so do you keep their survival kits until needed? or do you let them take them home and add to their packs/gear?

The scout I mentioned before who told me "oh I used all that stuff up already" was from a group that I let them take the kits home. I was genuinely surprised that he did not get that the kit was designed to be emergency gear he could keep and use only in an emergency, and instead took it home, took the items out of the kit, and "used them up" ... needless to say I was EXTREMELY disappointed ... the following year I did something a little different, I got stainless beaded neck chains and one of the whistle/compass/matchsafe combos to give to the scouts (the "i used it all up" scout had aged out the previous year so I wasn't too worried about that, but I did want to do something for the scouts like I had done the previous year but with a slightly different twist). Well, once again, some of the scouts kept them and some scouts "used them up" or "lost them" at which point i decided I would not spend out of my own pocket to "give" them something in the future. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy scouting immensely and I really like to do things for the scouts, but at this point I am reluctant to spend money out of my own pocket to buy items that will be "used up" or "lost" or whatever.