Question for Girl Scout Leaders and Moms

[LisaNJ25]

Did you know anything special at your badge ceremony? I am having my first one next week and want to do something special with the try-its and badges the girls have earned since Sept. I just dont want to hand them out. We also have some girls that earned more than others so I dont want to make that obvious either.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Well, we gave each girl a candle to light--this was done in the leader's garage, we discussed fire safety, the girls were REALLY careful because it was a huge deal. However, this was with Junior scouts, not Brownies. YOu might want to give each girl a carnation--inexpensive yet special.

When we did Try-its, we always did them as a troop, unless, say, someone earned one at camp or something. We discouraged working on their own, mostly to keep it from becoming a competition. You may not believe that it woudl, and among the girls, it really doesn't, but there are moms who take it VERY seriously! One of DD's clssmates got written up because she earned every Try-it--her mom was the leader, and that was her goal. We earned a lot fewer in our troop, but we did other stuff, too.

For badges, the girls can earn them on their own, but a leader other than your mom has to sign off on your work--again, to avoid competition among moms and also so nobody can accuse a girl of just letting her mom hand her badges. Again, it happens. So, when we pass out badges, the main leader will hold up ones that only one girl earned to show the troop, mostly to encourage others and some are just so pretty. Besides, we think a girl should be acknowledged if she worked hard and earned more. However, if your group is younger (we're mostly 5th graders now), you may want to gloss over the differences.

 

[janette]

Attach them to something, one time the leader had some mums they'd bought very cheap and used those. A ribbon also works, they've also received leis with the badges. If your ceremony has a theme try to think of something that you can staple them too and carries the theme. I've made certificates with pictures of the try-its and badges but if they have several it could take some time. I just attached the real try-it & badge to the certificate so that when they removed it they had a picture of it.

 

[goofyforlife]

one year the girls were given beaded necklaces with their badges pinned to them....

another year they stapled badges to pipecleaners and made "flower" pots. Used clay pot and some floral foam inside.....

 

[LisaNJ25]

When we did Try-its, we always did them as a troop, unless, say, someone earned one at camp or something. We discouraged working on their own, mostly to keep it from becoming a competition. You may not believe that it woudl, and among the girls, it really doesn't, but there are moms who take it VERY seriously!

I know.. when we have given out badges for the magazine sale and nuts sale some kids were upset. I have a brownie troop with 6yo's. We do try and do all of the try-its together. We have just had some girls who miss meeting or trips. For example we did a hike for one of the try-its and not all of the girls went. They are welcomed to make those up on their own but our moms do not seem into it.


I like the ideas of the flower pot or necklace. Has anyone seen a bouquet of flowers..

Our ceremony will be shot.. the last 30 minutes of our meeting and we dont have a theme. We will have to think of a theme for the end of the year picnic when they get the rest of them.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

there always seems to be the super competitive mom out there whose daughter has to be the best, most decorated.
I have one girl whose mom and grandfather push and push, and don't listen to what I have said concerning this.
This girl has earned 12 above what our troop has earned. They don't really seem to care about the feelings of the rest of the troop, yet if she doesn't earn a patch or try it she is the first to cry about it. When I awarded the bridging patch and try it they earned getting the bridging to Brownie patch, she cried through the whole rest of the meeting, then came to my house the next day crying!
We are so fed up with the mom and grandpa, sometimes we think it would be best not to have this girl in our troop. Their behaviour undermines the goals of our troop--teaching the troop to be fair, cooperative, supportive of one another. Not to mention at the pace they go through the Try Its, they will be done with the book soon. And we have two more years of Brownies! I have said so, said the girl will be bored when we do these with the troop. They just don't care. They want the girl's vest covered and they want it now!
We like to do try-its as a troop, but we don't do a whole lot because we mix in other activities as well.

Our first meeting in February we are finishing up our manners try it, doing the Table Manners section. We are setting up a "restaurant" for the girls, and when their dinner is served---it will be a plate decorated with earned Try Its and badges.

I have heard of ribbons being decorated or necklaces.
Candy boxes with the try its in place of the candy......
Flower pots with the Try its planted....
And having the girls make a craft without explaining what it is for, then the following meeting presenting it to them with their badges.
I have a whole list somewhere!

 

[preb]

My DSIL was a leader and she put their badges and patches inside of balloons, filled them with helium and then tied on a string. She wrote each girls name on their balloon and presented them to the girls in a ceremony. They had to pop them to get the badges and patches out.