Category Archives: Badges & Patches

Guide to Girl Scout Ceremonies

Ceremonies help Girl Scouts mark special events throughout the year, such as bridging to another level, earning a National Leadership Journey award, or getting a Girl Scout pin.

Ceremonies can commemorate accomplishments or add something special to the beginning or end of a group’s meeting. Girls can plan a ceremony around a theme, such as friendship or nature, and express themselves in words or songs. Whatever its purpose, every Girl Scout ceremony helps girls share in Girl Scout history and traditions—and create special memories.

Whether you’re a new or seasoned leader, we put together this guide of Girl Scout Ceremonies to help you plan and get familiar with the traditions. 

Let’s start with a quick guide on important Girl Scout Ceremonies: 

  • Bridging Ceremonies mark a girl’s advancement from one level of Girl Scouting to another.
  • Hosting a Bridging Ceremony? Check out this guide to planning your first Girl Scout Bridging Ceremony! It covers the basics and outlines some tips and key program pieces to make it traditional and unique. This ceremony is typically hosted in May or June.
  • Flag Ceremonies can be part of any activity that honors the American flag. These are typically hosted at major Council or Girl Scouting events.
  • A Fly-Up is a bridging ceremony for Girl Scout Brownies bridging to Girl Scout Juniors. Girls receive the Girl Scout pin along with their Brownie wings.
  • Founder’s Day or Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday, October 31, is a time to remember the vital role Juliette Low played in the founding and growth of the Girl Scout Movement in the United States.
  • Girl Scout Birthday Ceremonies can be held on or near March 12, the date Juliette Gordon Low started Girl Scouting in the United States.
  • A Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award Ceremony honors Girl Scouts who have earned these special awards and is usually held at the troop/group level or combined with the annual Council event.
  • Girl Scouts’ Own is a girl-planned program that lets girls explore their feelings around a topic, such as friendship or the Girl Scout Promise and Law, using spoken word, favorite songs, poetry, or other forms of expression. It is never a religious ceremony.
  • Investiture welcomes new members—girls and adults—into the Girl Scout family for the first time. Girls receive their Girl Scout, Girl Scout Brownie, or Girl Scout Daisy pin at this time.
  • Journey Ceremonies honor Girl Scouts who have earned the final award along a Journey. The ceremonies are usually held at the troop/group level and invite girls to develop a themed celebration of their Journey, often including friends and family.
  • Court of Awards is a special ceremony recognizing girls’ accomplishments. Girls are presented with their badges, year pins, and other recognitions earned during the year. Volunteers may also be recognized during the ceremony. The Court of Awards can be held anytime during the year, at any location, and as often as the troop wants.
  • Opening Ceremonies start a Girl Scout meeting.
  • Pinning Ceremonies help celebrate when girls receive grade-level Girl Scout pins.
  • Rededication Ceremonies are an opportunity for girls and adults to renew their commitment to the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

You might find yourself asking, “How do I plan this Ceremony?” As a Troop Leader, your job is to guide the girls in an age-appropriate way as THEY plan their celebration. Walk your Girl Scouts through the ceremony one step at a time. Listen to your girls’ ideas and be open to help them create the ceremony in a meaningful way. With younger Girl Scouts, you might consider giving them simple choices to make, such as choosing a theme for the event or having them pick the songs they want to sing. If your girls want to make bracelets or hold a daisy flower, for example, honor their decision-making skills and include their ideas in the ceremony.  

Offer the opportunity for girls to express how important this ceremony is to them by allowing them to create invitations, ceremony programs, and decorations. When it comes time for preparation, call on your troop parents for support to help make this celebration come to life. As your girls get older, you’ll be able to turn over additional responsibilities in the planning and execution of the ceremony – keeping in mind that their ideas will change over time. Before you know it, you’ll be sitting back and watching the girl-led, learning-by-doing process unfold, leaving you with a feeling of honor and pride.

Discussing and Earning Girl Scout Democracy Badges

This blog is written by The Authentic Leadership Community (“ALC”). ALC  is centered around the idea of Leadership from the Inside Out. “We are committed to helping you discover, unlock and develop your leadership superpowers so that you can guide and empower your girls as they grow into leaders themselves.”

The experience your girls have in Girl Scouts is directly linked to who you are as a leader. One of the challenges you might face right now (among a million other things) is how to help your girls understand and process the current political and social climate.

This election cycle was a real-life civics lesson for many Americans. And the events that happened at our nation’s capital on Jan. 6 are a reminder of the fragility of democracy. 

It would be easy to shy away from the topic altogether, given all the polarization, but civic engagement is deeply embedded in Girl Scouts history and the Promise and Law. GSUSA Interim CEO, Judith Batty, reminds us of the importance, especially right now, to “encourage all girls to be informed citizens so they can become the change-makers of the future.” And to show them how they can “make a difference in their communities and country.”

Where do you even start with this? 

Start with the heart. The word heart comes from the Latin word “cor” meaning core. The core essence of our democratic ideals – equality, freedom, and civic engagement – are outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the preamble to the constitution. American writer and activist Terry Tempest Williams called the human heart the “first home of democracy.” And French political philosopher and historian Alexis de Tocqueville once said, the strength of democracy depends on how well we cultivate “habits of the heart.” These habits are values that are embedded in the Girl Scout Law and mission. 

Habits of the Heart, what are they? 

  • Understanding that we are all in this together
  • Appreciation of the value of “otherness”: this is the core of diversity and inclusion. What makes us different also makes us special. Appreciating the value differences bring to the table.
  • Ability to hold tension in life-giving ways: communicate, collaborate, and compromise with one another even when we fundamentally disagree. How can we respect and seek to understand our different perspectives so that we might find solutions?  
  • Sense of personal voice and agency: your voice matters.
  • Capacity to create community.

Ok, this is great, but what to do with this information? As a leader, how does one provide guidance on topics and current events that may be far outside of the comfort zone or considered controversial? 

  • Put your oxygen mask first. Take a deep breath and a full stop moment. Check-in with your feelings (yes, those things that we don’t always want to pay attention to!). What emotions, fears, or uncertainties does this bring up for you? What opinions or biases do you have?
  • Ask for support. Where do you need extra help, and what kind of support do you need? Whether that support is in terms of resources and tools to support a specific subject matter or develop your lead from the heart skillset, we are here to help and support you.
  • You’re more ready than you think! Once you have the confidence to dive into these topics and healthily support your Girl Scouts, guide them towards earning their democracy badges. Encourage them to develop their knowledge, views, and vision to direct their own paths and answers ultimately. Help them talk about the changes they’d like to see in the schools, community, state, and world and how they can be part of that change now and in the future. 

Earn a badge 

Girl Scouts use their determination every day for a clean environment, racial and gender equality, safety issues, local legislation, and so much more. With the newly released Democracy badges, Girl Scouts of all ages can prepare to lead positive change in their school, town, state, and country! Badge booklets for each GS level are available and help girls learn about how the government works, the three branches, the basics of our democracy, voting, and more. 

Badge booklets are available in digital format for free with purchase of the badge at the Council Shop through Feb. 26.

Get Your Girl Scout Democracy Digital Requirements in 3 Easy Steps:

  1. Email shop@girlscoutsaz.org
  2. Let us know which age level(s) Democracy Badge Requirements you need. You may request all six.
  3. Your reply will include your PDF(s).

Did you know?

  • Nearly 6 in 10 girls say they’re interested in being a future leader through advocacy, public service, or a career as an elected official.
  • 82% want to make a positive impact on society through their future work.
  • Girls who want to lead in advocacy say they care most about the environment and human rights issues/causes (e.g., girls and women’s issues, LGBTQ+ and racial equity, disability rights, poverty).

We hope this entry encouraged you to get started! Let us know what you think by contacting the ALC team. Let us know what you think by contacting the ALC team.

5 Skills Every Girl Scout Cadette Should Know

Whether you’re a first, second or third-year Girl Scout Cadette, there are some badges we think all Cadettes should know! Check out the list below to see which badges made the list and how you can earn them, too! With Girl Scouts at Home, you can add these badges to your summer list and earn them in no time!

  1. How to Treat Wilderness Injuries: What do you do if someone breaks a leg while you’re hiking in the mountains? Or how do you help someone who has nearly drowned on a boat trip? This badge will help you research injuries and talk to an expert on how to help in these situations.
  2. Find Common Ground with Others: Sometimes we make our differences so big we can’t see past them. But when you get to know people who aren’t exactly like you, you often find that they care about many of the same things you do and that you can find common ground—not by sacrificing or changing what you think, but by being open to other perspectives. This badge helps you listen to opinions that sometimes differ from yours.
  3. Understand Your Digital Footprint: The internet is a powerful tool! You can chat with friends, research school projects, play games, watch videos, or listen to music. The downside is that you leave information about yourself with every screen tap and click of the mouse. This badge teaches you to think carefully about the kind of information you are sharing every time you visit a website or use an app.
  4. Learn How to Think Like a Citizen Scientist: Scientists study nature and conduct research to better understand how it works. They use what they learn to create solutions that help people, animals, and the environment. To learn new things and do research, scientists use a process called the scientific method, which you’ll learn a little more about!
  5. Utilize Outdoor Cooking Skills: Over time, Girl Scouts have learned to cook great food in a variety of ways … in cardboard box ovens, on tin can buddy burners, and even on hot rocks. While earning this badge, you’ll try another technique – making orange cakes and cooking them in orange shells! 

Girl Scouts are resourceful, and this can look like continuing your journey on your own, even when away from a troop setting. Explore all available badges and make your own plan with the Badge Explorer!

24 New Badges Prepare Girl Scouts to Be Ambitious and Decisive Leaders

Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) today announced 24 new badges designed to help girls practice ambitious leadership in the crucial areas of automotive engineering, STEM career exploration, entrepreneurship, and civics, many of which remain male-dominated. In a year of unprecedented global change, our country’s need for strong, broad-minded, and decisive leadership has never been greater. Through new and existing programming, Girl Scouts equips the next generation of female change-makers with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to take charge and do good for the world, both now and in the future.

The new Girl Scout badges include:

  • Entrepreneurship (grades K–12). Girls develop an entrepreneurial mindset as they engage in age-appropriate exercises that help them create and pitch a product or service that solves a problem. They build their own business plan and think about topics like production, cost, profit, marketing, and competition. Three in four of today’s girls are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but more than half also say they need more support in this area; these badges are designed to fill the gap. Funded by Susan Bulkeley Butler and designed in collaboration with VentureLab.
  • STEM Career Exploration (grades 2–8). Girls explore their career interests and connect them to STEM fields—particularly computer science, nature/environmental science, engineering, design, health, and agriculture—that can help them address the pressing issues of our time and change the world. The IF/THEN® Collection, a free, downloadable digital asset library of real-life women in STEM, is an integral component of the badges. The dearth of women in STEM fields is well documented, but data shows that girls are more interested in a STEM career when they learn how they can use it to help people, demonstrating the value of Girl Scouts’ unique approach. Funded by IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies.
  • Automotive Engineering (grades K–5). Girls learn about designing, engineering, and manufacturing vehicles, as well as the future of mobility. They design their own vehicles, test prototypes, learn about design thinking, create their own assembly line manufacturing process, and more. Only 13% of engineers are women, underscoring the need for these badges which will introduce more girls to the field. Funded by General Motors.
  • Civics (grades K–12). Girls gain an in-depth understanding of how local, state, and federal government works, preparing them to be voters, activists, and even political leaders. They research laws and how they’re created, voting, and the electoral college, the representation of women in government, and more. They also research their own government officials and are encouraged to meet them. Just 24% of eighth-graders are proficient in civics, and only two in five American adults can name the three branches of U.S. government, highlighting the need for these badges. Funded by the Citi Foundation.

Steady leadership is essential during a crisis such as COVID-19, from fostering trust and showing compassion, to managing challenges with agility, to evaluating outcomes of decisions. The Girl Scout program is proven to develop strong and effective leaders—among many positive outcomes, Girl Scouts are much likelier than non-Girl Scouts to take an active role in decision making (80% vs. 51%), which is a critical aspect of leadership.

“Whether they are fighting cybercrime, exploring how engineers solve problems, or advocating for issues affecting their community, Girl Scouts are learning how to proactively address some of the foremost challenges of today while also building skills that will set them up for a lifetime of leadership,” said GSACPC CEO Tamara Woodbury. “I am so proud that our new programming continues to push girls to be forward-thinking and equips them with the skills they need to make today’s world a better place. We believe in the power of all girls, and we invite them to strengthen their unique abilities by joining Girl Scouts.”

 “Now more than ever, it’s critical that we have strong leaders who can make informed decisions,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “During our current health crisis, the world leaders who have been among the most decisive and effective in addressing the pandemic have been women. With these new badge experiences in STEM, entrepreneurship, and the critically important subject of civics, Girl Scouts is continuing to build the transformational female leaders of today and the future and showing girls the power they have to truly change the world.”

Girl Scouts has made free self-guided activities from select new and existing programming available digitally to the public through Girl Scouts at Home™, keeping families engaged and connected to their communities. Girls can further engage with the badges and topics through online videos, activities, or special live virtual events. Members can access a suite of Girl Scouts’ programming digitally through the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK), including troop meeting plans and other resources to help girls earn badges and awards.

Join or volunteer with GSACPC in central and northern AZ today! 

Random Act of Kindness Patch Activity

We got our girls busy on virtual patch-earning in mid-March – we completed Random Acts of Kindness and Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout patches. Here is what we did if you would like to do it with your troop:

Random Acts of Kindness

The girls learned what it meant to live the Girl Scout Promise and Law over eight days to earn the first patch. Every day they were asked to do something to exemplify a section of either the Promise, the Law or a combination. Each night they and their parents posted a picture, video or confirmation of what the girls did through our private online group. We were proud of their responses and feel this experience has helped them to understand GS values, not just memorize and repeat them.

Activity Sheet / Instructions Example

Complete a listed action each day based on the Girl Scout Promise or Law. Have a parent post it in the online group each day, using a photo, video or drawing. It has to be done the same day it was posted. Suggest keeping this requirement so all patches can be earned with honor.

We will start on ______and continue for 8 days.  Questions? Contact Leader _______or Leader _________.

  • Day 1. Girl Scout Promise: What did you do to serve your God or Country?
  • Day 2. Girl Scout Law: What did you do to be honest, fair, considerate and caring?
  • Day 3. Girl Scout Law: How were you responsible for what you did or said, to show respect for yourself and others?
  • Day 4. Girl Scout Law: In what ways were you courageous and strong?
  • Day 5. Girl Scout Promise and Law: How were you friendly and helpful to at least one other person? Now, come up with an idea that would make a person smile. A card? A poster? A video? A song? Your funniest face?
  • Day 6. Girl Scout Law: What did you do to respect authority?
  • Day 7. Girl Scout Law: How did you use resources wisely?
  • Day 8. Girl Scout Law: In four sentences, what does it mean to be a sister to every Girl Scout?

Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout

The second patch we worked on was Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout. This one was designed for family participation and ran for ten days. Since school started again, via the internet, we gave the girls two days for each project. Origami was our theme, starting out simple with a cat and dog face, we progressed to more difficult designs each day, ending with a pony that flips.

Since not everyone had origami paper at home, and we did not want anyone going out for supplies, the girls were given several ideas of what they could cut into 6- or 7-inch squares. Magazine pages, Sunday comics, wrapping paper, copy paper that they colored, drew on, marbled, textured with watercolor and salt, or anything they could come up with.

To order your Random Acts of Kindness and Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout patches, visit the online Council Shop!

By Troop 655 in Payson
Troop Leader: Jessica Kjellstrom
Co-Leaders: Denise Blanchette, Alexis Kjellstrom