has traveled the furthest, a score card for each transfer to another Scout, a Return my duck to see if it can find its way back, or it creates a road trip to go get it back - a "Rallye Point", endless possibilities to build on here.
• Within the Scout Motors App the Scout Connect page is built similar to Instagram - think Scout owners own social media. The main picture and brief history/family overview is locked at the top, but pictures taken with your Scout on different adventures are displayed below for others (specifically the Scout driver you are currently connected with) to enjoy and comment on. Maybe there is a way for that drivers dash cam to send and image of interesting landscapes they are currently driving? Ultimate goal is to continue to connect the Scout community. Updates throughout the years will continue to allow new ideas to be incorporated.
• Maybe each Scout owner can purchase more Scout Connects through the app if he/she wants to see where other end up going.

All of this is just a silly, fun idea for the younger generations. Guess I'm trying to step out of my old man griping about some ducks on a dash approach for a bit. .....OK, I'm back....throw those ducks away girl, and clean your Jeep!

 

[J. Sweat]

A simple wave, nod, or even tip of the ol’ hat should suffice. There’s no need to leave toys on other grownups’ vehicles or send texts to strangers.

 

[61ih80]

I have received a number of ducks on my 51' Willys only to throw them away.

 

[GotScout]

I like this idea. I drive a Wrangler and was "Ducked" by a stranger in a parking lot about 8 months ago. Scout needs something like this to help build a sense of community. Maybe stickers to go on the drivers side door (like on the nose of WWII planes). Each new Scout could come with 50 unique to that vehicle stickers (like a NTF) that owners could give to each other when they meet.
The Wrangler wave is mostly gone but I still smile when it occasionally happens to me.

Who are you people... do you even Scout bro???

 

[JohnnyScout]

An app built like Waze could identify other Scouts and their locations if enabled.

I always thought that Broncos should have something similar that would wink headlights at each other as they ( the vehicles) encounter each other.

 

[J Alynn]

An app built like Waze could identify other Scouts and their locations if enabled.

I always thought that Broncos should have something similar that would wink headlights at each other as they ( the vehicles) encounter each other.

Overall I’m not of fan of these things but the winking eye thing is actually kinda a cool idea. VW beetles should have done that-especially those that added the eyelashes

 

[GotScout]

An app built like Waze could identify other Scouts and their locations if enabled.

I always thought that Broncos should have something similar that would wink headlights at each other as they ( the vehicles) encounter each other.

That's grinder.

 

[vmikee]

I just read an interesting article on Facebook as to how the Jeep wave started. Attached below because I never knew why. Now if only I knew why the duck thing started-Hmmmmm
View attachment 2437

It's actually a good story: https://www.motortrend.com/features/duck-duck-jeep/

 

[61ih80]

The duck thing began during covid 19. Was to be a "lift me up".

 

[Mousehunter]

So far I have found that ducks tend to be on Jeeps most likely driven by females. I have a nice LJ, that has been duck free my entire ownership.

 

[Scoutsie]

Is there a reason you’d not go for a QR code that has, like, contact info or some other thing that you can encode into such a thing?

 

[GotScout]

Who are you people!!!!! Stop talking jeep!!

 

[J Alynn]

Who are you people!!!!! Stop talking jeep!!

AMEN!!!

 

[Cranky Canuck]

I've been thinking about this for a while now, not sure why? I think it's because I keep seeing Jeeps with ducks in them...

Anyway I was thinking what Scout could do that would be similarly fun and community-building is make either stickers or embroidered patches and sell them on the store. They'd have to be pretty inexpensive so people are good with sharing them etc. and they'd also need to be unique and interesting. It'd be really cool if SM thought up a way to display something like a patch in or on the vehicles themselves too.

I'm a Scout leader and we have fire blankets (see pic below) where we sew on patches for the camps and national parks etc that we've been to, basically anything we want. It serves as kind of a history of our adventures and our lives. Scout Motors could do something similar. Maybe make the trunk walls velcro friendly, or the ceiling, or some other surface in the vehicle where patches could be placed (the back of the seats maybe?), it could even be a blanket! I wouldn't recommend sew on patches because that takes dedication that I think most people won't bother with so some sort of velcro-backed patch would be ideal.

Stickers would be easier as you'd just slap them on the back of the vehicle but I get that a lot of people might not want to slap stickers on their trucks and stickers tend to fade over time and stuff.

Either way I can see Scout Supply selling maybe 10 packs of unique patches, constantly rotating designs with new ones to celebrate new events or milestones just like some companies do with tee shirts for example. They could have new patches for anniversary milestones, or for new store locations, or a series for national parks, or overlanding trails or partnerships and events. The sky is really the limit. People could also then get their own patches for different stuff that's important to them and there could be a whole patch-trading aspect to Scout ownership.

Anyway, it's just a thought, here's my blanket from a while ago, many more patches have been added since.

 

[cyure]

I've been thinking about this for a while now, not sure why? I think it's because I keep seeing Jeeps with ducks in them...

Anyway I was thinking what Scout could do that would be similarly fun and community-building is make either stickers or embroidered patches and sell them on the store. They'd have to be pretty inexpensive so people are good with sharing them etc. and they'd also need to be unique and interesting. It'd be really cool if SM thought up a way to display something like a patch in or on the vehicles themselves too.

I'm a Scout leader and we have fire blankets (see pic below) where we sew on patches for the camps and national parks etc that we've been to, basically anything we want. It serves as kind of a history of our adventures and our lives. Scout Motors could do something similar. Maybe make the trunk walls velcro friendly, or the ceiling, or some other surface in the vehicle where patches could be placed (the back of the seats maybe?), it could even be a blanket! I wouldn't recommend sew on patches because that takes dedication that I think most people won't bother with so some sort of velcro-backed patch would be ideal.

Stickers would be easier as you'd just slap them on the back of the vehicle but I get that a lot of people might not want to slap stickers on their trucks and stickers tend to fade over time and stuff.

Either way I can see Scout Supply selling maybe 10 packs of unique patches, constantly rotating designs with new ones to celebrate new events or milestones just like some companies do with tee shirts for example. They could have new patches for anniversary milestones, or for new store locations, or a series for national parks, or overlanding trails or partnerships and events. The sky is really the limit. People could also then get their own patches for different stuff that's important to them and there could be a whole patch-trading aspect to Scout ownership.

Anyway, it's just a thought, here's my blanket from a while ago, many more patches have been added since.

View attachment 5813

As a Wrangler owner with many ducks I endorse this post. It’s silly and fun and I like the patches idea. No stickers. If someone put a sticker on my Scout I would lose my mind. They need to be cheap. I can get ducks for 50 cents to $1 each. Ducks are left typically on my door handle. We would need a way to leave them so they stay on the vehicle as typically they are left on my Wrangler when I’m not with it. Some ducks come with stickers on the bottom with your zip code on them so maybe something like that. See how many different zip codes you can collect. And some ducks they don’t just leave the duck, they have a little paper rubber banded around the ducks neck. It says they like your jeep essentially. So something they are attached to with a rubber band so you can hook them to the Scout so they stay.

And thanks for being a Scout leader from this Eagle Scout mom. That’s a lot of dedication. He did a few high adventure camps and one he loved a lot was Northern Tier Bissett in Manitoba. I took one of his camp shirts and had it made into a teddy bear with a bunch of his patches sewn all over it. The blanket is a cool idea. He certainly has more patches.

I think we Scout owners definitely need our own thing whatever that turns out to be.

 

[Cranky Canuck]

As a Wrangler owner with many ducks I endorse this post. It’s silly and fun and I like the patches idea. No stickers. If someone put a sticker on my Scout I would lose my mind. They need to be cheap. I can get ducks for 50 cents to $1 each. Ducks are left typically on my door handle. We would need a way to leave them so they stay on the vehicle as typically they are left on my Wrangler when I’m not with it. Some ducks come with stickers on the bottom with your zip code on them so maybe something like that. See how many different zip codes you can collect. And some ducks they don’t just leave the duck, they have a little paper rubber banded around the ducks neck. It says they like your jeep essentially. So something they are attached to with a rubber band so you can hook them to the Scout so they stay.

And thanks for being a Scout leader from this Eagle Scout mom. That’s a lot of dedication. He did a few high adventure camps and one he loved a lot was Northern Tier Bissett in Manitoba. I took one of his camp shirts and had it made into a teddy bear with a bunch of his patches sewn all over it. The blanket is a cool idea. He certainly has more patches.

I think we Scout owners definitely need our own thing whatever that turns out to be.

I agree. And patches might not be $0.50 but they don't need to be expensive either. They can be had for a couple bucks apiece usually. I was thinking they could be left until a windshield wiper so they don't blow away. But where to put them? Personally I like the simplicity of velcro but we'd need a surface somewhere in the vehicle for that. Otherwise I'm happy to sew them on to a blanket but yeah, I don't see most people being willing to do that.

 

[cyure]

I agree. And patches might not be $0.50 but they don't need to be expensive either. They can be had for a couple bucks apiece usually. I was thinking they could be left until a windshield wiper so they don't blow away. But where to put them? Personally I like the simplicity of velcro but we'd need a surface somewhere in the vehicle for that. Otherwise I'm happy to sew them on to a blanket but yeah, I don't see most people being willing to do that.

Did you see the new patch in the Scout Supply store? I just ordered a couple. You stick them on and heat it up and it adheres so no sewing. If only Boy Scout patches were like that. I can’t tell you how many patches I sewed onto uniforms and sashes. Ha!

I saw a post from someone who had a 4Runner and they were actually attaching them to the headliner. I don’t think I would want to do that but I’m not against having a car blanket with patches on it.

 

[Cranky Canuck]

Did you see the new patch in the Scout Supply store? I just ordered a couple. You stick them on and heat it up and it adheres so no sewing. If only Boy Scout patches were like that. I can’t tell you how many patches I sewed onto uniforms and sashes. Ha!

I saw a post from someone who had a 4Runner and they were actually attaching them to the headliner. I don’t think I would want to do that but I’m not against having a car blanket with patches on it.

Have you heard of Badgemagic?! It doesn't work on blankets but it sure does work on clothes!

https://www.scoutshop.ca/products/new-badge-magic-scout-pre-cut?variant=32223118753930

 

[cyure]

Have you heard of Badgemagic?! It doesn't work on blankets but it sure does work on clothes!

https://www.scoutshop.ca/products/new-badge-magic-scout-pre-cut?variant=32223118753930

No that’s awesome!