Badges and Patches

Uniform Basics

Girl Scouts take a lot of pride in our uniforms. Most girls and families are looking to make sure their uniform is in tip-top shape for milestones like bridging or investiture ceremonies, or before public outings like parades or Girl Scout days at ballparks and around the community. Take a look at this helpful info to get ready for a big day.

What is a uniform?

Most girls consider their uniform their tunic, vest or sash. Some events request girls to wear their official uniform, which also includes khaki pants and a white shirt. Girls might also wear a scarf and hat, but these are typically optional. Events that require full uniform are usually flag ceremonies, bridging events, or award ceremonies. Adults commonly wear a Girl Scout shirt or their pins. To be in official uniform, adults wear navy business attire. Along with membership pin(s), women add a Girl Scout scarf and men add a Girl Scout tie.

Does my girl always have to wear my uniform?

Expectations vary from event to event. If you are traveling out to camp or participating in a messy activity, the troop leader might request girls wear a Girl Scout t-shirt instead of their uniform. If you aren’t sure what to wear, ask your troop leader to be clear about the expectations.

Where does everything go on the uniform?

Have you ever heard the description of a mullet haircut that goes “It’s business in the front and party in the back”? That’s also an easy way to remember where different types of insignia go on the Girl Scout uniform. Official awards, like badges and Journey awards go on the front. Fun patches go on the back. GSUSA has diagrams of where all the pieces go on their website.

Vest, tunic, or sash?

It truly comes down to personal preference. If your troop is very active and your girl loves displaying everything she’s accomplished, the space of a vest or tunic might be preferred. Some girls prefer the sash style. Your troop might make a recommendation or want all the girls to match as well.

If girls are bridging to the next level, what insignia should their new uniform have on it?

For the new uniform, girls typically need:

  • American Flag Patch
  • Girl Scout Council Identification Set
  • Troop Numerals
  • Membership Year Pins
  • Insignia Tab
  • Girl Scout Membership Pin
  • World Trefoil Pin

Talk to your troop leaders. Some troops purchase uniforms and/or insignia with troop finances to celebrate girls moving from one level to the next. Other troops require that families purchase the uniform sets, so you’ll want to know what the expectations are. As always, use the official uniform guide to make sure you have the correct items for the current age level.

Badges and Patches

You Earned It – Bridging Awards

Are you starting to plan for National Bridging Week, May 4-11, 2019? Kick-off your planning spree with a review of the bridging awards and common questions about them.

How do my girls earn the award?

The award requirements stay the same at each level. There are always 2 steps.

Step 1 – Pass it on

During this step, your girls pass on something they have learned or done as a Girl Scout at their current level to girls at a level younger than them.

Step 2 – Look Ahead

Your girls must find out what the next level of Girl Scouts do. A troop in the level older should show them something they did or learned.

Just like in your badge packets, each step has a few ideas about what to do with your girls and a group of older or younger Girl Scouts to finish the requirement.

Where do I find the official requirements?

The official requirements for Bridging Award are in your Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting binder. GSUSA has also shared all the requirements on their website. You can see them linked below.

For Daisies: Bridge to Brownie Award

For Brownies: Bridge to Junior Award

For Juniors: Bridge to Cadette Award

For Cadettes: Bridge to Senior Award

For Seniors: Bridge to Ambassador Award

For Ambassadors: Bridge to Adult Award

Do my girls have to earn the award to bridge?

Nope. Girls advance to the next level of Girl Scouts based on their grade level, not whether they earned the bridging award. Girls who do complete the requirements will earn the award, which they can wear on their uniforms.

Do my girls have to earn the award to participate in a bridging ceremony?

No again! Although the bridging award is recommended, it’s not a requirement to participate in a bridging ceremony.

What do I do if I can’t find an older or younger troop to meet with?

The first place to find a troop is at your service unit meetings. Start asking around and see if you can plan a meeting together. There might even be a service unit event where girls complete the award and hold a bridging ceremony together.

Still looking? Ask a neighboring service unit. Your council staff contact can help you get in touch.

Still having trouble? Get creative. Expand past your neighboring service units. Maybe you can do a virtual meet-up or a video or letter exchange with a troop further away.

What are Brownie Wings?

Brownie wings are worn on a girl’s uniform after their Brownie years. If you were a Brownie and bridged to Juniors, also called “flying up” to Juniors, then these wings are for you.

Badges and Patches

Inventive Ways to Display Girl Scout Badges and Patches

There are two kinds of troop leaders: those who give girls their badges as they’re earned throughout the year, and those who save them for a badge ceremony. We’re always blown away by the creativity of our troop leaders, so when we asked how they display badges and patches for ceremonies, they had plenty to share! 

If you love finding creative new ways to switch up troop traditions, check out these inspiring ideas for displaying badges and patches from troop leaders across the country!
Some troop leaders attach badges and patches to ribbons:

Other troop leaders recreate Girl Scout uniforms out of paper bags or filing folders:

And then there are troop leaders who create very inventive displays for Girl Scout badges and patches!

Badges and Patches

New Journeys and Badges added

Heading into the new Girl Scout year means new exciting badges, journeys, and opportunities for Girl Scouts of all ages! With the update of the Volunteer Toolkit brings an array of new content from Daisy to Ambassador and every girl in between. We are thrilled to announce the following badge and Journey resources have officially been released and you can start planning your new Girl Scout year as early as today in the Volunteer Toolkit online!

Daisies:

  • Space Science Explorer
  • Eco Learner
  • Progressive Cybersecurity badges:
    1. Cybersecurity Basics
    2. Cybersecurity Safeguards
    3. Cybersecurity Investigator

Brownies:

  • Space Science Adventurer
  • Eco Friend
  • Progressive Cybersecurity badges:
    1. Cybersecurity Basics
    2. Cybersecurity Safeguards
    3. Cybersecurity Investigator
  • *Brownie Quest Journey

Juniors:

  • Space Science Investigator
  • Progressive Cybersecurity badges:
    1. Cybersecurity Basics
    2. Cybersecurity Safeguards
    3. Cybersecurity Investigator
  • Mechanical Engineering badges:
    1. Balloon Car Design Challenge
    2. Crane Design Challenge
    3. Paddle Boat Design Challenge
  • *Agent of Change Journey

Cadettes:

  • Think Like an Engineer Journey
  • Think Like a Programmer Journey
  • Progressive Robotics badges:
    1. Programming Robots
    2. Designing Robots
    3. Showcasing Robots
  • Leader in Action
  • Eco Trekker

Seniors:

  • Think Like an Engineer Journey
  • Think Like a Programmer Journey
  • Progressive Robotics badges:
    1. Programming Robots
    2. Designing Robots
    3. Showcasing Robots
  • Eco Explorer

Ambassadors:

  • Think Like an Engineer Journey
  • Think Like a Programmer Journey
  • Progressive Robotics badges:
    1. Programming Robots
    2. Designing Robots
    3. Showcasing Robots
  • College Knowledge
  • Eco Advocate

*Brownie Quest and Junior Agent of Change are part of the It’s Your World – Change It! series, not new content but now available in digital format on the Volunteer Toolkit.

Progressive badges are suggested to be earned in the order they are listed for the best experience.

Remember that even though 2017-2018 content was archived on June 30, you have access to view it to see where you need to start your new year!

To ensure you have access to this amazing new content, renew your membership and troop leader status for 2019. If you are having trouble seeing specific content, try clearing your cookies and cache before reaching out to customercare@citrus-gs.org (or your local council) for support.

Happy planning!

Badges and Patches

We Don’t Need A Badge For That!

We Don’t Need A Badge For That!” is a program series where Girl Scouts connect with the community to work on community service projects.

This series is about community service and giving back throughout the year. Girl Scouts of Citrus Council will work with different community partnership to create a Take Action projects, clean-up events, or other services.

This series does not involve a badge or patch, but rather, encourages Girl Scouts and their families to volunteer and help support our Central Florida community.

Just Wing It! – March 24 – 11:00 am to 3:30 pm

The kickoff event to this program series is a take action project. Girl Scouts will be creating and establishing a butterfly learning garden. This is something anyone and everyone can do. Working with Orlando City they will be allowing Girl Scouts to use their land to design, create and build their garden for future events, generations, and environmental gains!

Come out and help us put together butterfly homes, plant flowers, create a peaceful garden for everyone. As teams we will build the homes, paint them and set them in place for the butterflies. Other teams will be planting trees, plants, flowers, and more. Lunch will be provided and an educational session will take place on importance and impact this has on our community. The girls will just need to show up in old clothes and Tennis Shoes and be ready to work.

Juniors can Register Here

Seniors and Ambassadors can Register Here

 

Badges and Patches

Earning your LiA and PA awards

Leader in Action (LiA) (must be currently enrolled in 6th grade)

You can earn a Leader in Action (LiA) award by assisting a Brownie group on any of their National Leadership Journeys. There are three different LiA awards, one for each of the Journey series: ‘It’s Your World—Change It!’, It’s Your Planet—Love It!, and It’s Your Story—Tell It!. To earn a LiA, you’ll share your organizational skills, use one of your special talents (such as creating and demonstrating a science experiment or craft), teach Brownies something important from their Journey (such as making healthy snacks or getting exercise), and reflect on your experience. For more information about each LiA, network with the adult volunteers guiding Brownie groups in your Girl Scout community. Complete requirements can be found in their Brownie Leadership Journey adult guides.

*Cadettes can earn this award through Council programming or by working with a Brownie troop in the community.

Upcoming 2018 Training events:

March 9-10 – Leadership in Action LiA

 

Cadette Program Aide (PA) (must be currently enrolled in 6th grade)

To earn a Cadette Program Aide award, follow these steps:

  1. Earn one LiA award.
  2. Complete council-designed leadership course training. Part of your leadership course training will involve learning to work with children, and gaining a deeper understanding of a specialty such as science, art, the outdoors, or adapting activities for girls with disabilities.
  3. After completing PA Training work directly with younger girls over six activity sessions. This might be assisting girls on Journey activities (in addition to what you did for your LiA), badge activities, or other sessions. You might work with a group, at their meetings, at a day camp, or during a special council event.

Upcoming 2018 Training events:

April 14- Elements- Leadership Training Program Aide RSVP by April 2nd

Badges and Patches

Is Your Troop Ready to be a Super G.I.R.L.…

 

A Super G.I.R.L. Troop exemplifies girls and adults working in partnership to give each girl an amazing Girl Scout experience. Surveys show that a satisfied and happy Girl Scout is having fun with her friends and has a quality experience engaged in meaningful activities throughout the year.

Super G.I.R.L. Troop Requirments:

  • Have a minimum of 12 girls and 2 co-leaders with current memberships.
  • Participate in the Fall Product Sale and Cookie Sale.
  • Have a per girl average of $200.00 in fall products sold and 198 box of cookies sold.
  • Participate in a minimum of two council sponsored Outdoor Programs and two council sponsored Girl/Indoor Programs.
  • Make a troop donation to GIFTS for Girls. Donation must be a minimum of $5.00 per family.
  • Complete at least one service project during the current Girl Scout Year. This cannot be substituted for a higher awards project.
  • Be Early Bird registered. At least 80% of girls and 50% of parents by the 2nd week of the Early Bird campaign.

Super G.I.R.L. Troop Co-Leader Requirements:

  • New co-leaders must complete all required training within 90 days. Existing co-leaders must have completed VE and GSLE trainings. Product trainings must also be completed annually.
  • Take the online VTK training and create a year plan in the VTK
  • Complete and submit Troop Finance Reports via the VTK two times per year – December 31 and May 31

If your troop has what it takes to be recognized as a Citrus Super G.I.R.L Troop, not only will they have bragging rights, but they’ll also get:

  • A Super Troop Patch for all the girls in the troop
  • A Super Troop Pin for co-leaders
  • An invitation to a special and exclusive event for all Super GIRL Troops in May
  • Each Super GIRL Troop will also receive $50 in Citrus Shop Bucks
  • And much MORE

Is your troop on track to become one of Citrus Council’s Super G.I.R.L Troops?

Badges and Patches

Local Troops Explore STEAM Through Slime

 

Brownie Troop 1014 and Junior Troop 4623 celebrated Halloween by creating a unique concoction – slime! It’s an innovative approach to earning their Senses and Detective badges at the same time. Troop co-leaders Erika Grabish and Lauren Pascarella take Girl Scouts’ girl-led process seriously and knew the most important projects the girls wanted to do this year. Making slime was definitely on the list for these girls. Just before Halloween, the girls were discussing options for a way to honor the spirit of Halloween traditions, while still respecting that not every girl in the troop celebrates Halloween as a holiday. How thoughtful!

Pascarella found inspiration online for cute Halloween-themed jars of slime, and the group started combining activities from badges to keep working toward their goals. Garbish describes the meeting’s activities: “We started our meeting by closing our eyes and using our other senses to observe our surroundings. Then, the girls spent the meeting making slime to learn about their sense of touch, listening to spooky music in different genres to hone their hearing, practicing with hidden object puzzles to think about their sense of sight, tasting five different foods (baking chocolate, marshmallows, Altoids, Sour Patch Kids, and Goldfish crackers), and checking out our “sniff station” where we set up witch’s sleeping potion (hot chocolate powder), Big Foot’s lotion (lemon juice), monster’s bath bomb (a slice of onion), mummy toothpaste (coffee grounds), and mummy’s powder (cinnamon) which they had to smell and and try to identify.”

Brownies used the activity to earn their Senses badge, while Juniors refined their observation skills in preparation to earn their Detective badge a few weeks later. Bonus: the girls practiced working in teams and discovered that things aren’t always as they appear. Troop co-leader, Erika Grabish, was pleasantly surprised that the girls were so eager with the tasting and sniffing activities, but also had a good laugh when each girl bit into the baking chocolate expecting a sweet treat, only to discover it wasn’t what they expected!

 

  1. The Slime Recipe:
    • 6 Oz Elmer’s Glitter Glue (You can use regular Elmer’s Clear glue instead if you like, and color with a little bit of washable paint and loose glitter, but make sure you use Elmer’s brand glue. Not all brands slime up the same way)
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • Contact Lens solution (make sure it contains boric acid)
    1. Pour the glue into a bowl or container for mixing.
    2. Add the baking soda and paint if you’re using it.
    3. Stir well.
    4. Add 1 1/4 Tbsp of sensitive eyes contact solution and stir well. The slime will start to thicken and stiffen. Continue adding contact lens solution a little at a time and stirring or mixing by hand until you get the right consistency.

Erika’s advice for troop leaders who want to try similar activities: “Do it! You may want a blindfold for the sniff station, but we did fine without one. Check allergies carefully for your troop before you do any tasting-I know we have several, so I had to read labels very carefully choosing the tasting items, and it meant, for example, that I couldn’t use anything with chili peppers or strawberries, but I still had plenty of options. You do need extra hands to run the sniff station while you’ve got slime making and puzzles and tasting going on, but it was a lot of fun for adults and kids.”

Best of all, the skills girls learned and practiced while making slime and using their senses paid off weeks later, when the group had a real problem to solve. They were working on an escape room challenge for the Juniors’ Detective badge and one small group didn’t have enough mirrors in their supply stash. Instead of waiting for another group to finish using one, the girls used their observational skills to realize that they could solve the mirror puzzle by holding the paper up to the light backwards to read the words. Way to go, Innovator G.I.R.L.s!

Academics

Last Silver and Gold Award Trainings for the Year

We’re only a few weeks out from 2017 coming to a close. That means there are only a handful of Silver and Gold award training dates left. Shouldn’t your New Year’s resolution be to complete the award?

 

Silver Award:

For Cadettes, the Silver Award training will help guide you step by step through the process of earning your Silver Award. Share ideas, learn the most up to date guidelines and have all of your questions answered.

 

 

Prerequisites for Silver Award: Have completed a Cadette Journey + Take Action Project

Training Dates and Times:

December 2 – 9:00am-10:00am Osceola County

December 16 – 9:00am-10:00am Volusia County

December 16 – 9:00am-10:00am Orange County

Parents: This is a GIRL training.  Space is limited to the first 5 registered adults.  Adult questions will be answered during the Q&A session at the end of the class.

 

Gold Award:

Are you a Senior or Ambassador with big dreams and even bigger plans? Do you want to achieve the highest award in your Girl Scouting Career? Then you’re ready to take on the most prestigious honor a Girl Scout can earn, the Gold Award. This training will help girls learn all the tools and prerequisites needed to complete a Gold Award Project. Girls will have a chance to discuss money earning ideas and project ideas.

Prerequisites for Silver Award: Have completed two Senior or Ambassador Journeys OR Have earned a Silver Award and completes one Senior or Ambassador Journey

Training Dates and Times:

December 2 – 9:30am-11:30am Osceola County

December 16 – 9:30am-11:30am Volusia County

December 16 – 9:30am-11:30am Orange County

Parents: You will be allowed in training, please keep in mind this is a girl training. Adults will be allowed to ask questions at the end.

 

Academics

Chocolate Kingdom Tours

Do you love chocolate? Then come on this magical adventure and enjoy a fun and delicious experience at Chocolate Kingdom!

This 45 minute Factory Adventure Tour is an interactive journey that uncovers how the history of chocolate begins, starting from the bean all the way to how it transforms into delicious chocolate.

Each group will have a personal tour guide that will join forces with a handsome Prince and his Dragon as they go on a journey to see Princess Chocolina! Travel through the kingdom and see a Cacao Tree Greenhouse, Chocolate Museum, Mystical River of Chocolate and much more.

Chocolate Kingdom Tour Dates
Choose from the available dates below to register for your fun filled chocolate adventure!

Saturday-October 28, 2017 at 4PM        Register at: http://bit.ly/2yYolwV
Saturday-November 18, 2017 at 4PM     Register at: http://bit.ly/2yITQKx
Saturday-December 16, 2018 at 4PM     Register at: http://bit.ly/2xTofX7
Saturday-January 20, 2018 at 4PM         Register at: http://bit.ly/2yqsoFm
Saturday-February 10, 2018 at 4PM        Register at: http://bit.ly/2yoQwrO
Saturday-March 10, 2018 at 4PM            Register at: http://bit.ly/2gcb501
Saturday-April 21, 2018 at 4PM              Register at: http://bit.ly/2kqmAFI
Saturday-May 12, 2018 at 4PM               Register at: http://bit.ly/2xhTrgU

Sunday-November 12, 2017 at 4PM         Register at: http://bit.ly/2xTgHGg
Sunday-Decemeber 10, 2017 at 4PM        Register at: http://bit.ly/2xgUqmo
Sunday-January 14, 2018 at 4PM             Register at: http://bit.ly/2gci7BH
Sunday-February 4, 2018 at 4PM              Register at: http://bit.ly/2y1FO9J
Sunday-March 4, 2018 at 4PM                  Register at: http://bit.ly/2y0EaFg
Sunday-April 15, 2018 at 4PM                  Register at: http://bit.ly/2hMhrqj
Sunday-May 6, 2018 at 4PM                     Register at: http://bit.ly/2yJCrkQ


NOTICE: Please arrive 10 minutes early, tours will start on time. Registrations will be accepted until the event is full or registration close date.Chocolate Kingdom Patches are available for purchase at the Council Shop.

** Please note there are a variety of nuts used at the facility.