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Four Reasons I Love the Council’s Own
I love Girl Scout Council’s Own badges. I love council Try-Its and Interest Projects, too. Why do I love them? Let me count the ways. 1. The Designs Maybe it’s the smaller production runs, but Council’s Owns seem to be more brightly colored than ordinary GSUSA-issued badges. They’re just pretty, OK? 2. The Local Flavor…
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I love Girl Scout Council’s Own badges. I love council Try-Its and Interest Projects, too.
Why do I love them? Let me count the ways.
1. The Designs
Maybe it’s the smaller production runs, but Council’s Owns seem to be more brightly colored than ordinary GSUSA-issued badges. They’re just pretty, OK?
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incredible insects
chesapeake treasures
fencing
healthy heart ri
maryland penn laurel
horse person 1
duct tape
history nebraska
honeybees
wild prairies ip
marine life
2. The Local Flavor
Council’s Owns celebrate local communities, highlighting regional attractions and resources. They feature local histories and traditions.
underground rr ip
racing
arizona ip
mt st helen jr
michigan
dog mush susitna
i love nh
california ti
alaska my home
3. The Quirkiness
Council’s Owns also fill in gaps in traditional badge offerings. I am dying to locate at least a picture of the Taxidermy badge from New Jersey.
No GSUSA archery badge? Troop leaders could satisfy their own budding Katniss Everdeens with programs developed by councils across the country.
brownie beanie basics
aquaculture ti
disaster prep ti
clown jr
i love llamas 1
im electric
puppets ip
aviation ip
taxidermy 1
archery chesapeake jr
archery nj jr
archery mi jr
I’m sad that GSUSA has narrowed the opportunities for councils to create badges in favor of back-of-the-sash patch programs. There are so many patch programs and participation patches these days, especially compared with the limited number of badges introduced in 2011, that we may soon have girls with layers of patches on the back and empty real estate on the front of their vests.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not opposed to patch programs at all. In fact, I’ve created five patch programs myself.
And the final reason I love the Council’s Own…
4. I Made a Website!
I’ve created an entire website to share my Council’s Own collection. Go to gscobadge.info for images and requirements arranged by age level. There are also pages for special badge programs and mystery badges. Let me know if you can identify any or help fill in a blank spot.
I’m always looking for vintage Council’s Own badges. Please contact me if you find any.
Enjoy!
©2014, 2020 Ann Robertson
12 responses to “Four Reasons I Love the Council’s Own”
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I seriously miss the wide variety of Council’s Owns as well. I think GSUSA should *always* have an official archery badge at every level (D,B can learn safety and throw non-sharp things at targets).
Love your patches, Ann – suggesting them to the teen GS I know who are tiring of the official stuff.
[http://briarpatchshop.com/ for Hunger Games/Catching Fire patch requirements]
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Thanks Arielle! The San Diego council has archery badges in the new shapes: http://www.girlscoutshop.com/COUNCIL-OWN-MERCHANDISE/SAN-DIEGO-COUNCIL-PRODUCT-LIST. I just found them over the weekend.
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Agree. Also love “Troop’s Own” badges. Are they still allowed?
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Blank Troop’s Own badges aren’t shown in the GS catalog anymore. I think the Make Your Own Badge (https://www.gsmakeyourown.com/) program is the replacement. While it is fun to design a badge, girls can only make one badge per year and they can’t order enough to share with their troop. Also, the make your owns are screen printed, not embroidered.
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Sad. My first badge was “Our Troop’s Own Japan” badge (I was a GS through the “Troops on Foreign Soil” (TOFS) progam. In 2005 I took my GSCNC troop to Our Cabana and we did a Troop’s Own IP– pinning the Our Cabana pin to the blank IP patch. Good Times! 🙂
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Hi Ann, I was looking at your lovely Councils’ Own collection on Pinterest and I think I have 2 Junior Girl Scout badges you don’t already have (I’ve got them physically) on my own Pinterest board:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/547891110888456348/ (something Native American)
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/547891110888439179/ (Chicago related)
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I have the Chicago badge, Try It and IP, but need to get them on the board. I’ve seen your Native American, but don’t know if it’s a Girl Scout badge or not.
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Ms. Robertson, Are you interested in some CO’s that you don’t have? I can get the requirements also.
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Yes, Nicole! I’d love to add to my collection.
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My daughter’s first Brownie badge was a GSOSW Council’s own. http://www.girlscoutshop.com/COUNCIL-OWN-MERCHANDISE/OREGON-AND-SOUTHWEST-WASHINGTON-COUNCIL/Oregon-Trail-Brownie-badge
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[…] How do I know? Because I took the photograph months ago. It appeared here in a post in May 2014. […]
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[…] San Jacinto (TX), and Arizona-Cactus Pine councils developed their own teen-level badges under the Council’s Own program. GSUSA responded with a new teen badge in 2006. “In the Pink” was based on […]
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