GIRL SCOUT BADGES THEN AND NOW
 
  Girl Scouting has always been in the forefront of encouraging girls to explore the world beyond their doorstep whether it's around town or around the world.  Juliette Low included badges in her first handbook, "How Girls Can Help Their Country," that were considered quite controversial for the time.  Girls had the opportunity to learn about topics from flying an airplane to playing basketball.  (When the girls played basketball, they had to draw curtains around the court so the public would not see them in their bloomers.)  How far we have come!

           
THEN 1920'S
          
            TELEGRAPHER BADGE
            Send 22 words per minute using a sounder and American Morse code.  Receive 25 words per minute and write out messages in longhand
          
            HEALTH WINNER BADGE
            Go to bed by 9:30 PM.  Do not go to parties or any other late entertainment on nights before school or work.  Eat no sweets except for dessert.
          
            ECONOMIST BADGE
            Keep clothing in good repair.  Spend allowance money on good quality stockings, shoes, and gloves.
          
            CYCLIST BADGE
            Own your own bicycle and pledge yourself to offer it to the government in case of need.  Know how to fix a flat tire and read a map.
          
            MATRON HOUSEKEEPER BADGE
            Use a vacuum cleaner or stain and polish hardwood floors.  Store fur and flannels.  Clean glass, kitchen utensils, brass, and silver.  Know three cuts of meat and prices of each.
          
            ELECTRICIAN BADGE
            Learn simple battery connections and fusions.  Know how to rescue and resuscitate someone who has been electrocuted.  Understand about non-conducting substances and insulation.
          
            SIGNALER BADGE
            Send and receive a message using Semaphore and Morse code.  Be able to code more than 50 words per minute
          
            INTERPRETER BADGE
            Be able to carry on a simple conversation in another language.  Write a letter in a foreign language.  Read or translate a passage from a book or newspaper in French, German, Italian, or any other language not your own.
          


           
NOW 1990 - 2006
          
            COMPUTER SMARTS TRY-IT
            Open an Internet browser and visit links.  Learn how computers work in today's job market.  Learn the difference between .com, .org, and .net.
          
            HEALTHY HABITS TRY-IT
            Exercise. Brush your teeth twice daily.  Don't smoke.  Learn how to deal with various feelings.
          
            PENNY POWER TRY-IT
            Keep track of how much money is spent on lunch, toys, and phone calls.
          
            ADVENTURE SPORTS BADGE
            Demonstrate skills in rock climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking.  Find ways to lessen the impact of adventure sports on the environment.
          
            MS. FIX-IT BADGE
            Replace a broken windowpane safely.  Demonstrate how to repair a leaking toilet.  Help with some painting, papering, or other repair work to walls. Find out what changes could be made to a home to help save water.
          
            MAKING IT MATTER BADGE
            Take apart a simple appliance and see how it works.  Make a polymer using household chemicals.  Use CAD - computer-assisted design - to build a model and test how the design will work.
          
            COMMUNICATIONS BADGE
            Participate in a debate.  Write a news story about an event.  Create a marketing theme with a message.  Outline a public relations plan for an event.
          
            GLOBAL AWARENESS BADGE
            Find out how countries come together to address issues that concern them all.  Learn how an international event is covered in the news in other parts of the world.  Learn about a female leader in another country.
          
 
 

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