Girl Guides & Girl Scouts Patch Collecting Blog

Wonderful Girl Guide and Girl Scout photos from Flickr

2009-05-17T00:46:00.004-04:00

In January of this year I created a fun little Flickr group devoted to all things Girl Guide and Girl Scout related, and now four months later I’m thrilled to report that not only do we have over 300 members, but hundreds of photos have been added to the group pool.

It’s wonderfully enjoyable to watch with eager interest as photos and scans (from old handbooks, for example) pour in each week. In case you’re not a member or haven’t checked out the stream lately, I wanted to share a sampling of some of the awesome images (both modern and vintage) that make up the group’s international collection of Girl Guiding and Scouting photos.

1. Sisterhood, 2. Girl Scouts, 1918 , 3. 167:365 Photography badge, 4. Trefoils, 5. Girl scout, 6. 4 Girl Scouts, 7. Sparks, 8. IMGP0077, 9. Girl Scout, 10. Cookie eyes are smiling on you this St. Paddy's Day!, 11. I was a Girl Scout., 12. I promise to share and be a friend, 13. Girl Scouts Wearing Vintage Uniforms {Click on a link to see a larger version of a particular image and/or for photographer information}

If you’re on Flickr and have an interest in GG/GS (chances are that if you’re reading this blog, you do!), than why not pop by and join Girl Guides and Girl Scouts on Flickr. It’s like a virtual campfire for WAGGGS members, fans and collectors from around the globe :)

What’s your Holy Grail of Girl Guide or Girl Scout collectibles?

2009-04-19T01:32:00.005-04:00

From the first moment I spied the listing, I knew the bidding was going to sky rocket. I’ve been following Girl Guide auctions closely on eBay for a year and a half now and I had never seen one of these babies pop up before. Though they were not uncommon during the time when Guides were eligible to achieve them, they are highly sought after now. What am I talking about, you may ask? A blue and white All-Round Cord (sometimes also called an "All-Around Cord").

While I have one All-Round Cord pin (the version with the modern GGC trefoil), I do not thus far have the tasselled, satiny royal blue and snow white hued cord itself. But goodness knows I want one.

As the week progressed I watch the listing price climb higher and higher, first $10 then $20, by early Saturday afternoon it was $40 and I knew that no matter how much I longed to add that cord to my collection, unless I won a lottery before day was over, there was no way I could even debate bidding on it. And so long after the sun had set, I watched one of my most sought after Girl Guide items sell for $44 US. In these modern days of eBay anonymity I have no clue who the lucky winner was, but I truly hope that they will treasure the cord as much as I would have.

Having joined the world of Guiding as a Pathfinder I missed out on the opportunity to achieve earning the All-Round Cord. As a Pathfinder I’d sometimes see one lopped proudly through the epaulet on a Guide’s shoulder and secretly think to myself how gorgeous it was and how wonderful it must have been to earn such an esteemed piece of insignia. I went on to achieve the Canada Cord, the highest level of award that a Pathfinder can earn, and love that beautiful crimson and white cord (and pin) with a passion, but I still can’t help yearning for an All-Round Cord.

As a Girl Guide and Girl Scout enthusiast with a broad range of interests in terms of what I collect (patches, earned badges, pins, scarves, etc) my wish list of items that I hope to one day be able to find continually grows in size seemingly by the day, but no matter how many items I’ve got my eye open – or hope to trade – for, there are certain few that have the ability to truly set my heart a flutter in that particular way that only the most pined for treasures can. Amongst collectors of all sorts, these kinds of items are sometimes referred to as your “Holy Grails”, as their scarcity, price point or some other element make them illusively hard to get your hands on.

For me such items include Ranger Badges (http://www.guidingproject.info/catalogue/rangers.html) (I am immensely fortunate to have a couple, but need numerous others), A/D/D patches from the Yukon and NWT/Nunavut, A/D/Ds from my home town and the areas around where I spent my childhood Guiding years (in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia) – and as you already know from this post, an All-Round Cord.

Surely though, for those like myself who still actively collect GG and GS items, there must be certain pieces – maybe a rare Brownie badge or crest from a particular camp you enjoyed attending – that you’d dubbed your Holy Grails. If you have such items that you’re trying to track down, I’d love to know about them! There’s a slim chance I might have what you’re looking for on my dupes list or know of someone else with the item(s) in question. But if not, I’d be more than happy to keep an eye peeled for you in case I do happen upon your dream GG item, all I ask in return is that you drop me a line if you ever come across an All-Round Cord :)

Photo of the All-Round cord from the
auction which led to the inspiration for this
post. Image by 2splats on eBay.

A brief history of Canadian Girl Guide cookies

2009-03-31T06:30:00.006-04:00

The official GGC website recently put up a delightful page that provides a short overview of the history of Girl Guide cookies in Canada, stretching all the way back to the first batch which was whipped up by a Guider from Regina, Saskatchewan in 1927.

Amongst the fun facts are tidbits (or should I say “bites”) of information such as that following the second World War in 1946, the official GGC cookie varieties were maple cream, vanilla crème, and shortbread; and that 1992 Roberta Bondar, Canada’s world renowned female astronaut, brought GG cookies with her into space!

The page also features a marvelous little gallery of GGC cookie box imagery from the 1960s right up to day, which is sure to bring back fond memories for anyone who has ever sold or been involved with the selling (or eating) of Girl Guide cookies over the years. Below this article are three examples of the marvelous types of art and design that have been featured on GGC cookie boxes through the course of their eighty year history, as documented in the GGC's article.

Be sure to check out this lovely cookie story page, and print off copies of these interesting cookie facts to share with your girls or for your own files.

Cheerful, beautiful and bursting with exuberance, this lovely retro cookie package from 1962 is pretty enough to frame!
Packed full of interesting images and subdued hues, the art from this package hailing from 1978 resembles that of many of the Guiding handbooks of the time.

By the 90s cookie packages has shifted away from drawings, instead featuring photographs and lively colours, as seen on this box of chocolate and vanilla cream cookies from 1996.

Girl Guides of Canada’s website gets a facelift

2009-02-10T08:15:00.002-05:00

The official GGC website recently underwent some design changes (care of the Canadian web design group c-Seven Media Inc.) and now has a fantastic new look. Returning visitors will immediately notice that the introductory flash page is gone (thank you!), and that instead you’re greeted warmly by a stylish, modern homepage that points you towards in-site pages, while also featuring fun GGC themed photos and graphics, as well as a quick “what’s new” section on the right hand side of the page.

Fun graphics such as this one – which
encourages people to check out
the GGC Girls page – greet
visitors to the recently revamped
Girl Guides of Canada homepage

I’m really digging the new look and can’t help but think that it may be a precursor to the national online Girl Guides of Canada/Guides du Canada (ecommerce) shop that is scheduled to go live in September of this year.

If you’d like to read more about the design update, check out the official GGC article about it.

Updated the Girl Guide Patch Collecting Directory

2009-02-03T14:21:00.009-05:00

It’s been a few months since the last time that I checked on the validity of all of the links on the Girl Guide and Girl Scout Patch Collecting Directory page, so while waiting for my building’s maintenance worker to come check out a problem with our plumbing this afternoon, I decided to update that page.

It’s always a little sad in a sense to do this task, because inevitably I find links that are no longer active (in other words, pages that have been taken down or hosting sites that have folded). This time around, I weeded several “dead” links, but am happy to report, that overall most pages still appear to be in good shape. Granted though, it is worth mentioning that just because a site is currently online, it doesn’t guarantee that the person (or people) behind it are still actively updating it or trading patches.

It seems that as time goes on fewer and fewer people are actively trading GG and GS patches (and there is likely a multitude of reasons – not the least of which is the current economic situation – as to why this is), yet this should not deter new and veteran collectors alike from swapping with one another. In fact, if we are to keep this wonderful hobby alive in the long run, it’s crucial that we connect with one another online, and in the real world. I highly encourage you to contact fellow patch traders (myself included, I’m always looking for new swap partners!) via their websites and on Yahoo groups.

If you have a patch related site, blog or online group or know of one that is not listed in the directory, please contact me and I’ll be delighted to add it right away. Thank you, and happy patch collecting to all!

Example of a GGC crest from Ontario – just one of hundreds
upon hundreds of fantastic patches from Canada,
each of which is a reason to keep on collecting :)

New Girl Guides and Girls Scouts on Flickr group

2009-01-17T18:32:00.004-05:00

Late last night I decided to create my first Flickr group ever. I spend quite a fair bit on time on that site, faving and commenting on photos with a passion, and have wanted to start my own group for some time now. While there are numerous topics that I’d be delighted to found a group for, it seemed natural to start with one based on my love of Guiding, and so Girl Guides and Girl Scouts on Flickr was born.

A screenshot of the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts on Flickr group's homepage

Setting up a Flickr group is substantially easier than I’d imagined it to be. It only took a few minutes to create my group, write out the group rules, and post a description of what the group is about (which is anything related to Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting). I then found a very helpful post about how to create an invite so that you can ask people to post their photos in your group, on the Admin Help Flickr forum. The code suggestions there were a snap to follow and in no time at all I was scouring through the results of various Guiding related keyword searches for photos that I could invite people to post in the group.

At present the group has been online for a tad under a day and already we have 46 members and 103 images that have been added to the group pool – what a wonderful response!

If you’re a Flickr member, I would love it if you joined (and if you’re not on Flickr yet, when not use this as the perfect reason to join, basic membership – which entitles you to a lot actually – is free and it only takes a little while to sign up and create an account). You don’t have to post pics or discussion topics if you don’t want, it’s entirely up to you. I just think it’s terrific to have a little spot on Flickr where people from around the globe with an interest this topic can gather together and share in the spirit of Guiding and Scouting.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-21T00:13:00.004-05:00

Warmest festive wishes to all of my readers and fellow Girl Guides and Scouts from around the globe! I wish you all a peaceful and extremely happy holiday season from my heart to yours, and hope that your new year is one of wonderful adventures, great health, and oodles of fantastic patch trades!

This lovely pewter Christmas/holiday ornament is
available from the British Columbia Girl Guide shop.
Please see this page for further details.

Have you heard of the Badge Collectors Club?

2008-11-30T15:47:00.014-05:00

One of the best parts of collecting patches is the wonderful community of fellow collectors that exists. I love getting to met and trade with wonderful people from across the globe (as well as in my own backyard!). Sometimes though it seems like it can be hard to find new people to swap – or just chat about crests – with.

If you’re looking to expand your list of swap contacts, love reading about patch collecting or would just like to stay abreast of some of the patch related news that happens around the world, then without a doubt the Girl Guide and Girl Scout Badge Collectors Club is for you!

This terrific club is centred in the UK and run by a lovely lady named Annette Preston. The cost of club membership is very reasonable: £8 in UK and £10 for those outside UK (which can be paid in cash, UK Cheque, or by UK/international money order, in the following currencies: Euros, Pounds, Australian dollars, US dollars, and Canadian dollars). Membership entitles you to six printed club newsletters each year, plus a hugely useful CD upon joining, which is jam packed with a directory of known patches from various countries.

Each of the multi-paged newsletters features information on topics such as recent Girl Guiding and Scouting events (particularly in the United Kingdom), write-ups about the patches and relevant Guiding information about particular parts of the world (in the most recent newsletter, New Brunswick, Canada was in the spot light), the names and contact info of new members, general GG and GS patch related articles, and member profiles (including what patches people are specifically looking for and/or have to trade). I’ve been a member of the club for a year now and adore receiving the newsletters, which arrive like clockwork every two months, and highly recommend becoming a member to fellow patch enthusiasts.

If you are interested in joining the Badge Collectors Club, please contact Annette Preston by email at annette@badgers2.madasafish.com, by postal mail at 24 Badgers Brook Road, Drayton, Norfolk, NR8 6EY, England, or by telephone at +44-(0)-160-386-1435. (In case you were wondering, at present, the club doesn’t have its own website.)

Below is the club application form which can be mailed with your annual membership fee (make cheques payable to “Guide & Girl Scout Badge Collectors Club”) to the address above:

Guide and Girl Scout Badge Collectors Club membership application form. Please complete and return, to the above address.

PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK LETTERS (apart from e-mail!)

NAME…………………………………………………………………
ADDRESS…………………………………………………………
………………………………….………………………………………
POST (POSTAL) CODE……………………………
E-mail …………………………………………………………

Data Protection Act – I give permission for my details to be held on a computer. I give permission for my details (*address / e-mail) to be published in the newsletter.

Signed……………………………………………………………

I enclose a *cheque / money order / cash for £…………………
(Sterling cheques only)

(* Please delete as appropriate)

This is official Badge Collectors Club patch.
It’s available for 75p (pence) per patch,
plus SAE, from the address above.

Girl Guides and Girl Scouts blog turns one year old

2008-11-15T18:30:00.006-05:00

My goodness, has a year really zoomed past since I first began this blog? It has indeed, and today is this site’s first anniversary, its “blogiversary”, if you will. While elements in my personal life have at times prevented me from posting as often as I’d like, I’m also pleased with what I have had a chance to write about.

Image from the GGC's clip art graphics gallery
A huge element of any site is its readers and visitors, and nowhere is that more true that on a blog like this one that offers an element of “real world” interaction via patch trading. I began blogging about Guiding topics just a few days after I started collecting patches (et al) again for the first time since I was a youth, and over the past twelve months I’ve had the pleasure of trading patches and pins (and occasionally other GG/GS items like scarves and postcards, too) with fellow collectors from five different continents!

I want to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone that I’ve traded and chatted with over the past year. I’ve loved shipping off little parcels of crests to places as far-reaching as New Zealand and Ethiopia, as well as to my fellow Canadians and a plethora of lovely folks from many other countries. Thank you also to all of the people who visit this blog! I hope that you enjoy reading its contents as much as I enjoy writing them.

Here’s to another wonderful year of covering Girl Guide and Girl Scout topics – and taking part in patch swaps – that lies ahead!

What trades for what?

2008-10-31T14:30:00.001-04:00

When it comes to swapping patches, badges, pins and other pieces of Girl Guiding and Scouting paraphernalia, have you ever wondered what accounts for an equal sided trade? In other words, what you need to trade in order to ensure that both (or all) parties involved in the swap feel that the trade has been fair and balanced.

As groups go, I’d have to say that the Guiding and Scouting community is not a tight-laced bunch. Most people are happy to swap “like for like” and I’ve rarely heard of any disputes arising over trades that have been worked out in advance. Generally the rule of “one for one” applies to any Guiding related item (from crests to scarves, key chains to postcards), so long as the patch or other item that each person has is of similar value and degree of rarity. However, it never hurts to know what to do if you encounter a trading situation where someone wants to swap for something which you don’t have an equivalent of, or if they’re interested in patches and you’re into merit (proficiency/earned) badges, for example.

The following list is based on my own experience as a trader and on the very helpful advice that my good friend Louise St. Germain gave me, back when I a newbie patch collector, on this matter. Please use this list as a guideline only, and always rely your own judgement when it comes to determining what you feel is fair for a given swap (keep in mind that older and/or rarer items are often viewed by their owners as being worth more and may therefore require that multiple items be traded for one rarer piece). After all, the point of any trade is to feel happy and make new friends, not to feel like you’ve been ripped off or taken advantage of.

One (Canadian) Area/Division/District/Provincial patch for one Area/Division/District/Provincial crest, US Council patch or other stitched location specific patch from an international country. (Very large/over-sized A/D/D or Council patches sometimes trade for two smaller ones.)

One (Canadian) Area/Division/District/Provincial crest (patch) for two “fun” (camp, cookie, challenge or other non-A/D/D/Council ) patches, two proficiency badges (or one rare/very old badge), or two woven silks (from Canada, the US or overseas).

One Guiding or Scouting pin for one pin of an equal value (for example an provincial pin from Ontario for one from B.C., or a Guide enrollment pin for a Pathfinder one), one A/D/D (or US Council patch, etc), or two fun patches or proficiency badges. (Some pins can be quite rare and may garner higher trade values.)

One UK or Australian Standard crest for two (or sometimes even three) A/D/D or Council patches, or 3-4 fun patches, proficiency badges or silks.

One UK or Australian Standard crest for 1-3 pins (Canadian, American or foreign), depending on the type and rarity of the pin(s).

One overseas (woven) patch or pin for one overseas patch or pin or two silks of a similar nature (for example, one patch from a camp in Scotland for one from a camp in New Zealand).

One WAGGGS or World Centre (woven) patch or pin for two (woven) location specific patches (A/D/Ds, Councils, etc), 1-2 pins, 3-4 fun patches or 2-4 silks.

One WAGGGS or World Centre silk for location specific 1-2 silks or 2-3 fun silks, or one pin.

One Canadian Girl Guide uniform scarf/tie for one scarf, 2-4 A/D/D or Council patches, 4-6 fun patches or silks, 3-6+ proficiency badges, or 2-4 pins, depending on how rare the scarf is.

Please keep mind that this list is by no means a complete rundown of all the possible trading scenarios you could potentially encounter. It’s merely a sample of some of the more common ones that Canadian and American collectors (in particular) might find themselves in.

By using these guidelines, I’ve completed many positive trades with collectors and Guiding members from around the world. I’m generally what I’d (humbly) consider to be a laid-back trader, in the sense that I don’t get up-tight or unnecessarily rigid about trading. If someone wants something from my list and they have items up for offer that I’m interested in, I’m more than happy to try and accommodate their needs. One point of interest I’ve found is that different people often feel differently over what a pin can/“should” be traded for. Unless it’s really rare, I don’t think a pin is worth more than one or two A/D/Ds, but that’s just me :)

Do you agree with these trading guidelines? Do you have a different list that you go by? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic and welcome you to post a comment about this article.

2008-2009 Girl Guides of Canada catalogue released

2008-09-30T22:42:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago while checking in on the GGC website (as I like to do often), I noticed that the new Girl Guides of Canada catalogue had been released. As an avid collector of patches and other pieces of Guiding memorabilia (and as a big fan of the annual GGC catalogue), I was excited by this fact, however I felt a little let down upon venturing through its PDF pages (at this stage I’ve only seen the 2009 catalogue in its online form, but just as was the case last year, I’m sure that the paper version will be the same as the internet one).

The reason for my lack of enthusiasm? In my opinion, the catalogue is extremely similar to last year’s. Of course a lot of elements (such as uniform pieces) are generally expected to remain the same from year to year, but I would have liked to see a handful of new fun patches and (more) non-uniform items make their debut in this catalogue.

I have a (paper) copy of nearly every GGC catalogue since around 1990, they’re beautiful and enjoyable pieces to look through and spend time admiring items from days gone by. However in more recent years I’ve noticed that the number of “fun” items (things like dolls, toys, stationery items, stickers, key chains, and other sundry articles) have greatly diminished.

As a collector, I really wish this wasn’t the case, but as a realist, I understand that the budget to produce and market such items may simply no longer be available (or that money may have been put to use elsewhere in the organization). Still, with each newly released GGC catalogue I can’t help but keep my fingers crossed that a larger assortment of fun items bedecked with a trefoil will appear. And while we’re still wrapping up 2008, I’m already looking forward with eager anticipation to the 2010 catalogue, in the hope that it will once again contain a broader assortment of lovely GGC items (after all, the more interesting and new items they put out, the more I’m likely to purchase and thus help provide the GGC with revenue for).

What are your thoughts? Do you like a smaller, more concise and program centred catalogue or would you like to see a return to more pages and a wider assortment of items?

WAGGGS unveils Centenary theme

2008-07-07T18:38:00.003-04:00

Right now Girl Guide and Scout delegates from nations around the world are gathered at the 33rd World Conference, which is taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa. This wonderful and vitally important event proved to be the perfect time to reveal WAGGGS’ Centenary theme: Girls worldwide say 100 years of changing lives.

There is an understated beauty to this slogan, which reverberates with truth. From Guiding’s most humble beginnings right up to its ability to continue to be a world leader in the youth organization arena, for nearly a century Guiding has flourished and impacted the lives of countless women and girls around the globe.

In conjunction with the newly announced slogan, a theme of “Plant-introduce, Grow-Expand and Share-Pass” was also outlined. As well WAGGGS issued Centenary badges will be available (presumably during 2010-2012, which is when this theme will be in effect, but there’s nothing at this point to say that the badges won’t be made available sooner).

I’m certainly looking forward to the Centenary and the badges which will accompany it, and can’t wait to see what the future holds in store for WAGGGS as it prepares to kick off its second century of life!

Vibrant and full of energy, the Centenary theme logo
incorporates the colours of all five of the World Regions.

Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Information & Patch Collector's Resource Blog FAQ

2008-06-23T16:49:00.008-04:00

Frequently asked questions pertaining to this blog

Since this blog was created last autumn, I've received a wide array of emails from many fellow GG/GS members and collectors, quite a few of which often touch on the same subjects. As such I thought that my readers might find it useful if I had a FAQ section in which I provide answers to the most common questions that I receive in regards to Girl Guiding and Scouting topics. This page will be updated as the need arises, and in case this section doesn't cover your query, I look forward to hearing from you any time you'd like to chat about the wonderful world of Guiding.

Are you associated with WAGGGS?

No, we are not associated with WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) or any other official Girl Guide or Girl Scout group, and make no claim whatsoever to be. This website is a personal blog, wherever possible I've striven to ensure that all information is/was as accurate as possible (or have given further explanation if I was uncertain as to the factuality of something), but I am not an authoritative expert on the subject of Guiding – just a woman who is passionate about the subject.

Do you trade/sell patches?

I, as an individual, most certainly trade patches (and the like) and am always interested in trading with people from Canada and around the world (please check out my dupes and traders list and email me if you'd like to trade or discuss trading). I'm also personally interested in buying patches, especially Canadian ones. However, this site does not sell any patches (or anything else for that matter). If you're looking to buy patches, try contacting the Guide and/or Scout shops in your area or joining some of the free online patch trading groups (garage sales, online auction sites, secondhand shops, and flea markets are also all good places to look for patches and Guiding related items). This site also has a regularly updated list of other online patch traders, which you may really find of interest if you like to collect and trade GG and GS crests.

Can you help me find this patch/pin/crest/stamp/button/uniform/postcard/etc or answer this question for me?

Time permitting, I'm always willing and happy to help fellow collectors. But do keep in mind that I never make any claims of being the biggest Guiding expert in the world, so I may not be able to answer all of your specific questions. If your question pertains to Guiding in Canada (the GGC), there is a somewhat better chance that I can help, as this is the area that I have the most experience with. If I don't know the answer to your query, I'll certainly do my best to point you toward someone/the appropriate Guide/Scout administrative body who may be better able to assist you.

Do you have a list of all Councils, Areas, Districts, Divisions, Troops, etc in my country?

As each country choses to divide the Girl and/or Scout groups in their country up based on their own geographical layouts, not all countries are divided (and subdivided) the same. At this time I don't have a list of all of the “divisions” of each country, I would venture to guess that even the people at WAGGGS would have a bit of time compiling a list such as this.

As a point of reference for US Council patch collectors, you may find this list of 319 GSUSA Councils helpful (please note that as of August 2006, the number of US councils has shrunk dramatically and new councils are being formed still at this time, so this list is more for people who are into patch related collecting, rather than for current geographically factual purposes).

Canadian Guiding is divided into far more groups (geographical regions) than our Scouting sisters to the south. In fact, over 1,600 past and/or present Canadian Areas, Divisions, and Districts have been identified, though the GGC itself, does not (to the best of my knowledge) put out a list of A/D/Ds for the general public, so it can really tricky at times to find an accurate list. That said, some people have worked tremendously hard to compose their own lists of Canadian A/D/Ds. Two such diligently hard working souls are Louise St. Germain and Ursula, whose lists are the best that I know of anywhere on the web.

A small number of links to the geographical breakdowns of various world countries (such as England and Australia) can be found on our Patch Trading Directory page, but there are very few such links (in English) available on the web. If you live in other parts of the world, your best bet is to contact your National Girl Guide or Scout body and ask them for further information on the geographical breakdown of your country.

I've heard that Ontario no longer uses the A/D/D system is this true?

Yes, it is true. I am absolutely not an expert on what led to the Ontario Council's decision to do away with the A/D/D system, but I do know that in its place, Ontario now uses the Administrative Community system. Instead of having Areas, Divisions, and Districts, the province of Ontario is presently divided in 39 Administrative Communities (ACs), which employee a single tier system (as opposed to the A/D/D three tier system). Each of these Communities is represented by at least one Administrative Community Leader, whose role is much akin to that of a District/Division Commissioner. At this time the Ontario Council (which includes the territory of Nunavut) is the first Provincial Council to adopt this new system, as far as I'm aware.

For more information on these recent changes (right from the source!), including a page which describes where the geographical boundaries are for each Administrative Community in Ontario, please use this link from the official Girl Guides of Ontario website. Or alternatively, you can also reach the Council by phone at (1)-416-920-6666, by fax at (1)-416-920-1440, or by email.

What's a camp blanket?

A camp – or campfire blanket – is a a blanket (homemade or store bought) which is often made of fleece, flannel or another sturdy material onto which a person may choose to sew (or glue, or otherwise attach) items such as Girl Guide/Girl Scout badges, sashes (often with badges), crests, silks, patches, scarves (neckerchiefs), and other mementos which they have either earned through their time in Guiding, bought (as in crests, etc) or traded with others (such as Area or Council patches).

Such blankets are often cut/sewed to form a poncho or cape shape, which allows their owner to wear them at certain types Guiding events such as camps and some kinds of day trips. Campfire blankets are not a mandatory part of the Guide/Scout uniform or protocol, and are merely a fun expression of one's interest in Guiding.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to camp blankets, each person's own whim is what dictates how their blanket (if they wish to keep one) will look (some people also like to embellish their blankets with embroidery, wool stitching, glitter or other decorative means). In addition to (or instead of) a campfire blanket, some folks like to use camp hats, scarves, vests (fleece vests work well for this), sleeping bags, and other linens as a means of displaying and collecting their patches, crests, badges, silks and the like. Campfire blankets are popular with those involved in Boy Scouts too, and a mixed Scout-Guide jamboree or other camp (as with girls only Guiding camps) can be a terrific place to see a wide array of campfire blankets.

Will you add my link to this site?

If your website/blog/forum/Yahoo Group/etc directly relates to some aspect of Guiding (such as Guiding in your country/location, patch trading, SWAPS, and so on) and is not a link-bait site, yes, there is a very good chance that I'd be more than glad to add your link (please contact me via email). This site is all about the sisterhood of Girl Guiding and Scouting, so the more pertinent links, the better.

Page last updated on June 23, 2008

Heartfelt thanks & a fantastic tip for sending pins in the mail

2008-05-14T02:54:00.004-04:00

When I last posted here the snow was still heavy on the ground, creating massive banks and rising high enough to entirely cover our bottom floor windows. In the weeks since mid-March I've had many ups and downs, come through surgery and seen a new season blossom without me even getting a chance to officially say good-bye to that (sometimes insipid, sometimes elegantly beautiful) snow.

As I type these words I still have a period of recovery before me, but I hope to be able to post from time-to-time as I work my way through these weeks of rest and healing.

I've long believed that healing comes not just from a pill or a doctor, it can also come from (or be fostered by) our own outlook on a given situation and from the care and support offered to us by the dear and special people in our lives. And on that note, I would truly like to thank everyone who sent me emails and cards, enquired as to how I was doing, offered kind thoughts and healing vibes, and even – in the case of one GSUSA member from California, whom I'd never had any prior contact with – sent an envelope full of delightful event and fun patches, which they insisted were a gift, not a trade. In these acts and words I cannot help but see the naturally caring spirit of Girl Guiding and Scouting at its finest.

To usher in my 'return' to posting, I'd love to share a wonderful tip with you on how to securely send (GG/GS) pins in the mail. Not too long ago I received about eight pins which came wrapped so ingeniously that I knew the moment I saw how they were presented, I'd be blogging it here.

Pop (Soda) Bottle Lid Pin Protectors

What you'll need:

-1 plastic bottle lid (cap/top) for each pin that you wish to send, cleaned and dried (you can use the lids from water bottles, soda/pop cans, juice bottles – whatever works)

-(Approximately) 3”x1” long stripes of bubble wrap (or adjust to the size that you need, just ensure that you have enough bubble wrap to go around each pin at least once), 1 strip per pin

-Scotch tape (aka, sticky tape)

How to:

One at time, place a pin on a strip of bubble wrap so that the puffy bubble side is what the pin is resting on. Wrap the pin – fairly tightly – with the rest of the strip of bubble wrap so that it's entirely covered/protected and secure the bubble wrap with piece of tape so that it can't come unwrapped.

Place the bubble wrapped pin into a pop bottle lid (it's fine if some of the bubble wrap sticks out over the sides a little, just so long as the pin itself is nestled into the bottle lid). Wrap the lid (with pin inside) with a piece of tape, securing it so that the pin cannot fall out of the lid.

Repeat with as many pins as you plan to send/store/trade/etc. For added protection send pins in a bubble lined mailer (envelope), placed all together in a plastic bag or good sized paper envelope. Not only does this method do a great job of keeping pins safe and secure when travelling through the mail, it provides the receiver with fun little gifts to open.

If you wanted to send bigger sized pins (or even buttons or sturdy homemade swaps), you could implement this same technique and use lids/tops from products such as 4 litre (1 gallon) milk containers, plastic yogurt container (the kind that have lids with rims), jam jars, baby food jars, and the twist-on tops from vitamin bottles. Be creative and resourceful, while recycling – and protecting your traders – all at the same time.

I’m going to be MI(GGGS)A for a little while

2008-03-17T05:28:00.004-04:00

Up until now, I’ve not written particularly personal posts on this blog (that is to say, I’ve kept to the main topics at hand – Girl Guides/Scouts and patch trading), however I wanted to inform my readers and visitors that I may not be adding any new posts for the next few weeks.

I’m dealing with some serious health issues at the moment and am currently bed ridden, unable to sit or stand for more than a few moments with out experiencing very severe pain. Help and hope is on the horizon though, as I’m scheduled for surgery towards the end of April. Fingers firmly crossed that all will go well and I’ll soon be on the mend and able to (sit up and) write new posts.

If you’ve just discovered this site (a very warm welcome to you!) and would like to trade patches (or contact me for any other reason) please still feel free to do so. I’m checking my email whenever possible (it’s not all that difficult to read while lying in bed on your side, but it can be a tad trickier to type), and with my husband’s help, I can still send out patch trades (and update my dupes page, as needed).

Thank you everyone for your understanding. While my body is ‘out of commission’ for the next while, I’m sure my mind will remain as active as ever, ready to return and post oodles of fun and interesting new Girl Guide and Girl Scout related articles soon.

Sincerely YIGGGS,
Jessica Cangiano

Save the date: 9/9 – GGC to launch ecommerce site

2008-02-24T17:05:00.002-05:00

Girl Guides of Canada has officially announced recently that by September 2009, they plan to create a nationwide online shop. Currently much of the GGC’s annual merchandise catalogue is available for viewing online on the national website, but orders cannot be placed directly through the site itself.

With this exciting news however, GGC members, non-members and collectors alike will all be able to avail of the convenience that comes from directly being able to order anything they fancy from the comfort of their own home computers.

Currently web shoppers are able to order a selection of GGC and province specific items from both the Ontario and Alberta Girl Guide provincial council website shops, but autumn 2009 will mark the first time that the entire national GGC catalogue will be widely (presumably in its entirety) available online for all of your buying needs.

I’m personally happy about this impending ecommerce site and truly hope that that it’s able to take off and soar. (Fingers crossed however that the GGC does not do away with traditional paper catalogues in the wake of this step towards modernization. So far the GGC has said that they plan to keep catalogues in production. Which is really good news, as I know for a fact that both I and many others out there with a vested interest in GGC absolutely adore – and shop from – the physical catalogue itself, and will likely continue to do so, even if a fully stocked ecommerce site is available around the clock).

One thing however, that sent up a red flag for me, is that near the bottom of the GGC’s announcement, they briefly discuss a plan to do away with all GGC shops (that is to say, physical store locations across various Canadian towns and cities) by 2010.

The reason you may ask, why this paragraph sent chills up my back - well, aside from the fact that it’s always worlds better to be able to try on uniforms and other clothing related items in person, than to guess at the right size when ordering online - is that I can’t help but wonder what such a decision would mean in terms of the production and sale of Area, Divisions, and District crests (patches) and pins.

For now though, there’s little point in worrying too much. The GGC clearly knows what they’re doing, and there’s certainly nothing to say so far that A/D/D items wouldn’t be available still. I’ll be monitoring these merchandise changes very carefully as further news unfolds, and will share whatever I learn with my readers here.

Not everything with a trefoil on it is Girl Guide related

2008-02-08T17:55:00.000-05:00

As an avid collector of Girl Guide related objects, I’ve come across several eBay auctions over the past few months wherein an item with a trefoil or clover shape on it was being promoted as a Girl Guide/Scout item, even if though in reality it almost certainly was never issued or created by any branch of Guides of Scouts worldwide.

The reason that I bring this subject up is that I would never want any of my fellow collectors to buy an item that they believed to be GG or GS related, only to find out later that they were either intentionally duped or accidentally misinformed, and that their item was in fact, not one of GG/GS origin.

I’ll give you a prime example of what I’m talking about. A while back an eBay seller had a bookmark listed (in hindsight I should have saved the listing photo for example purposes) which they titled as being a Girl Guide bookmark from the nineteenth century. There’s just one glaring problem with that description, Girl Guiding did not begin until 1909 (with Boy Scouting being started by Lord Baden Powell in 1907), so unless LBP was secretly creating merchandise before he’d even formally begun the Scouting movement, this bookmark was not authentic.

But wait, I can hear you say, what if they just got their dates wrong? Great point, and certainly one that could happen, but (and I realize that you have to take my word for it here) nothing on the bookmark itself said that that it was related to GG or GS. I believe it was creamy white coloured ribbon which showed a trefoil-like shape, possibly with some written text, but again nothing that would indicate it was GG related (or even a hundred plus years old, regardless of its questionable relationship to Guiding).

I think the asking price was only a few (or perhaps even a couple) of dollars, so had a well meaning collector purchased the item, they wouldn’t likely feel too ripped off. But still, that’s not entirely the point. It’s import when you’re looking to buy Girl Guide and Scout items (memorabilia), on eBay or elsewhere, to try and verify (if you’re at all uncertain) whether or not the item was in fact created for or by an official GG organization or merchandise provider. The point is to ensure that what you’re buying in genuine whether it costs fifty cents or five hundred dollars.

In some instances, I believe that sellers are well intentioned; they may have little to no firsthand experience with the Guiding or Scouting movement and may genuinely believe in good faith that the item they’re listing really is a GG or GS one. From what I’ve seen, this is most often the case when an item (badge, patch, piece of clothing, postcard, etc) has a trefoil shaped symbol on it. Right now for example, a seller has a ring listed on eBay with a somewhat trefoil-ish shape on its face. The seller says outright that they’re not sure if it’s GG related, and in my opinion, I don’t think it is (but, I am far from an expert on GG jewellery, so if you come across this same listing, please draw your own conclusions). As a collector, I appreciate such honesty on the seller’s part, and would always prefer someone to say “I’m not sure”, than to swear from here to the moon and back that it’s as authentic as had Lady BP handcrafted it herself.

Yet in other cases, dishonest sellers may be out to try and scam potential buyers and collectors by attempting to pass off items with trefoils (or even just clover/shamrock shaped symbols) as being GG merchandise, when in fact they are not genuine Guiding items.

The trefoil, a tri-pointed leaf shape, is actually an ancient graphic configuration, whose name in Latin means “three-leaved plant”. It has figured often through history in the art and heraldry (coats of arms) of numerous cultures, especially that of the Celts and Scots (it is also somewhat similar in appearance to the fleur-de-lis, a symbol which is often associated both with the French and with various military related items, as well as being widely used by Boy Scouting movements around the world). Today the trefoil is still commonly used in everything from art to graphic design, and often appears on items in Ireland (I’m speaking firsthand here, having lived in Ireland for two years).

Girl Guide and Girl Scout movements from around the globe have long universally adopted the trefoil as their symbol. From country to country, the artistic interpretation of this shape does vary (call me biased if you like, but the current Canadian Guiding trefoil is my very favourite version), but it’s usually always clearly a trefoil. In some countries where Scouting and Guiding are more fused together than they are in North America, the trefoil may appear atop or beneath a Boy Scout fleur-de-lis, from example, as in the symbol of Scouting and Guiding in Slovakia.

It warrants mentioning that simply because an item (coin, badge, hat, belt buckle, ring, sticker, button, etc) has a trefoil on it, this does not guarantee its authenticity as a Girl Guide or Scout piece of memorabilia. (By the same token though, certainly not all GG/GS items include a trefoil, so the absence of one definitely does not rule out the possibility of something being authentic. A great example of this is merit badges, very few ever include a trefoil, so you’ll need to look for other factors such as size, colour, and stitching quality.)

If in doubt about an item’s authenticity, ask the seller for more information (i.e., “Aside from what’s written in the eBay listing, what can you tell me about this item’s history?” or “Where did you first find/buy this item from”), and try to see what sort of further information you’re able to encounter by doing an internet search for the item in question. Yahoo Girl Guide/Scout collecting related groups are also someplace where you could inquire as to a piece’s credibility, as many collectors in such groups have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to past and present GG/GS collectables.

Collecting Girl Guide items is about buying, trading, and finding pieces that bring you happiness and likely add to your existing collection. Have fun, do your research where needed, and remember that trefoil or not, make sure what you’re buying or trading is the real Girl Guiding deal.

Girl Guides of Ontario launches revamped website

2008-01-28T16:37:00.000-05:00

Decked out in dual shades of blue and sporting a far more streamlined appearance, the official Girl Guides of Ontario website has recently been redesigned. The homepage now promotes the fact that not only is the site specific to Ontario, but that it's also the online spot for Guiding members from Canada's newest territory, Nunavut.

Easy to navigate, full of useful resources (such as a listing of all of the Ontario Girl Guide summer campground locations) and information for members, Guiders and non-members like, the new site gets a thumbs up in my books. (I really hope that in the near future they add content – and items to the online GG of Ontario Guide Shop – which are specific to Nunavut.)

If you have a moment, check out the refurbished provincial site and bookmark it for future reference, as the “What's New” section is bound to be updated often with oodles of interesting Ontario related Guiding news and announcements.

PatchCamp.com – not just for Boy Scouts

2008-01-21T12:22:00.000-05:00

The world of Boy Scout collecting is vast. Its history vividly rich and its present still wonderfully lively. In my ongoing search for websites and resources which deal with Girl Scout and Guide collecting I've encountered a sizable bounty of Boy Scout related sites, groups, and other handy resources. As a general rule though, I have not included such groups in the Patch Collector's Directory, as the focus of this blog is more geared towards female related Scouting and Guiding collecting.

As the old axiom says though, to every rule there are exceptions – especially when the creator of a very well known and much loved Boy Scout website takes the time to not only link to your site, but also features it on his homepage page (which is ever so perfectly aptly called "Base Camp").

Patch Camp (how awesome is that name!), is an Scouting memorabilia haven. Online since 2000, it's rich in thoroughly helpful links and resources for patch and memorabilia collectors of all ages and collection sizes. So when a friendly email sat waiting in my inbox this morning from Patch Camp's creator, letting me know that he'd discovered my blog (via Bill Mulrenin's own stellar collecting blog, where this site was honoured with a write up in December) and added it to his terrific link directory (as a patch trading portal), I was stoked!

Thank you so much for the add, Glenn. Both Patch Camp and your cool Patch Camp Blog have been added to the Girl Guide and Girl Scout Patch Collecting Directory. I'll definitely be checking in on your blog and site often, because while we may specialize in different branches of collecting, we are all united, male or female, by our love of Scouting and Guiding – and most certainly of gathering and trading patches.

My Girl Guide and Girl Scout Dupes and Traders List

2008-01-11T17:19:00.189-05:00

Welcome to my small, but actively growing list of Girl Guide and Girl Scout patches, silks, and other memorabilia that I have available to trade. I'm fastidious when it comes to ensuring that I keep this list up-to-date, and any time that I get a new dupe or send out a patch, I update this page. Please feel free to bookmark it for quick reference – and check back often to see what's new.

I've arranged my dupes collection by Canadian, American, and international sections, and further broken each of these areas down based on what I have available at the moment. Within each section, all of the items are arranged alphabetically for ease of searching. If you do not see something listed, it means that I do not have it – but other traders might, so check out my Girl Guide and Girl Scout Patch Collecting Directory and see where that leads you.

At this time I do not have photos up of my dupes, but beside the name of each crest/patch/silk/etc, I've provided a description of it (and if I've got more than one of a given patch available, I've indicted the number that I have beside the patch's name and description). I'm always happy to answer any questions about the items on my dupes list and can, if you'd like, provide you with a photo or a scan (or point you towards another online spot where I know an image of that particular patch exists).

Unless otherwise clearly noted, all of my dupes are in excellent condition and come from a smoke and pet free home (though I cannot, understandably, attest for the homes of people whom I received them from in the first place). For more about my own patch collection, check out my Girl Guide and Girl Scout collection information page.

If you see something that strikes your fancy, if you'd like to share your dupes/traders list with me, or if you'd just like to discuss trading in general, please zip an email my way. I always love hearing from fellow collectors.

Jessica's Girl Guide & Girl Scout Dupes and Traders List

(Last updated on June 22, 2009 at 5:45am EST)

Canadian A/D/Ds

(A quick note about A/D/D trading...as many traders do, I generally prefer to trade an A/D/D crest for another A/D/D crest, a US council patch, or a location specific patch from another country. A/D/Ds are currently tricky for me to come by, as Ontario, the province where I live, is not selling/producing any such patches at the moment, because the province is being restructured and all of the old Ontario A/D/Ds have completely been done away with. I'm always happy to try and accommodate fellow trader's needs, but as I have such a limited number of A/D/Ds, I would prefer to trade them for other A/D/Ds or location patches. With all of my other non-A/D/D dupe items, I'm far more “easy going”, and welcome any trade offer of a roughly equal item value, that you'd like to make. Thank you very much for your understanding.)

-Arrowsmith East District (B.C.) (Rectangular shaped patch with yellow outer stitching. Features a lovely picture of an orca whale swimming in the water in front of some mountains and green trees. Text is in black with a black trefoil in the bottom left hand corner of the patch, which has a teal coloured background)

-Aurora District Girl Guides (B.C.) (Round patch with royal blue outer stitching. Image is divided up into four main parts inside of a circle in the centre of the patch. The pictures are of two yellow leaves, a red tent, green pine trees, and a white dogwood flower. A royal blue trefoil appears in the centre of the patch, which features a white background. Text is in royal blue stitching) x 2

-Bramalea Division Girl Guides of Canada (Ontario) (Good sized semicircular patch with royal purple outer stitching on the top and black stitching on the bottom. Features a pretty multi-coloured rainbow over top of a scene showing girls walking along a tree lined path toward a setting sun. This patch has a navy blue background and the text is in yellow stitching)

-Cedar Shadows District (B.C.) (Round patch with black outer stitching. Image is heavily stitched and is of a row of trees casting a black shadow, in front of some green snowcapped mountains, against a blue sky with a yellow sun. A small dark blue trefoil appears in the middle of this patch, toward the outer edge. Background colour is sky blue and the text is yellow)

-Chatham District, Victoria, B.C. (Patch has a square bottom and oval/round top. Outer stitching is black, inside depicts a person in a red canoe paddling toward a bright sunrise/sunset. A small navy blue trefoil is on the bottom right hand side of the patch. Text is in navy blue stitching)

-Dogwood District Girl Guides, Sydney B.C. (Hexagon shaped patch with navy blue outer stitching. Features a pretty image of two big, white dogwood flowers with green levels and small navy blue trefoil in the centre of the patch, all on a white background. Text is in navy blue stitching)

-East Bow Division, Calgary, Alberta (Good sized hexagon shaped patch with black outer stitching. Features the names of several different Calgary communities along the outer edges of the patch, with a picture of an orangey-yellow sun shining down over a green pathway with coloured footprints on it. A small orange trefoil is in located just left of the centre of the image. Text in dark blue, all on a white background)

-Fundy Division, Girl Guides New Brunswick (Round patch with lemon yellow outer stitching. Shows a white and red lighthouse with a white seagull flying past it. A red maple leaf appears on the outer centre left hand side of the patch, and a dark blue trefoil appears opposite to it, on the right side. The background of this patch is a fairly light steely blue colour and all of the text stitching is lemon yellow)

-Girl Guides of Canada Peace Arch International (B.C.) (Round patch with dark blue outer stitching. Features a line of multi-coloured figures, with yellow hearts on their chests, holding hands in front of the B.C./US Peace Archway, with a blue trefoil directly above it. Text in yellow stitching and the patch's background is medium blue)

-Girl Guides of Canada Thunder Bay Division (Ontario) (Good sized semi-circle shaped patch with deep yellow outer stitching. Shows a large yellow sun with its rays stretching across the patch, over top of a body of water with a canoe, alongside a shoreline with an industrial building on it. Text that says “Girl Guides of Canada” is in royal blue, text that says “Thunder Bay Division” is in the same yellow as the outer stitching. A royal blue trefoil appears on each side of the bottom of the patch, which has a white background)

-Guides Canada Cranbrook District (B.C.) (Horizontal oval shaped patch with royal blue outer stitching. Features the aforementioned text, in italics, with a trefoil in the centre of the patch, all in royal blue stitching. In other words, the text and trefoil account for the entire design of this patch)

-Halifax Area (Nova Scotia) (Rectangular shaped patch with rounded corners, and brown outer stitching, with a border of golden yellow inner stitching. Shows the image of a cityscape, located on a green bank, alongside the sea, with numerous white seagulls flying around. Text, and a trefoil in the top centre of the patch, are in royal blue stitching. The patch's background is light blue)

-Halifax Area, Nova Scotia (Oval shaped patch with royal blue outer stitching. Inside background is light blue and features a flower box – with a royal blue trefoil on its centre – that has multi-coloured flowers growing out of it. Text in royal blue stitching)

-Highland Glen Area, Girl Guides of Canada (Ontario) (Round patch with royal blue outer stitching. Image depicts the Toronto skyline – complete with CN Tower – overlooking a body of water, into which the reflection of the cityscape is visible. A light green mountain range and an orange rising sun appear behind the buildings. The background of this patch is light blue and the text is in royal blue stitching)

-Joyce Lonsdale District, Mid Island Area (A good sized round patch with royal blue outer stitching. Features a really pretty image of two big, white dogwoods with green leaves in the centre of the patch, along with a tiny white trefoil to the right of the flowers. At the bottom the patch the names of four towns are written in brown stitching: Chemainus, Crofton, Saltair, and Ladysmith. The other text on this patch, which has a medium blue background, is yellow)

-Juniper District, Langley, B.C. (Round patch with navy blue outer stitching. Shows a rainbow near a campsite that is in front of a mountain. A navy blue trefoil is in the bottom centre of the patch, which features a light sage green coloured background. Text in an almost fuchsia coloured thread)

-Killarney District Girl Guides Vancouver (B.C.) (Round patch with royal blue outer stitching. Features the Canadian flag surrounded by five trefoils in various Guiding branch colours. This patch has a white background and the text is in medium green coloured stitching)

-Komux District (B.C.) (Square shaped patch with rounded corners and dark royal blue outer stitching. Features the pretty image of an orca whale swimming in front of a green, snowcapped mountain range. In the sky above there's four birds in a flight and a yellow sun with a white cloud. The background of this patch is light grey-ish blue and the text is in black stitching)

-Lagoon District (B.C.) (Round patch with yellow outer stitching. Features a red lighthouse on a green hill shinning its light out over the water, with a purple mountain range in the background. Text is in red stitching and the background of this patch is white)

-Mid Island Area (B.C.) (Circular patch with black outer stitching. Shows a portion of Vancouver Island in green, with a red circle indicating the spot where Mid Island Area is located. Text is in thick red stitching) x 2

-Moira Division (Ontario) (Vertically oval shaped patch with ever-so-slightly rounded corners. Outer stitching is in emerald green and the image is of some bulrushes with two teeny-tiny black coloured birds flying over them. The background of this patch is white and the text is in black stitching)

-Nanaimo North District (B.C.) (Square shaped patch with rounded corners and yellow outer stitching. Features the image of a large yellow trefoil attached, almost as though as if by a kite string, to seven golden hued, five point stars. The background of this patch is navy blue and the text is in yellow stitching)

-Northern Pine Division (Ontario) (Circular patch with black outer stitching. Features a green pine tree on a green grassy river bank, set against a blue sky with white clouds. Text in black stitching)

-Northumberland Kent, New Brunswick (Circular patch with navy blue outer stitching. Shows a lovely scene of large yellow sunburst shinning above a bridge, a body of water, and several maple leaves in the various Guide branch colours, with a royal blue trefoil in the centre of the patch. Text is in black stitching. *Northumberland is a Division in NB*)

-Oceanview District (B.C.) (A lovely, good sized semi-circular shaped patch with golden yellow outer stitching. Features an image of a pair of whale fins swimming through beautiful blue, turquoise and almost indigo hued water, against a backdrop of mountains and a yellow sun with black rays. Text is in black at the bottom of the patch) x 2

-Opeongo Division Girl Guide of Canada (Ontario) (Round patch with black outer stitching. Image is of a black and white loon on the water. The background of this patch is white and the text is in teal blue stitching, as is the water that the loon is floating on)

-Oromocto Gagetown Division, N.B. (Round patch with black outer stitching. Features a black and white loon swimming on the water, plus a small yellow trefoil to the left of the bird; all of the background of this patch is deep turquoise. Text in black stitching )

-Pioneer District Surrey, B.C. (Hexagon shaped patch with black outer stitching. Image is of a colourful rainbow over top of two brown, snowcapped mountains and some trees. There is a yellow sun and two white clouds in the sky, and a royal blue trefoil in the bottom centre of this patch. Text is in red stitching and the background is light greyish-blue)

-Rainbow Valley, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Fairly big square shaped patch with dark royal blue outer stitching. This cute patch features a multi-coloured rainbow under which female figures in different colours are holding hands while standing atop a green and black hill. Text in yellow stitching, royal blue trefoil in the bottom left hand corner of the patch *Rainbow Valley is a District which belongs to the Edmonton Area of Alberta*)

-Raven District, Victoria, B.C. (Good sized horizontally rectangular shaped patch with black outer stitching. Shows the lovely image of a First Nation's style raven's head in black, red and white. A small black trefoil appears in the upper right hand corner of this patch, which has a pale blue background. Text is in black stitching)

-Ripple Rock, Campbell River (B.C.) (Round patch with brown outer stitching. Features a large brown rock with blue waves in front of it, on a white background. Text in royal blue stitching)

-Riverside District, Richmond, B.C. (Good sized round patch with red outer stitching. Shows a glider airplane flying over a body of water and some green hills. Two small yellow trefoils appear, one each on either side of the plane. Text in yellow stitching; this patch has a medium blue background)

-Rossland District (B.C.) (Patch is shaped like two pointy mountains/conjoined triangles with a flat base. It has a thin line of red outer stitching and features the image of a gold mining cart full of gold nuggets; in the centre of the cart is a yellow trefoil. The background of the patch is white and the text is in dark royal blue stitching. *Please note, the dupe that I have of this crest is not the version with the word “B.C.” on it. I don't actually have one of those myself and would be happy to trade for one*)

-Salton Division Moose Jaw “Keep on Guiding” (Saskatchewan) (Round patch with yellow outer stitching. Features a girl sporting an old fashioned Guide uniform and carrying a walking stick. Text that says “Moose Jaw” is in black, the rest of the text is brown, and the background colour of the patch is a light peachy shade. *Please note, the dupe that I have of this crest is not the version with the date “1910” on it. I don't actually have one of those myself and would be happy to trade for one*)

-Salt Spring Island District (B.C.) (A very lovely patch, the bottom half of which is round and the top half of which is shaped like the top of several tree branches. There is no outer stitching; the background is light blue. Tree is brown and green. Text is black and the patch features a small royal blue trefoil on the bottom left hand side)

-South District Rolls (Ontario) (Round patch with dark yellow outer stitching. Features the lovely image of a red vintage 1930s style car, along with two red roses whose steams reach toward a white trefoil along the bottom of the patch. The text is in white stitching, and the background of this patch is medium blue)

-Springdale District, Ontario (Quite a detailed, round patch with pale golden yellow outer stitching. Depicts a flower, a tent and campfire, a pair of ice skates and a canoe, plus a semi-circular group of multi-coloured figures holding hands, all on a dark blue background. Text in red stitching)

-Trenton Division (Ontario) (Circular patch with dark blue outer stitching. Features a three part scene inside a smaller inner circle that also has dark blue stitching. The images in the scene are a red apple, a campsite, and a red airplane flying over a bridge, all on a white background. Text in dark blue) x 2

-Trillium Area (Ontario) (Triangular shaped patch with rounded sides, olive-ish green outer stitching; shows three green leaves and three burgundy coloured arrowhead shaped triangles around a yellow trefoil. Text is in burgundy stitching)

-Trillium Area 1972 (-) 1997 Guides Canada (An oval shaped black patch with silver outer stitching featuring a plum and green version of Ontario's provincial flower, the White Trillium, and a silver trefoil) x 2

-Upper Clay Burn District, Abbotsford, B.C. (Circular patch with deep royal blue outer stitching, depicts a green oak-like leaf in front of a yellow brick wall with a white mountain in the background against a blue sky. A royal blue trefoil appears on the bottom right hand side, and the text is in royal blue on the top of the patch and black on the bottom)

-Warren Division (Ontario) (Square patch with black outer stitching. Features a four colour rainbow leading to a number of coloured stars. Written in each of the bands of the rainbow are the names of various locations in that particular part of Ontario. Beneath the rainbow in black text are the words “Where Friendships Grows”, and to the left of the rainbow is a navy blue trefoil. “Warren Division” is in navy blue stitching and all other text, such as the names on the rainbow, is in black. Patch has a white background)

Canadian Provinces and Territories

-Alberta provincial shaped patch (White crest shaped like the province of Alberta with a campground scene and the word “Alberta” written on the left hand side in orange stitching. A trefoil does not appear on this patch) x 2

-Girl Guides B.C. (Oval shaped crest with black outer stitching. Shows a totem pole on a white background; “Girl Guides” text in black,, “B.C.” text in yellow)

-Ontario provincial crest (Triangular shaped patch with golden yellow outer stitching and black background on which a White Trillium, Ontario's provincial flower, is depicted beneath the words “Ontario Girl Guides” in golden yellow stitching) x 3

-Ontario Trefoil Guild (Square patch with lilac purple outer stitching. Shows the Canadian Trefoil Guild flame in purple, with a teeny purple trefoil beneath it, and a White Trillium, Ontario's provincial flower, all on a white background. Text in purple) x 2

-“Peace B.C. Thinking Day” (A lovely square shaped patch with gold outer stitching. Shows a dove plus a white and gold globe on a navy blue background. Text is in gold stitching [no date is present on this patch])

Canadian Camps

-Camp Olave (Small circular patch with brown outer stitching. Shows the face of an owl wearing a brown camp hat on a white background; text in brown [Sides of this patch are a bit wavy and the back has softened, but the front is in great shape])

Canadian Events/Dated

-B.C. Girl Guides 2000 90th Birthday Campfire (Round patch with golden metallic thread outer stitching. Features a fun image of gold hued fireworks and two small silver trefoils. The background of this patch is dark blue and the text is in golden stitching)

-"Blazing The Trail 2007" Discovery Area (Round patch with tawny brown outer stitching. Half of the text is in red and the second half is in navy blue with two small navy trefoils, one each on either side of the lettering. Picture of an old fashioned covered wagon in the centre. Everything is on a white background)

-Burnaby Royal Area "Carnival 2000" (B.C.) (Round patch with gold coloured outer stitching. Features a pink, green and gold masquerade ball style mask and a small gold trefoil on a purple background. Text in gold stitching)

-"Celebrate 2000" Assiniboine Area, Manitoba (Good-sized vertical oval shaped patch with yellow outer stitching. Black background with a pretty image of multi-coloured star bursts surrounding the number “90”. Text in white with a small dark blue trefoil on the centre bottom of the patch)

-Celebrating 25 Years of Pathfinders 1979 – 2004 (A beautiful large-ish diamond shaped crest with silver outer stitching. Silver, dark pine green and navy blue inner background with green leaves on parts of the background. Text in silver, small dark green trefoil in the centre of the bottom)

-Celebrating 95 years Guides Canada (Elaborately shaped patch with white outer stitching and a white background. The entire crest is essentially shaped like an outline of the writing. Text in pale steel blue and red, with silver, red and blue fireworks surrounding the words. Small pale steel blue coloured trefoil just to the right of the centre of the crest)

-Celebration 75 (1985) (Semi-circle shaped patch with beige-taupe outer stitching. Background colour is the same as the outer stitching. “75” is in orange stitching, “1985”, “Celebration”, and a small trefoil on the left hand side, are in navy blue) x 2

-Da Hon Neh Area Day “Looking into the Future” (Ontario) (Octagon shaped patch with pine green outer stitching. Image is of a person walking alongside a river, a campfire and several trees. All text and the image – which includes a small trefoil on the centre right hand side – itself is black and pine green. Patch has a white background)

-Edmonton Law Awareness '98 (Alberta) (Rectangular shaped patch with rounded corners, and deep red outer stitching. Features the GGC trefoil and the Scouts Canada symbol in deep red on a dark blue background. All text is deep red coloured)

-Girl Guides of Canada “1993 Mint Cookie” (Round patch with medium green outer stitching. Features an image of mint leaves around a chocolate mint Girl Guide cookie on a medium green background. Text, and small trefoil in the bottom centre of the patch, are in mustard yellow stitching)

-Hike For Hunger 2006 (B.C.) (Rectangular shaped patch with dark green outer stitching. Features a trefoil with the words “Guides Canada” under, the B.C. food bank symbol, and the Scouts Canada symbol with the words “Scouts Canada” under it, all on a yellow background that's speckled with black footprints. Text in black stitching, except for “2006” which is white)

-Ontario Girl Guides 65 Yrs of Girl Guide Cookies (Circular patch with white outer stitching and a white background. Text in royal blue except for part of the “65” which is red with yellow sunshine-like rays around it. An image of a chocolate GG cookie with a trefoil on its centre is present in the middle of the patch)

-Peace Arch Area (B.C.) Camp Skills 2003 (Circular patch with royal blue outer stitching. Features compass points around its sides, a tent with a royal blue trefoil on it, and a rope with a knot in it, as well as a campfire in the bottom centre of the patch. Background is light blue and all text is yellow, except for the words “Camp Skills” which are royal blue)

-Tarps and Trails 2004 Regional Guide event (Circular patch with black outer stitching. Features a compass and a directional arrow plus a lake and a snow-capped mountain range. Text is in black stitching and the background of this patch is light blue)

-White Pines District “Watch Us Grow” 2003-2004 (Ontario) (Adorable hand shaped patch with three layers of outer stitching: dark green, royal blue and brown. Text takes up the entire palm part of the hand and is yellow and black. The background of this patch is dark 'hot' pink)

-“70” (This was an anniversary patch that celebrated seventy years of Guiding in Canada) (Patch is shaped sort of like a chubby bullet with beige-taupe coloured outer stitching. The background colour is the same as the outer stitching; the number “70” takes up most of the patch and is in navy blue and medium blue stitching. A navy blue trefoil appears in the centre of the zero

-“1929 – 1999” (Good-sized square patch with white outer stitching. Shows a pretty picture of a brown Girl Guide cookie with the a yellow trefoil and “1999” on it, as well as a yellow number seven with an old fashioned GGC trefoil, the date “1929”, and a trillium flower, all on a white background)

-“2003” (Patch shaped like the number "2003". The first number is gold coloured, the second is a chocolate GG cookie, the third number is a vanilla GG cookie, and the forth is dark brown coloured. Patch background is solid white)

Canadian Challenges

-Asia Pacific Challenge (This pink diamond shaped crest – with a thin line of white outer stitching – is part of a series of challenge crests which explore the 5 WAGGGS regions. It features an image of a person's face below part of a globe and above a tiny navy trefoil. Text in white stitching)

-Girls in Motion Challenge Ontario Council (Gold level) (Wide diamond shaped patch with metallic golden coloured outer stitching. Features a picture of girls playing on the letters “GIM” which is written in multi-coloured text. All other text and a small trefoil are in metallic gold stitching on a white background) x 3

-Girls in Motion Challenge Ontario Council (Silver level) (Wide diamond shaped patch with metallic golden coloured outer stitching. Features a picture of girls playing on the letters “GIM” which is written in multi-coloured text. All other text and a small trefoil are in metallic silver stitching on a white background) x 2

-Girls United Filles Unies (Round patch with turquoise outer stitching. Shows numerous multi-coloured figures holding hands while standing on a rainbow circle with a navy blue trefoil in the centre. The words “Prev Net” and a tiny red and white maple leaf also appear on the bottom centre of the patch)

-Top of the World Challenge Manitoba (Square patch, fuchsia-violet coloured outer stitching, green background, shows a Guide jumping over a globe with a navy trefoil to her left side) x 3

-Water For All (This cute patch is shaped like a water droplet, with dark yellow outer stitching. It features an image which shows an all dark blue cityscape melding into the shape of some trees, above a blue and yellow heart and a blue trefoil. Text is in dark blue stitching) x 4

Canadian "General" Guiding Related

-Campfire Cooking (Circular patch with yellow outer stitching. Shows a silver frying pan with a fried egg in it over a fire with orange flames, on a blue background. Text in orange with a small orange trefoil on the right side of the patch)

-First Time Camper (Semicircular shaped patch with navy blue outer stitching. Image is of a redheaded girl shinning a flashlight up into the night sky and illuminating a bat. Text and a white trefoil are in white stitching, and this patch has a navy blue background)

-Girl Guide cookies (This cute little patch consists of a stitched chocolate and a stitched vanilla GGC cookie on a white background; no outer stitching. No text appears on this patch)

-Girl Guide Cookies/Biscuits des Guides (White square shaped patch with the aforementioned bilingual text plus the words “Cookie Seller/Vendeurs des biscuits” written in white stitching on a red ribbon with a golden yellow trefoil in the middle of the ribbon. Patch also features a green maple leaf and a red maple leaf in the bottom left-hand corner) x 2

-Guiding Is Tree-Mendous (Square patch with dark orange outer stitching. Features the image of a tall green tree on a golden yellow background. Text is in super dark blue stitching)

-Guiding Together Whatever The Weather (Round patch with teal blue outer stitching. Image is of two grey tents and an extinguished campfire, all of which are getting heavily rained on. A small teal blue trefoil appears in the top centre of this patch, which has a dark grey background. Text is in teal blue stitching)

-Happiness is being a Brownie (Orange circular patch with a smiley face and the aforementioned text stitched in brown)

-Happiness is being a Guide (Blue circular patch with a smiley face and the aforementioned text stitched in white)

-Happiness is Hiking (Square patch with yellow outer stitching. Shows two feet wearing red hiking boots and royal blue socks, standing over top of a tiny emerald green trefoil. Text is in emerald green stitching, and the background of this patch is canary yellow) x 2

-Happiness is being a Spark (Pink circular patch with a smiley face and the aforementioned text stitched in dark pink/fuchsia) x 2

-Happy Hiker (Patch is shaped like a large petal with a flat bottom, and has brown outer stitching. Image is of a smiling Guide on a hike, with a royal blue trefoil in the bottom left hand corner of the patch. The background is yellow and the text is in green stitching)

-I <3 Sparks (Adorable patch shaped like a teddy bear, with the image of a beige teddy – wearing an pink shirt that says “I <3 Sparks” on it – in brown stitching. This patch is textured and feels like a fuzzy sticker)

-Just Gotta Camp (Round patch with turquoise outer stitching. Features an orange tent with a green trefoil on, situated in the woods. The background of this patch is light turquoise blue and the text is in black stitching) x 2

-Knot Expert (Patch is shaped like a shield with a rounded bottom, and has emerald green outer stitching. Image features a length of yellow string/cord swirling around a toothbrush, comb and pair of scissors. A small yellow trefoil appears toward the centre top of the patch, which has a navy blue background. Text is in yellow stitching)

-Rainy Day Camper (Round patch with turquoise-green outer stitching. Features a red and purple umbrella, with a purple trefoil on it, getting pelted by purple rain against a backdrop of turquoise-green trees. “Rainy Day” is in red and “Camper” is in purple stitching, and the patch has a white background)

-Rainy Day Camper Girl (Rectangular shaped patch with yellow outer stitching. Shows a girl wearing a yellow raincoat and rubber boats standing in the rain, with a medium blue coloured trefoil alongside her right leg, all on a light green background. Text in medium blue stitching)

-Spark Sleepover (Shows a Spark in a beige sleeping bag on a pink background with the words “Spark” in pink and “Sleepover” in sky blue, with a sky blue trefoil on the bottom right side) x 2

-Spark to Brownie (Rectangular shaped patch with turquoise outer stitching. Shows a multi-coloured rainbow stretching out to reach a brown toadstool. This patch has a white background and does not include any text)

-Tidy Camper (Beige coloured patch that's shaped like the image it depicts, which is of a girl sitting at the opening of a tent, alongside a stack of firewood, rolling up a bedroll. A light green trefoil appears on the bottom left corner of the patch. All text, and the majority of the image stitching, is in light green) x 2

-Whatever The Weather (Square shaped patch with dark blue outer stitching. Shows a colourful image of a campsite featuring a red tent, beneath a white cloud that's raining multi-coloured music notes, all on a light blue background. All text (and a small trefoil in the bottom right hand corner) is in dark blue stitching

Canadian Silks

-B.C. provincial silk (Black silk with the outline of the province of British Columbia and a white dogwood flower)

- B.C. provincial silk (Red coloured silk with the outline of the province of British Columbia and a white dogwood flower)

-B.C. provincial silk (Sky blue coloured silk with the outline of the province of British Columbia and a white dogwood flower)

-“Because I'm A Woman” (Dark purple square silk. Shows the outline of a woman wearing flared pants and a shirt with bell sleeves, plus a trefoil in the top left hand corner of the silk. All text, and the outline of the woman, is in medium purple)

-Canadian Friendship silk (Rectangular shaped silk with a white background. Shows a red maple leaf with a dark blue trefoil on it and the word 'Canada' written beneath it in royal blue. [Please note that CF silks are reserved for giving to/trading with people outside of Canada, as stipulated by the GGC. Canadians can easily obtain them from any Guide shop, for their own personal use/collection]) b

-“Discover Thinking Day 2007” (Black rectangular silk featuring three human figures, the aforementioned text, plus the words “The Western Hemisphere Region”, “Dominica”, and “Your Potential”. One figure and its corresponding text is red, another is blue and the third one is yellow. The word “Discover”, a trefoil in the top left hand corner, and the WAGGGS symbol on the bottom right hand corner are all in white. The words “Thinking Day 2007” are in a beige-cream shade) x 2

-Dominica Twinning Project (Light blue silk featuring the image of a festively dressed Dominican woman in front of the shape of the country of Dominica. Text in black with a tiny black trefoil on the bottom left hand side of the silk)

-Girl Guide Cookies Biscuits des Guides (Green and golden hued rectangular shaped silk with the aforementioned text in white. This silk looks just like the written logo on the GGC chocolate mint cookie box)

-Girl Guide Cookies Biscuits des Guides (Yellow and orange hued rectangular shaped silk with the aforementioned text in white. This silk looks just like the written logo on the GGC chocolate and vanilla cookie box)

-Guides Canada maple leaf flag silk (Rectangular shaped silk which shows red maple leaves falling down atop a blue trefoil and the word “Canada”, which is also in blue, all on a white background) x 2

-Guides Canada Quebec silk (Square shaped navy blue silk showing the outline of the province of Quebec plus a Blue Flag iris, Quebec’s provincial flower. Text and small trefoil in the bottom right corner are in white )

-Guides Canada triangle maple leaf silk (Triangular shaped silk which shows numerous red maple leaves surrounding a medium blue coloured trefoil, all on a white background with a band of medium blue around the perimetre of the silk) x 2

-“Guiding Is A Lot More Fun Than Anything Under The Sun” silk (A barley rectangular shaped patch – aka, it almost looks like a square – which features an artistic looking sun with triangles and lines for its rays. Text is in gold coloured stitching in a square around the sun. The sun itself is half navy blue and half gold. The background of the silk is navy blue) x 2

-Toronto Area Cookie Seller 2005 (Light sky blue coloured with a grey and black silhouette of the Toronto skyline and CN Tower)

Canadian Earned (Merit/Proficiency) Badges (and Patrol Emblems)

(Please note, if you click on the name of each earned badge it takes you to a picture of that badge for easy reference. These pictures are not my own, but instead (most of them) hail from two other collectors' amazing GG/GS collections, those of Sparklegarden (Beth) and my good friend, Louise St. Germain)

Older Brownie triangles (All badges, unless otherwise noted, are brown triangles with brown outer stitching and yellow stitching for the emblems themselves. As these badges tend to be a bit old – triangle badges were discontinued in the mid 1990s – they have often softened on the back a bit, while the front remains in great shape. If a given badge that I've got listed has any other flaws or issues though, I will list them beside the patch in question)

-Astronomer (Triangle badge with the image of the Big Dipper constellation)

-Art Appreciation (Triangle badge with three triangles which join together at their points to form the shape of a larger triangle)

-Artist (Triangle badge featuring an artist's pallet and a paint brush) x 2

-Athlete (Triangle badge with the image of a Brownie with her arms stretched out to her sides) x 2

-Baker (Triangle badge featuring a birthday cake with candle in it)

-Bannock Maker (also sometimes referred to as “camp cooking/cook”) (Triangle badge that shows a frying pan over a campfire)

-Beadworker (Triangle badge showing a band loom-work style beading)

-Booklover (Triangle badge featuring an open book)

-Camp (Triangle badge with the image of a girl roasting marshmallows over a campfire, in front of a tent and a tree)

-Canada (Triangle badge featuring a large maple leaf)

-Collector (Triangle badge with the image of a magnifying glass)

-Cooking/Cook (Triangle badge that shows a pot with steam rising from it) x 3

-Crafts (Triangle badge featuring a chain of paper dolls)

Endangered Species (Triangle shaped badge with a whale spouting water)

Explorer (Triangle badge with the image of a footprint. *Please note that there is a little mark on the footprint stitching of this badge that looks like it came from a ballpoint pen*)

-Friend To Birds (Triangle badge featuring a wooden bird feeder)

--Golden Bar (The Golden Bar emblem is a small rectangular badge – not a triangle – which features a thick golden coloured bar in the centre) x 2

-Golden Hand (The Golden Hand emblem is a small rectangular badge – not a triangle – which shows a gold coloured hand making the Brownie Promise sign)

-Holiday (Triangle badge which shows a handkerchief bundled up and tied to the end of a stick) x 2

-Hostess (Triangle badge featuring the image of a teapot with steam rising from its spout) x 2

-Housekeeper (Triangle badge that shows the head of a push broom) x 3

-Jester (Triangle badge featuring the image of a smiling elf-like being's face)

-Native Lore (Triangle badge which shows the image of a tepee and an igloo)

-Needleworker (Triangle badge with the image of a pair of scissors with the blades spread open)

-Neighbour (Triangle badge featuring a mailbox and a telephone) x 2

-Observer (Triangle badge with the image of a rabbit with its back turned, as in a position of intense observation)

-Nutrition (Triangle badge with the image of an apple in the centre of it) x 2

-Outdoor Adventure (Triangle badge with the image of campfire and tree in front of a hill)

-Provincial Heritage (Triangle badge featuring an old fashioned spinning wheel)

-Puppeteer (Triangle badge with the image of Pinocchio's head looking to the left side of the badge) x 2

-Singer (Triangle badge featuring a music note)

-Toymaker (Triangle badge with the image of a wooden boat which similar in appearance to an ark) x 2

-Winter Adventure (Triangle badge featuring a pretty snowflake) x 2

-Writer (Triangle badge with the image of a scroll of paper and a quill pen)

Older Brownie rectangles (Rectangle shaped badges that were used during part of the 1990s and early 2000s. All badges, unless otherwise stated, have a brown background and either golden yellow, orangey-red, or green outer stitching)

-Crafts/crafter (Golden yellow outer stitching with a picture of various sewing/craft items in almost turquoise blue stitching on a brown background)

-Cyclist (Green outer stitching with the image of a bicycle in yellow stitching)

-Friendship (Reddish-orange outer stitching with a picture of the earth being encircled by a trefoil that's attached to a string, in yellow stitching)

Older Brownie Opening and Widening My Windows Challenge badges (This series of Brownie challenge badges were in place during part of the 1990s and early 2000s. There were three 'windows' which were square shaped and three smaller semi-circle shaped 'widening my view' badges, one each of which corresponded to the window badges)

-Opening My Window On People (Square shaped badge with reddish-orange outer stitching. Features the smiling faces of five girls on a light blue background)

-Widening My Window On The Outdoors (Semi circle shaped badge with green outer stitching. Features three brown hued geese flying toward a yellow sun on a light blue background)

Current Brownie badges (The current Brownie badges are very colourful and hexagon shaped (either standard hexagon or longer, rectangular hexagon shaped). They no longer have embroidery on them, but instead more resemble woven silks)

-Key To Camping (Long, rectangular length hexagon shaped badge with a green inner background and a Brownie key in yellow and goldeny-orange) x 2

Brownie patrol emblems (Older Canadian Brownie patrol/Six emblems were square, newer ones are round. Both styles have brown outer stitching, a brown background, and an image of an elf, fairy, pixie, dryad or other similar mythical being in the centre)

-Elf emblem (Older square style Brownie emblem featuring a light blue elf wearing a pointy hat on a brown background)

Other Brownie related badges and emblems

None at the moment, but do check back often, as I've had items before (such as “Brownie Wings”) which fall into this category

Girl Guide circle badges (All badges, unless otherwise noted, are small navy blue circles with navy blue stitching around their outside perimeters)

-Athlete (also know as “sport”) (Pair of green and white tennis rackets with a white tennis ball)

-Baker (also known as “Tasty Treats”) (Orange and white loaf of bread) x 7

-Bird Watching (also known as “Bird Watcher”) (Blue coloured bird in flight)

-Business Communication (current design) (A cell phone, day planner and pen)

-Campfire Leader (Orange coloured flames rising up from a pile of logs)

-Citizen (older design) (Green maple leaf [Backside of this patch is quite soft, but the front is in great shape])

-Collector (Pink and white seashell) x 2

-Conservation (Three green pine trees on a hill comprised of brown wavy lines)

-Creative Craft (Two beige-white coloured hands) x 3

-Dancer (Silvery figure with her arms outstretched in dance) x 3

-Dairy Farmer (A cute brown and white cow)

-Engineer (aka, “Engineering”) (A telescope, a gear, and a computer)

-Farming (Figure driving a red and white tractor)

-Fitness/Keep Fit (Green coloured female figure with her arms in the air) x 2

-Fire Safety (Red and white fireman's hat [Backside of one of the two copies of this badge that I have, has softened a little, but it's still perfectly presentable and in terrific shape on the front]) x 2

-Folklore (Brown rocking chair with a pink and white blanket on it, alongside two blue coloured books)

-Forestry (also known as “Woodman”) (This is the older design of the forestry Guide badge which was used until some point during the 1980s. It shows a golden yellow axe stuck into a brown tree stump) x 3

-Forestry (current design) (Two green trees) x 2

-Heritage (Geographical shape of Canada in solid red stitching with a thin white border)

-Heritage Homeskills(An old fashioned style log cabin in the woods)

-Hiker (Golden yellow female figure with a walking stick and a pack-sack on her back)

-Home Nurse (Large white first aid style cross)

-Hostess (currently called “Event Planning”) (Emerald green teacup and saucer with steam rising from the cup) x 2

-Law Awareness (Set of yellow judicial scales) x 3

-Music Fan (aka, “Music Lover” and “Music Appreciation”) (Blue treble clef music note)

-Musician (Silvery coloured music note)

-Outdoor Adventure (Yellow figure climbing a green hill) x 2

-Outdoor Cook (Grey pot over a red campfire) x 2

-Peace (Silver dove and peace sign)

-Performing Arts (Also called “Creative Drama”) (A pinky-purple hued pair of happy and sad faced theatrical masks) x 2

-Pet Sitter (Black and grey spaniel-like dog)

-Photographer (aka, “Picture This”) (Light silvery white coloured camera shutter)

-Postal/Mail (Blue envelope with white wings coming out of it)

-Poultry Farmer (aka, Poultry Farming) (A white and red chicken’s head)

-Premier Soins/First Aid (French text in white and English text in red stitching) x 2

-Provincial Heritage (Tawny brown hued old fashioned spinning wheel)

-Scientist (aka, “Science”) (A fish, a round bottomed glass beaker, and an atom)

-Sewing (also known as “Seamstress”) (Silvery grey coloured pair of scissors) x 2

-Skater (Shows one white and pale blue ice skate and one white roller skate [Backside of badge has softened a little, but it's still perfectly presentable and in terrific shape on the front])

-Snowshoeing (aka, “Snowshoer”) (Two brown snowshoes)

-Swimming (also known as “Swimmer”) (Silvery-white coloured dolphin)

-Tracker (Features a singular green footprint with the toes pointing vertically toward the top of the badge)

-Water (Two rows of raindrops falling down over top of some rippling waves)

-Weather (also known as “Weatherman”) (Gold coloured weathervane with a red roaster figure on its top point)

-Wildflowers (Shows one yellow and one white dandelion [Patch is slightly faded, but in otherwise terrific shape with a solid, sturdy backing])

-World Guiding (Turquoise blue trefoil on top of a yellow grid style globe with four arrowhead-like compass points coming out of it) x 2

-World Neighbour (Neighbor) (One white and one brown hand reaching toward each other over top of a blue “grid style” globe)

-Writer (A white scroll of paper with a red quill pen that's sitting in a white coloured inkwell)

Girl Guide 'Exploring' Challenge emblems (All four badges in this series were dark royal blue – with either red, green, yellow or white stitching – and had three parts each: Encountering, Exploring and Discovering)

-Encountering My Community (Large hexagon base) x 3

-Exploring My Community (Smaller chevron shaped part) x 3

-Encountering My Future (Large hexagon base) x 4

-Exploring My Future (Smaller chevron shaped part) x 3

-Discovering My Horizons (Smaller chevron shaped part)

-Encountering My Horizons (Large hexagon base) x 3

-Exploring My Horizons (Smaller chevron shaped part)

-Encountering My Outdoor Environment (Large hexagon base) x 3

-Exploring My Outdoor Environment (Smaller chevron shaped part) x 2

Girl Guide camping badges (For a number of years, a series of three blue, squared patches existed that Guides could earn as they advanced their camping skills. I've seen them go by a couple of different names, but often the three stages are listed as being: Basic Camper, Experienced Camper, and Advanced Camper)

-Advanced Camper (Camper toasting marshmallows over a campfire in front of a tent and some trees, on a blue background. I've also seen this patch going by the name “Camp-out”)

-Camper (Yellow tent and a campfire on a blue background)

-Experienced camper (Blue tent and trees with a starry sky, on a blue background)

Current Girl Guide badges (Calling a category by this name is slightly misleading, as some of the navy blue, round Guide badges are still in use. However, on top of such badges, a number of others have recently been introduced. These new badges come in three different shapes (depending on their respective themes): square (in two sizes), rectangular and one shape which is somewhat like a cross between a triangle and a pentagon with almost rounded corners)

-Camp Out (Triangle/pentagon shaped patch with dark green outer stitching. Multi-coloured stitching shows a Guide packing up a campsite, on a black background)

Girl Guide patrol emblems (All Guide patrol emblems, unless clearly stated, are navy blue circles which are larger than Guide badges, and which feature a coloured design – usually a bird or variety of flora – in the centre)

-Green Clover (Three green three-leaf clover leaves growing off of one stem)

-Lily of the Valley (Pretty little white flowers and four large green leaves)

-Red Rose (A lovely red rose appears in the centre of this emblem)

Pathfinder Badges (Between the creation of Pathfinders in 1979 and the early years of the 21st century, girls in this age group [12–14+] had the option of earning five – later six – round badges which were each offered in three stages: bronze, silver, and gold. Plus a four part badge which formed the shape of an arrow, which was called the “Be Prepared” arrow. These badge have now been replaced by a new and entirely different series, of which I do not yet have any and would be delighted to trade for. Please note that I only have the levels of the older Pathfinder badges that you see listed. I am lacking gold level badges and would love to trade for some, if you happen to have any available)

-Bronze Community Emblem x 2

-Silver Community Emblem

Bronze Camping Emblem x 2

-Silver Camping Emblem x 2

- Bronze Home Emblem

-Silver Home Emblem x 2

-Bronze Leadership Emblem

-Bronze Outdoor Emblem

-Silver Outdoor Emblem

-Silver World Emblem

Canadian Pins

Service stars (All service stars, unless otherwise noted, are made of an unmarked metal and are gold in colour with a grip style back that's a separate piece which one would put on the underside of their garment to hold the pin in place. They're six pointed stars with round circular faces upon which the service year number is embossed so as to be raised slightly. These pins are no longer is circulation, and have been replaced by a newer silver coloured round version, so for pin collectors these star shaped pins are a must)

-1 (first) year service star x 6

-2 year service star x 10

-3 year service star

-4 year service star x 2

-5 year service star x 2

-6 (or 9) year service star

-8 year service star

-10 year service star

-13 year service star

Enrollment pins (Unless otherwise stated, all enrollment pins are the ones which are currently in use by the GGC and its members)

-Brownie enrollment pin, current version (A gold toned Brownie fairy figure on a thin bar shaped pin) x 2

-Girl Guide enrollment pin, current version (An easily recognizable true classic; this entirely gold toned square pin shows a large trefoil in the centre, with the words “Be Prepared” beneath the trefoil)

--Pathfinder enrollment pin, current version (Identical to the Guide pin, except that the trefoil and outer perimeter of the square are a lovely bright green shade. Note that the pin that I have to trade has a few extremely small marks on it. I've tried to clean it with warm water and mild soap, but some of the marks remain. These little scuffs in no way detract from the pin and its still entirely presentable and very pretty)

Branch specific (non-enrollment pins)

-Brownie Fun & Adventure key pin (Cute gold toned pin in the shape of an old fashioned key with an orange Brownie elf-type figure on the handle. This pin is handed out as a Brownie prepares to fly up/advance to Guides)

Other assorted GGC pins

-Guide Canada tree pin (A lovely gold toned pin that's shaped like the image it depicts, which is of three green pine trees over top of the words “Guides Canada” in gold text on a dark blue background)

-Guides Canada maple leaf flag pin (Rectangular shaped pin which shows red maple leaves falling down atop a blue trefoil and the word “Canada”, which is also in blue, all on a white background) x 2

-Ontario Friendship pin (Lovely little pin in the shape of a White Trillium, Ontario's provincial flower, with a gold coloured trefoil in the centre of the flower, and the word “Ontario”, in gold toned metal, at the bottom of the pin) x 2

-Ontario Volunteer pin (Triangular shaped pin with a blue background. Shows a White Trillium, Ontario's provincial flower, with a gold toned trefoil in the centre and the word “Volunteer” on the bottom of the triangle) x 2

USA Girl Scout Councils (Please note, if the name of the state is not included as part of a Council's name, I've indicated in brackets, after the Council name, which state a given patch hails from)

-Conifer Girl Scout Council (Arkansas) (Horizontally rectangular patch with medium blue outer stitching. Features that two state outlines on pine green girls with a pine tree in a blue diamond between the two circles. Text is in back stitching and the background of this patch is yellow)

-Girl Scout Council Napa Solano (California) (Rectangular shaped patch with a rounded top and turquoise outer stitching. Features a lovely and highly detailed image of a pair of hot air balloons floating over top of a green field. The image has a pretty border at the bottom comprised of purple grapes and white daisies. The background of this patch is dark blue and the text is in white stitching)

-Girl Scouts Columbia River Council (Oregon) (Octagon shaped patch with royal blue outer stitching. A detailed patch with various little pictures in the middle such as a bird, trees and a mountain, a bridge, and a pear and apple. The background of this patch is white and the text is red stitching)

-Girl Scouts Homestead Council (Nebraska) (Round patch with royal blue outer stitching. Features the image of a brown wooden building/house, a grey monument and a green tree on the state of Nebraska. The background behind the images is light green, behind the text – which is in royal blue stitching – it's light blue)

-Girl Scouts-Indian Hills Council (New York) (Round patch with very dark navy blue outer stitching. Lovely, heavily stitched image is of a Native American's head amongst a grove of birch trees, over top of a blue river. All of the patch is stitched and the text is in white stitching)

-Girl Scouts in the heart of PA (Pennsylvania) (Patch is shaped like the outline of the state and has a thin border of black stitching. Background is white with the image of two stick figures holding a red heart. Text is in red stitching)

-Girl Scouts Mt.Wilson Vista Council (California) (A lovely patch that's shaped like a rectangle with a rounded top. Patch has dark blue outer stitching and features an image of a beautiful red rose, grey mountains and a large yellow sunburst, all on a medium blue background. Text in yellow stitching)

-Girl Scouts of Genesee Valley (New York) (Wide, arrowhead shaped patch with black outer stitching and text. Shows a pic of an apple tree beside a river that runs alongside of some buildings and hills, on a light blue background. Text in black stitching)

-Girl Scouts of Greater Essex and Hudson Counties (New Jersey) (Round patch with red outer stitching. Features a city skyline in blue overlooking a row of green trees, with the words “New Jersey” in white stitching, between the two parts of the image. All other text in dark blue; patch has a white background)

-Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana (Kentucky) (Oval shaped patch with emerald green outer stitching. Shows the heavily stitched image of two girls peering down upon a lush green river valley that leads to setting/rising sun. A pretty red bird appears on the left hand side of the patch. The background is light blue and the text is in emerald green stitching)

-Girl Scouts of Palm Glades Council, Inc. (Florida) (Large oval shaped patch with medium green hued outer stitching. Features a beautiful and detailed picture of a cityscape with tall grey buildings in front of a large yellow sun, with a lake/ocean with a boat, a person canoing, alligators and a turtle. Text in black) x 2

-Girl Scouts of Rhode Island (Slightly angularly shaped rectangular patch with turquoise outer stitching. Features the shape of the state with the letters “r” and “i” in dark green on it, over top of a turquoise body of water. The background of this patch is white and the text is in black stitching)

-Girl Scouts of Santiam Council (Oregon) (Oval shaped patch with dark pine green outer stitching. Shows a yellow sun over a blue lake, green trees, and brown hills/mountains, with clouds in the sky, all on a light blue background. Text in dark blue stitching) x 2

-Girl Scouts of Southwestern New York (Good sized semicircular shaped patch with black outer stitching. Image is divided into three main sections, each with an image in it: one with the state of NY, one with a campsite, and one with a sailboat. Background behind the images is steely blue coloured and behind the text – which is in black stitching – it's white)

-Girl Scouts San Diego-Imperial Council Inc. (California) (Round patch with black outer stitching. Image is divided into four heavily stitched portions: yellow sun rays, blue waves, green trees and a quarter with a black background on which the text – in yellow and green stitching – appears)

-Girl Scouts Susitna Council Alaska (Rectangular patch with a rounded top, and black outer stitching. The image on this pretty patch is of the Big Dipper constellation, the shape of Alaska in purple stitching, a purple snowcapped mountain range, and four purple animal tracks. All of the text except for the word “Alaska” – which is in deep green – is in black stitching, and the background colour is medium, almost cerulean, blue)

-Girl Scouts Trillium Council (Pennsylvania) (Rectangular patch with sky blue outer stitching. Features the image of a lovely white Trillium flower on a rectangle of very dark green stitching. The general background of this patch is dark blue and the text is in yellow stitching)

-Heritage Trails Girl Scout Council (Round patch with dark royal blue outer stitching. Image is of a yellow tepee, a royal blue coloured covered wagon, and some green trees behind a segment of railway track. The background of this patch is white and the text is in medium green coloured stitching)

-Hoosier Capital Girl Scout Council Indiana (Round patch with black outer stitching. Features an image of a red race car, a monument, and what looks somewhat like the four points of a compass, all on a white background. Text in black stitching)

-Hudson Valley Girl Scout Council (New York) (Good sized square patch with a curved top. This patch has dark green outer stitching and features the pretty image of a multi-sailed boat sailing past industrial looking grey buildings. “Hudson Valley” is in deep yellow coloured stitching and the other text is in dark green. The background of this patch is sky blue)

-Michigan Waterways Council of Girl Scouts (Round patch with sky blue outer stitching. Image is of a white bird on a wooden pier in front of a body of water with a large ship on it. Background is light blue and the text is in yellow stitching)

-Moingona Girl Scout Council (Iowa) (Patch is shaped like the state of Iowa, with a tin border of royal blue outer stitching. Image is of rolling green hills with a blue river in front of them. The background of this patch is white and the text is in black stitching)

-Ozark Area Girl Scout Council (Missouri) (Triangle shaped patch with white outer stitching. Features three different images: a buffalo and a sunflower with the initials “KS”, a horse and a flower with the initials “MO”, and an oil derrick with the initials “OK”. The background of this patch is pale dusty blue and the text is all in red stitching)

-Patriot's Trail Girl Scout Council (Massachusetts) (This patch is shaped like the simplistic outline of a house with a pointed roof, and has royal blue outer stitching. The image is of a glowing old fashioned candle lamp, with a small banner beneath it that says “Est 1980”. The background of this patch is white and the text is in royal blue stitching)

-Peacepipe Girl Scouts (Minnesota) (Patch is shaped like a traditional Native American peacepipe with two blue feathers attached to its handle. There's a thin black border around the pipe itself, which is composed of two shades of brown. Text is in black stitching)

-Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council (Pennsylvania) (Round patch with white outer stitching. Shows a lovely pink sprig of Mountain Laurel flowers on a white background. Two green GSUSA trefoils appear, one each on either side of the flowers. Text is in green stitching)

-Redlands Council of Girl Scouts, Oklahoma (Good sized oval shaped patch with light blue outer stitching. Image depicts five figures swinging on a swing set with the words “It's A Swinging Place To Be” beneath them in black stitching. The background of this patch is light dusty blue, and the location related text is in red stitching)

-Tanasi Girl Scout Council (Tennessee) (Vertically rectangle shaped patch with rounded corners and dark brown outer stitching. Heavily stitched image is of a person holding a walking stick looking out at a valley with lots of green hills and a blue river alongside a tree. The background of this patch is light brown and the text is in yellow stitching)

-Terra del Oro Girl Scout Council (California) (Semi-circle shaped patch with yellow outer stitching; shows the sun rising over a brown mountain, green trees and yellow flowers on a white background. Text in dark green stitching) x 2

-Thousand Islands Girl Scout Council (New York) (Good sized shield shaped patch with medium green outer stitching. Image depicts three rings that overlap on top of each other somewhat. Amidst the rings are the images of a person canoing, the WAGGGS symbol, the American flag, the GSUSA trefoil, a red tent, and a hand making the Girl Scout promise sign. The background of this patch is a celery green hue and the text is in brown stitching)

-Wilderness Road Girl Scout Council (Kentucky) (Round patch with chartreuse green outer stitching. Image is of a yellow pathway leading toward some green trees, with the outline of Kentucky overlapping the pathway. Background is navy blue and the text is in yellow stitching)

-Winema Girl Scout Council (Oregon) (Rectangular patch with slightly curved top and bottom sides, and white outer stitching. Shows the heavily stitched image of a girl sitting on a grassy hill looking out over a lake and some grey snowcapped mountains. All of this patch is covered in stitching; the word “Winema” is in yellow and the other text is in teal blue stitching)

USA Girl Scout Events/General Topic

-Arts and Crafts Girl Scouts (Multi-coloured crayon shaped patch with yellow writing)

-At The G.S. Sock Hop March 2005 (Cute pink, white, golden yellow and black circular patch with stitching that resembles the groves in a record and white music notes)

-Brownilympics 1984-2004 (Navy blue and gold patch shaped sort of like a ticket stub with a five point star in the upper right-hand corner)

-Early Bird (Circular teal patch featuring a cute turquoise coloured bird flying over a field of yellow flowers against a yellow sun)

-Girl Scout Calendar Sale 1996 “Be Your Best” (Square patch with dark purple outer stitching; shows 4 people dancing on the snow capped tops of four green mountains)

-Health and Fitness GSUSA (Square patch, red outer stitching, features four squares one each with the following: the sun, a heart with heart rate monitor style lines over it, a running shoe/sneaker, and an apple)

-Thinking Day '95 (Square patch with rounded corners, red outer stitching; shows a globe and compass rose with “95 written on it, all on a medium blue background)

-1995 Cookie Volunteer (Oval shaped patch with green outer stitching, featuring a fish swimming along the ocean floor and near near the words “Incredible Voyage”)

International

International patches, silks and badges

-Canadian issued WAGGGS symbol patch (Round medium blue patch with outer stitching in the same colour. Features the golden yellow WAGGGS trefoil in the centre. There is no text on this patch) x 2

-Guides Australia (Rectangular patch with royal blue outer stitching. Features the Australian GG trefoil and a little golden yellow star in the centre. Text is royal blue underlined in gold, all on a white background) x 2

-UK (British) Friendship badge/patch (Square patch with black trim; shows various types of flowers, each of which represents a country in the UK, on a white trefoil on a light sky blue background) x 2

-UK (British) Friendship silk (White and turquoise, square shaped silk. Features various types of flowers, each of which represents a country in the UK, on a trefoil)

-Western Hemisphere silk (Square shaped white silk with blue and orangey-yellow hued North and South American continents and a WAGGGS trefoil in the left top corner of the silk) x 3

International Pins

-Canadian issued WAGGGS trefoil pin (Round medium blue coloured pin that features the golden yellow WAGGGS trefoil in the centre, with a golden yellow border around the perimetre of the pin) x 2

-Western Hemisphere pin (Square shaped white pin on a gold toned background. Shows an image of blue and orangey-yellow hued North and South American continents, with a WAGGGS trefoil in the left top corner of the pin)

World Centres (There are four World Centres, which are open to WAGGGS members from around the globe. They are: Pax Lodge in England, Our Chalet in Switzerland, Our Cabana in Mexico, and Our Sangam in India)

-“Universal Friendship at Pax Lodge” (England) (Good sized rectangular patch with rounded corners, and royal blue outer stitching. Features a colourful rainbow with the golden yellow and blue WAGGGS symbol on one end and the royal blue Pax Lodge symbol on the other. The rainbow runs over top of a portion of the world globe. Text is in a lovely shade of medium green, and the back ground of this patch is white. [Trades for 2 A/D/Ds, US Council patches, or other location specific patches or pins, or one World Centre patch/pin])

Jessica's Girl Guide & Girl Scout Patch and Memorabilia Collection

2008-01-10T22:30:00.005-05:00

“Collecting has been my great extravagance.
It's a way of being.” Howard Hodgkin

How I became interested in patch collecting and trading

Like many girls and women from all corners of the globe who are involved with Girl Guiding and Scouting, I've long been enthralled with the notion and practice of collecting items related to this fulfilling pastime. As a youth I avidly collected and traded crests/patches and silks, sewing them (along with my Pathfinder sash and a few old earned Brownie badges that had belonged to one of my aunts) diligently onto a campfire blanket which I fashioned out of a grey fleece blanket. I whip stitched all of the outer edges and the neck hole with teal coloured wool, and using multi-coloured sequins and tiny seed beads, I stitched my first name (Jessica) on the back. I loved and treasured that blanket, but like so many things from our childhoods, I fear that it's been lost through many moves and conditions beyond my control (there's a very vague chance that it still exists at the home of a relative, but I need to investigate that in person one day).

In the fall of last year (2007), I decided that I was going to begin collecting patches (or as we usually referred to them when I was in GGs, crests) again for the first time in close to a decade. Starting a patch collection isn't the easiest of tasks for most people, but it's even more challenging for me, as I'm not enrolled in Guiding at this exact moment and so do not get a chance to avidly interact in person with fellow Guiding members.

However, I usually always love a good challenge, and so I set off to find patches online. So far I've had mixed success, but am delighted to say that I've been able to start a collection of crests not only from Canada, but also the US and even a few international destinations.

What I am currently interested in collecting

As my collection is practically brand new, I had to decide what Guiding related items I wanted to most focus on collecting. While the honest truth is, I'd not likely turn away any Girl Guide or Scout related piece, at the moment I am most interested in the following:

-Any patch, crest or silk from anything or that nature related to the Girl Guides of Canada, or any past or present facet of Guiding in Canada (including items pertaining to the 'Guides francophones du Canada'). This very broad description includes such things as national, provincial, area, division, and district crests/silks; camp crests; cookie and calendar seller crests (and often silks); challenge crests and patches; and event crests (for example, “Thinking Day” or “Hike for Hunger”). Really, if it is a crest, silk, patch or even pin and it relates to Canadian Guiding, I'm super interested. That said, I'm most interested of all in collecting national, provincial, area, division, and district crests/patches/silks from all across Canada, and would love to trade with you if you're also into these things!

-Canadian earned badges, pins, buttons, Patrol Leader stripes (or any stripes such as Seconders or Sixers), patrol/pack/troupe emblems, etc from any branch (Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers, etc) of Guiding (from any era).

-US Girl Scout Council patches: To begin with I'd like to get at least one council patch from each American State and then (or in the process) move onto collecting one or more patches from each of the former 319 US Girl Scout councils (in the summer of 2006 the number of US councils was dramatically reduced and currently is at 109 Councils nationwide).

-Patches from around the world: I am massively interested in hopefully, one day, being able to have at least one patch/silk/crest from each of the 144 countries that currently belong to WAGGGS. If you're an international trader, please don't hesitate to contact me, it's almost a given that my “newbie” collection does not yet contain your item(s).

-I very much like the idea of collecting US and international earned badges, but don't yet really have a collection of these. If you'd like to trade any earned badges, feel free to drop me a line.

-In addition to the above, I am really keeping my eyes peeled for anything related to Girl Guiding and Scouting in Italy. The reason being that while I'm Canadian, my darling husband is a born and bred Italian, and so as a way of honouring his wonderful culture, I'd love to gather Italian related items.

-Lastly, I'm causally (aka, as I encounter them, I'm not hunting such items down feverishly) into collecting “plush” Canadian Girl Guide items such as the various dolls, stuffed animals, and teddy bears (and their respective outfits and accessories) that have been put out over the years. Though I never owned any of these items, I remember when I was a Pathfinder and my little sister was a Brownie, the “Guide doll” had the option of wearing a Brownie or Guide dress (this uniform, sadly – it was so elegant – is no longer produced in human or doll size). I'd love to get one of each of those doll uniforms (plus any other “vintage” outfits). I'm not sure if there's a big following of doll/plushie collectors, but I'm certainly one.

(On a bit of a side note, if you have any patches, silks, crests, pins or even earned badges that you'd like to sell, I am certainly interested and can be contacted via email.)

Things that I'm not avidly collecting right now

At the moment I'm not really collecting (Canadian, US, or International) uniforms/ties/sashes (unless they have badges/patches on them), flags, camping related items (though I am very interested in the possibility of purchasing Canadian campfire blankets with crests/patches/silks/etc on them), stationary and postcards, or postal stamps.

I'm also not really too interested in US camp or activity patches, though I've amassed some already. Council patches however, are a definite yes!

My specific Canadian collecting needs

Everything! No, I'm just kidding, well..... But seriously, again, as my collection is in its infancy, I really do need a phenomenal number of Canadian crests. Whereas the US has a very finite number of councils (previously 319, currently 109), the quantity of areas, divisions, and districts (A/D/Ds) in Canada is such a large number that it's practically only surpassed by the number of kilometres it takes to drive from one side of the country to the other.

While there are concise lists of all of the US councils which can be found on numerous people's websites, it would appear that many Canadian collectors have come to the same conclusion that I reached when I recently began collecting again, there just isn't an “absolutely definitive” list of all of the Canadian A/D/Ds (and by this I really do mean the GGC does not appear to release such a list to the general Guiding population). Though a few people, bless their hearts, have given very, very earnest and wonderful attempts to cataloguing as many A/D/Ds as they possibly can.

On her fantastic site, Guidingproject.info, website creator and fellow collector Louise St. Germain , estimates that she has identified upwards of 2,000 different Canadian areas, divisions and districts. Wow, that's a huge number! Granted a small percentage of these A/D/Ds may no longer exist (or may not have, or ever had, crests), but still, that is a staggering number of patches to be on the prowl for and certainly more than enough to keep myself – and tons of other collectors – busy for a very long time.

Specifically, my heart lights up the very most when it comes to collecting patches, crests, and silks from British Columbia (my home province), Alberta – especially Calgary, and the Yukon/Northwest Territories/Nunavut (my maternal grandmother hails from Dawson City in the Yukon, and my childhood was peppered with her fascinating tales of growing up in the great white north, embedding in me a lifelong love of all things from the “land of ice and snow”). But truthfully, I really am wild about crests (and like) from any location in Canada and happily will trade for crests/silks/pins from any part of the country.

*I would absolutely love to collect a Canadian “All Around” cord(it's blue and almost identically resembles the Canada Cord , except that it's blue and white, not red and white as the Canada Cord is). If anybody has an All Around cord trade, I'm immensely interested.*

Would you like to trade?

As you may have gathered, I absolutely love to trade and collection patches and other pieces of Girl Guide/Scout related memorabilia. If you're the same way, or are trading on behalf of someone who is (a young daughter or relative without a computer, for example), I would love to trade with you, or even just discuss Guiding.

Feel free can check out my duplicates and traders page. I update this list every time I get a new trader or send out a trade and therefore remove it from the list. All trading inquiries and other email topics can be sent via email.

I look forward to trading with you, and sincerely thank you for visiting my website. Happy patch collecting to all!

Page last update on: November 30, 2008

Top 10 Places to Find Secondhand Girl Guide Uniforms

2008-01-05T14:34:00.000-05:00

While many people think of the blossom filled season of spring as the primo time to a thoroughly clean out of their abode, I've always preferred to do a top-to-bottom house cleaning at least once a season. I detest clutter and am constantly reevaluating if I really have the need/use for an items (e.g., outdated clothes, two year old magazines, etc). Like many people, I try to make a point of selling, giving away (to friends/family/women's shelters), or donating (to charity) any item which is still in good shape but of no purposeful use to me any more.

Interestingly though, this process is not merely a one way street. I adore – and I do really mean adore – shopping secondhand, combing through garage sales, and haggling for a bargain at swap meets. Inherited from my mother, this love of scouring high and low for that perfect bargain has helped me furnish homes and dress myself all through my life. And while growing my own Guiding related uniforms were bought new (though I might add, with my own money that I'd saved up from babysitting), I distinctly remember that when my little sister joined Brownies, her uniform was a very kindhearted donation from my elementary school best friend.

I think back to that time in my life and am always so grateful for the gift which was bestowed upon my sister, I don't know what we'd have done (for a uniform) if not for my friend Karen's generosity. Reflecting upon these childhood days I started thinking about some of the other places through out my life where I've seen secondhand Guiding uniforms, or where you may very easily be able to come by one.

While there's certainly the option of buying a new uniform, there's no reason to scoff at the idea of giving an existing one a second time around, irregardless of if the choice is financially based or not. In fact, I can't implore you enough to think of secondhand goods as just as worthy and wonderful as newly purchased items. Gently used items often have a life all their own, and tracking them down can be worlds more fun than just buying them new off the shelf.

With that thought in mind, here are my top 10 recommendations for places to find Canadian Girl Guides (Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Seniour Branches, Leaders, etc) uniforms (international readers can still avail of many of these suggestions too, adapting them to the shops and sources which are available in their own respective countries).

-The classified section of your local newspaper(s) and “Buy and Sell” type of papers. The Guiding year usually ends in most parts of the country around June and picks up again September, both of these times of the year in particular are potential hotbeds for ads of people who are selling or giving away outgrown or no longer needed uniforms. Plus, if you don't see an ad for what you want, consider placing a small wanted ad – some Buy and Sell type papers let you post (small) free wanted ads, which means you've really got nothing to lose.

-Online classified websites like Kijijo and Craigslist, both let you post and browse wanted and for sale ads for free. These two websites in particular are of interest because they have numerous locale sites for specific large Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Toronto.

-Value Village: an absolute haven for lovers of frequently rotating secondhand household and clothing items. On almost every trip I've ever made to a VV anywhere in Canada, I've seen Guiding uniforms (especially Sparks and Brownies). Sign up for VV's email newsletter to be informed of when one of their super cool 50% off all merchandise one day sales are going to happen (there's usually at least three such sales a year).

-Whether you call it “The Salvation Army” or the “Sally Ann”, there's no denying that this widely known and well established chain of thrift stores is a handy place to check for gently used uniforms.

-Local thrift stores, consignment stores, and church/charity run used clothing shops. (Check your phone book's yellow page section for local listings. Even very small towns often have at least one secondhand and/or consignment store.)

-eBay: This gigantic online flea market is a mecca for potential uniforms (as I type this article right now, a few quick keyword searches turned up a pink current Sparks sweatshirt and an older style Brownie dress – plus oodles of US Girl Scout uniforms and even some brand new sashes). Check often and consider having email updates for specific keywords sent right to your inbox so that you'll always known when a new item that matches your criteria is listed.

-Check out the ad covered bulletin boards at your local grocery store, library, school, church (or other place of worship), community centre, sports complex, daycare, community theater, etc. If you don't happen across an ad (which is fairly likely), place one with your information and contact phone number, so long as wanted ads are permitted.

-Ask, ask, ask! If you known anyone else with a child enrolled in Guiding (or who has been previously enrolled), politely ask them if they held onto any of their child's outgrown uniforms, and if so would they be willing to share them with you (if the answer is yes, make sure you give them something in return to say thank you – homemade cookies or a night of free child minding are always appreciated).

-Your own backyard! Well, perhaps not your own, but how about the front lawns and driveways of your neighbours and friends. Once the warm weather rolls around, garage sales and outdoor swap meets abound across most of Canada. Check your local paper for upcoming ads and circle all the ones close to where you live, then pack some water, snacks, and sunscreen and head out for a lovely weekend morning of yard sale scavenging :) (Likewise, head indoors year round for swap meets, flea markets, and even auctions and estate sales, you never know when and where the opportunity to pick up a uniform will strike!)

-Contact your nearest Guide shop and/or provincial council and inquire as to if they know of any good leads to find gently used uniforms.

As with all searches, it's wise to start well in advance of when you're actually planning on needing the item(s) in question. For example, if you know that your daughter will be flying up from Brownies to Guides next September, and it's July now, consider starting your search while you still have two months before enrollment (which, incidentally, is also another great place to ask around for possible uniform leads).

It is to the best of my understanding, not possible for a girl (or woman) to be excluded from joining Guides due to a lack of uniform (I've read that in the US, so long as a girl is wearing her enrollment pin, she is considered to technically be in uniform). In many cases, local leaders and Guiding members will likely be happy to try and help provide a uniform or suggest a suitable alternative, so please don't let the lack of a uniform prevent you or your daughter from joining or continuing on with Guiding. Try not to worry if you're on a budget or just looking to source a good deal, with a little diligence, it shouldn't be impossible for you to find yourself or your child a great looking Girl Guide uniform.

(I'd just like to add that if any of my readers are looking to sell or donate secondhand uniforms, I'd be delighted to post a classified style ad with your location and contact information on this site.)

Enter to win Pax Lodge's 2008 Christmas Card Design Contest

2007-12-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

With less than two weeks left until Christmas 2007, few amongst us are already thinking ahead to next year's holiday celebrations (and how can you, with so many presents to wrap, goodies to bake, and parties to attend!). Though if you're an organization and not person however, plans are often made well in advance, and that's just the case with Pax Lodge's recently announced 2008 Christmas card design contest.

Open to all members of WAGGGS, this contest is looking for a winning design (which will be judged by a panel of members of the Friends of Pax Lodge committee) for Pax Lodge's 2008 and Christmas cards.

The contest, which runs until February 28, 2008, will see 12 entries shortlisted, with one overall winner being selected. The chosen entry will earn an “international adventure day” for all members of the winner's group, plus all group members will receive a piece of the “Pax Lodge rock”.

For more information and to print off the entry form, please use this PDF link.

Best of luck and happy holidays to everyone!

Girl Guide and Girl Scout Patch Collecting Directory

2007-12-05T04:48:00.005-05:00

Created (first posted) on December 5, 2007

Last updated on February 3, 2009 (Removed broken links, updated all listings as needed)

Introduction to Patch Collecting

While there is a bounty of fun, interesting and rewarding activities that take place when you belong to Girl Guides (or Scouts), often these activities are limited to the time spent at meetings, on day trips or at camps. Patch collecting however is a Girl Guide related activity which you can enjoy around the clock (even if you're no longer, or not currently, enrolled in Guiding), which may be part of the reason behind its widespread appeal.

Anyone who has been enrolled in, or involved with, Guiding will be familiar with the badges, pins and other insignia that are awarded after completing certain programs and challenges (or that are present as part of the basic uniform). These items are the treasured rewards of our hard work and dedication to Guiding, and are usually displayed on our uniforms in one manner or another (such as on a sash or vest, for example). Patches and crests (and silks) however are not the same as earned merit badges, though in some instances (such as camp attendance or cookie selling) they are earned, they are more often items which are bought (such as at a local Guide shop) or traded for.

Patches and crests are typically small pieces of sturdy fabric backing onto which designs are stitched, embroidered, or printed (they can be virtually any shape, though circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, and diamonds are especially common shapes). The outside edges of patches and badges are often covered with a border of stitching, so as to add longevity to the life of the patch, and to give it added visual appeal.

Anything one can possibly dream up can be stitched or printed onto a patch, though when speaking of Girl Guiding and Scouting crests, commonly we see patches that are designed to represent specific geographical locations (Canadian provinces, areas, districts, and divisions; American councils, for example), events (camps, Thinking Day, commemoratives such as a milestone birthday in the history of Guiding in a specific country, etc), cookie and calendar sales, specific Guiding related locations (Guide houses, Guiding museums, World Guide Centres such as Our Cabana), and general Guiding and Scouting related topics (for example, national Girl Guides of Canada items, things related to Trefoil Guilds, and/or one's current Guiding affiliation such as being a Spark or Brownie).

The terms 'patches' and 'crests' can be used interchangeably, as they both refer to the same type of item. Patch is more common a term amongst people from the US, with crest being the preferred word amongst many Canadians. The word “badge” is sometimes used instead of patch or crest, but generally, by true (at least Canadian) Guiding definition, a badge refers to an item that was earned or awarded for something that a Guide or Scout did as part of their program.

In addition to patches and crests (and badges), there are also silks. A silk is (usually) a small square, rectangle or triangle of fairly thin silky fabric which is embroidered or screen printed with a Guiding related image (cookie selling is a common silk theme). In Canada for example, silks are produced for each province and territory. These silks feature the respective provincial flower of the province, plus the name of the province and usually a trefoil. Another common Canadian theme for silks is to have ones made up that feature the names of the provincial, national and other high ranking Guiding members (such as commissioners). A smaller number of silks compared to crests are produced annually in Canada, though that certainly doesn't stop silks from having a very loyal following of collectors, too. Silks are not strictly a Canadian occurrence; they are also produced in many other countries worldwide (I have many wonderful silks from Australia, for example).

Lots of other items related to Guiding and Scouting are also highly collectible; really anything that a person associates with their time in Guiding, or with Guiding on a broader scale, can be – and probably is – collected. Some people like to collect earned (proficiency/interest/merit) badges (that were at one point likely earned by someone other than themselves), title tapes, patrol/troupe (troop)/Six emblems, uniform stripes (eg, Patrol Leader stripes), US “hamburger” council title patches/strips, pins (these can be anything from service stars to trefoils, and our often highly sought out collectables, especially because they exist for just about every – if not all – countries that have Guiding and/or Scouting programs ), buttons (such as the type of button one might wear in support of their political candidate of choice, not per se buttons that composed the fastenings of a Guiding related uniform), postcards (featuring something relating to Guiding/Scouting), and uniforms (and/or uniform accessories like scarfs) are commonly collected items.

Though of all the items that are traded and collected by Guiding enthusiasts, it is likely patches (crests) that have the very largest following. It's easy to see why: patches are often detailed, beautiful little pieces of art work. They can be displayed (such as on a campfire blanket or camp hat) or simply collected by someone who enjoys them in the privacy of their own home. One can choose to focus on a certain type of crest (for example camp crests or US council patches) or build a more general collection. As with most hobbies, crest collecting is a personal activity with overlapping social interactions (eg, you may trade in person at a camp for crests or may arrange to swap with other collectors through the mail). It's rewarding and – if I may say so – more than a little addictive, but only in the funniest and most innocent sense of that word.

If you want to get started for the first time with a crest (or other Guiding related) collection, a good place to start (or to help your daughter start) is at your local Guide (or Scout) shop (if you do not live near a Guide shop, you can order crests and other items – such as uniforms – through the mail from a national catalog, or in some places, online). There you can usually find crests that feature your local geographical location, plus provincial and national ones too, as well as crests that relate to fun general Guiding topics (and sometimes even WAGGGS/world Guiding related crests and silks). Most new crests and silks will run you anywhere from about fifty cents to a few dollars a piece (often though, they are reasonably priced at under three dollars each).

Girls and women who are actively enrolled in Guiding may also receive patches from participating in various events, activities, and camps. Girls are sometimes also given a few crests (often featuring their local area, division or district) from their Leaders before attending a multi-unit camp (I remember this was the case when I attended SOAR '98 as a Pathfinder). In turn the girls can either save and collect these patches or trade with other campers for patches or mementos from their respective locations, thus allowing a person to build up a broader patch collection.

If you (and/or your child) want to trade patches with others from across the country (or the globe), it's very helpful to have duplicates (often simply called “dupes” or less commonly, “dups”) available that you can trade for crests/patches/silks/pins from people living in other places (of course one is not obliged to trade, though it does tend to make it much easier to collect a large volume of crests from different locations). Once you have a stock of dupes, it becomes much easier to find people who are willing (and often very delighted) to trade with you (in person or through the mail).

As Guiding and Scouting related items are popular trading and collecting pieces, a number of people have created websites (such as personal homepages and Yahoo groups) that focus on (or have a page dedicated to) this very topic. Below is a list of all the sites relating to patch and crest trading that I have located so far. Every time I find a new site, I will add it here immediately. If you happen to have/run/know of a patch trading site that’s not listed, please drop me an email and I will be very happy to add it to the list.

Wherever possible I've tried to list all sites using the names (titles) that the people who created them bestowed up on their own pages. However, in a small number of instances (namely with homepages), sites did not have a formal title or the title was simply too vague/generic (eg, “Patch Collecting”). In such cases I have named these sites myself, by taking an element from that person's page (such as their location or first name). Please, if you see your own site here and would prefer that it be listed by a different name, just contact me and I'll happily change it right away for you.

Each section of links below has been arranged in alphabetical order (with sites that begin with a numerical title preceding those with words as the start of their titles), so that you can easily search for the name of a particular site with out having to scan through the entire page as though it were a word search puzzle :)

This list was initially compiled at the end of November and start of December 2007, at that time, all of the links listed below were active. However, I know that a link can “die” as quickly as a candle flame is snuffed out, so their validity can only be vouched for at the time when they were posted. Do note though, that at least twice a year, I will do my best to go through each link on this entire website (blog) and weed out any that are no longer active.

If you would like to have your patch/crest related website listed here, please contact me via email, and I will add it (please note, no spam pages or sites that do not related to the topic of GG/GS collecting will be posted. Thanks!)

Girl Guide and Girl Scout Collecting Homepages

The following sites are the personal pages of fellow patch and badge collectors from around the world. As a general rule these sites do not sell items; they are about showcasing and/or trading patches.

14th Southport Guides (A UK patch trader's page with a written list of the UK and international patches/silks that she's amassed)

101st Kingswood Guides (A UK Guider's page featuring a list and photos of the patches and silks that she has available to trade)

Andrea's Home and Patch Trading Page (A Massachusetts Jr. Leader's homepage which includes a written list of the US council patches which she needs to complete her collection)

Becky & Tasha's Homepage (Written listings of US council and camp patches, pins, and international crests that – what I'd venture to guess is a mother-daughter team – has amassed)

Beth's Patch and Pin Trading Collection (Site features a fantastic collection of patches and pins with pictures, including the following categories: USA patches, GSUSA 90th Anniversary Patches, Canadian patches, Canadian earned badges, United Kingdom patches, United Kingdom earned badges, Australian patches, Australian earned badges, New Zealand patches, other international countries patches, international earned badges, pin collection, and scarfs and bandannas. This is site is a true must for any serious patch collector!)

Brownie Troop (Troupe) 75's Patch Page (A written list of all of the US council patches that have been collected by this Brownie group, including listings of the patches that have available to trade)

Brownie Troupe 6255 (Includes a photo collection of patches that have been amassed from America, Canada, Australia and the UK)

Cheryl's Patch Collection (A US GS Leader's site featuring photos and written listings of her US Scout council, and anniversary/birthday patches)

Cindy's US Council Patch Collection (Photo and text listings of Cindy's US council, and text only international/WAGGGS, patch collections)

Collen's Badge Trading (An Ontario Guider's patch collecting homepage with written lists of her collected patches and pictures of the ones that she has to trade)

Cyndi's Patch Page (The pretty, butterfly bedecked site of a Girl Scout Leader which showcases a list her collection of US council, and international, patches)

Debbie's Girl Scout Homepage (Features written lists of her collected and up for trades/dupes US council patches)

Girl Guide Crests Homepage (An excellent photo collection of Canadian crests, US council patches, and international crests, compiled by Guider in Comox, British Columbia. Includes a photo page of the crests that she currently has available to trade)

Girl Scout Council Patch History (A detailed, descriptive list of what many US council patches from both the past and from more recent years looked, and still/currently, look like)

Girl Scouts Patch Trading Page (Homepage of a women who has photos up of the US council and camp patches, and council pins, that she has available to trade)

Heather and Adrine's Girl Scout Page (Includes written lists of their US council collection and available US duplicate trader patches)

IRG Nyssa's Patch Trades List (This useful site is a directory of contact information for people from around the world who are interested in GG and GS patch trading. Beside each person's name and email address is a list of the patches that they have available to trade)
http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/4360/traderslist.html

Jacky's Patch Trading Site (Written listings of a collector's US, UK, and international patch collections)

Kim's Own Website (Homepage of a GS Leader with written lists of her US council and Canadian patch collections)

Kim's Patches (Site features photographs of Kim's collection of assorted Canadian crests and earned merit badges)

KT's Patch Page (A New York GS's homepage featuring written lists of her US council, US camp, Canadian, UK, and international patches, plus pages for her US and international pin collections)

Laura Doodle's Patch Collection (A wonderful patch collection featuring photos of US council patches as well as a written list – and a few photos – of the international patches that she's collected)

Laurie's Patch Trading Page (An American GS's written list of the US councils patches and international crests/silks that she's gathered including dupes)

Lisa's Girl Guide Trading Page (Though the creator of this site clearly states that she's not actively trading at the moment, this page makes for a handy visual reference for those who are interested in A/D/D crests from certain parts – such as the Okanagan – of British Columbia, as there are a few pictures of patches to be found here)

Liz's Badge Swapping Page (Homepage of an Irish GG who is currently trading the the “30th World Conference, Dublin, Ireland” patch for other crests from around the world)

London Guider's Badge Collection (Page features photographic lists of earned UK badges, silks and patches that this woman has up for trade. There are also neat pictures of both of her campfire blankets)

Louise's Girl Guide Memorabilia Collection (A vastly interesting and well laid out site created by a woman with a very vested interest in Canadian and international Guiding. Includes pages about her trading needs and her traders/dupes, which include a fair number of photographs covering such items as earned Canadian badges, A/D/D crests, pins, scarfs, and patrol emblems)

May's Patch Girl Scout Patch Trading Page (A cool site belonging to a woman who has completed a quilt with patches from every US GS council. Also lists the sorts of patches that she's currently collecting and what she has available to trade)

Nanook's Trading Page (An Alaskan GS trader's homepage with written lists and photographs of her US and international collections, plus her collection of dupes. As well as a very interesting pages about the history of various GSUSA related patches and pins)

Palm Glades Girl Scout Council (An American GS's patch collecting homepage with a written list of their current collection of council patches and any dupes that they have to trade)

Patch Trading (Troop 809) (A mother-daughter page that lists [no photos] their collection, and available dupes, of US council patches)

Patch trading tracking record PDF (A handy PDF page which you can print off and use a way of easily keeping track of who you've traded patches/crests with)

Patch Trading, Ocean County GSC (A written list of all the American, Canadian, and international patches that a Leader from NJ has amassed)

Pud's Page (A UK Brownie Leader's site featuring written lists of her UK, US, and international patch/silk collections)

Rainbow's Guiding and Scouting Patch Trading Pages and Collection (A Guider's wonderful photo collection of Canadian crests and US council patches, complete with photo links of the crests/patches that she has available to trade)

Sandralee1313's Flickr Album (Featuring pictures of her US Girl Scout council patch and assorted international patch and silk collections)

Sandi & Sydney's Patch Trading Page (A mother-daughter site with lots of pictures of their US council patch collection)

Sarah's Girl Scout Patch and Pin Trading Page (Site includes written lists of her current US, Canadian, UK, and international collections of patches and pins, plus her list of patch needs)

Scout Guide Badges (A superb collection of Boy Scout and Girl Guide patches/silks/pins from Canada and some international locations, complete with photos, composed by a Scouter from British Columbia, Canada. Some items are available for sale and to trade)

Scouting Memorabilia Collecting Information (on Wikipedia)

Tely's index of New Zealand Scout and Guide Badges (A very useful source for pictures of Girl Guide crests and badges from NZ)

Trefoilnet (This site is rich with useful GG and GS general information, plus it features a page with a page with pictures – in PDF form – of the site creator's own Scout and Guide pin and memorabilia collection)

The Scout Patch Collector's Base Camp (A superb Boy Scout Memorabilia site chalked full of collecting resources such as articles, resources, videos, links, and trading portals. Though the focus of this site is on Boy Scouting, some areas of the site may also appeal, and apply, to those who are interested in Girl Scout/Guide collecting. In addition, the site's creator, runs a wonderfully enjoyable blog (the Patchcamp.com Blog) about his interest in Scout collecting.

The Girl Scout Patch (A US GS Leader's patch homepage featuring a list of the council patches which she's collected so far)

The International Badgers Club (A 'by membership' group of people from around the world who enjoy swapping Scout [boy and girl] and Guide patches/badges. Features some images, particularly of UK badges)

Third Sitka Pathfinders (A Canadian Pathfinder's homepage with a written list of Canadian area patches that she's collected and that she currently needs, plus the same thing for her collection of US council patches)

Troop 72's Patch Trade Site (A Mississippi GS's page which includes a written list of all the US patches that she's collected, plus a description and picture of the patch that she has available for trade)

Troop 1087's Place (A written list of all of the patches that an American GS Leader has collected from across the US and internationally)

Vintage Girl Guide and Girl Scout Online Museum (A site filled with images of retro and vintage GG and GS items from around the world including such things as crests, pins, jewelry, and uniforms. A very handy reference point for those who are interested in older GS and GG items)

Sites with patches for sale

The following sites actively sell Guiding and Scouting related crests.

Boy Scout & Girl Guide Memorabilia (A seller/collector of Boy Scout, GS, and GG badges from around the world. Many items for sale)

Scout and Guide Badges (A pretty looking site featuring mostly Australian, but also some international, Guiding and Scouting badges which are for sale)

Yahoo Groups

There are a number of Yahoo groups out there that focus specifically on the subject of patch/crest trading and collecting, and they can be a great way for you to interact with fellow traders from all parts of the globe. (*Important note* Not all Yahoo groups – in general – are moderated with the same level of diligence, which means that sometimes, even on seemingly innocent and child-friendly pages such as those related to Guiding and Scouting, unscrupulous people may post links or messages related to adult themed topics. If your child is interested in joining one or more Yahoo group, please read through some of the groups posts first to ensure that that particular group is not plagued by inappropriate spam message.)

Badges for Thinking Day (To quote this site's homepage, “This group was set up in order to facilitate Girl Scouts/Girl Guides being able to earn and be awarded actual recognitions from Girl Guides/Girl Scouts in another country.”)

Cross The Council (To quote the site itself, "This is a SWAPS group solely for those interested in swapping Council Patches or Council Pins related to Girl Scout/Girl Guide badges.")

GS-GG Exchange Resource Site

GG-GS Patches

GS Patches for Sale or Trade

Girl Scout Patch Trades

Girl Scout Patch Trading

Girl Scouts Trading Patches

Patch Hounds

Scrapbooking and Girl Scouting

Flicker Groups

So far I've only located two Flickr groups which pertain to patch collecting, and in both cases, they tend to be of a more generic patch collecting nature, as opposed to being solely focused on GG/GS related patches.

Amazing Patches

Patch Collectors

Girl Guides and Girl Scouts on Flickr (I created and administer this group; definitely check it out if you’re on Flickr)

Lists of Canadian A/D/Ds, US Councils, and the geographical Guiding breakdowns of various other international countries

The following websites contain well compiled lists of the respective areas, divisions, and districts; councils; or other geographical divisions by which Guiding or Scouting is arranged in a given country. I have used the term “Guiding Breakdown” as a way of describing a site which lists the GG/GS geographical divisions of a given country (please not that this list definitely does not have contain a breakdown for all of the countries that belong to WAGGGS, so far I've only been able to find lists for a small percentage of such countries). In many cases a tremendous amount of work on the part of the person/people who compiled them has gone into these lists, and the entire GG/GS patch/crest collecting community is extremely fortunate to have these resources available to us.

Austria Guiding Breakdown

Australian Guiding Breakdown

Belgium Guiding Breakdown

Canada Patches (To quote the page itself, “Canadian Girl Guiding provincial breakdown into areas, divisions and districts”. An immensely handy reference guide of all of the Canadian A/D/Ds that this particular person has thus far identified and listed)

Denmark Guiding Breakdown

Fiji Guiding Breakdown

French (France) Guiding Breakdown

Girl Guides of Canada Patch and Badge Directory (please note, I termed the aforementioned name as a way of describing this awesome labour of Guiding love): A written multi-part directory, listed by Canadian province/territory, of all of the camps, areas, divisions and districts; earned merit badges, and national Guiding related crests/silks that this woman has thus far encountered (plus listings of her own collections). It is a truly impressive tomb of information.

Girl Scout Council Alphabetical Patch Checklist (This page names all of the “old” US Girl Scout councils)

Italy Guiding Breakdown

Louise's Catalogue in PDF form (ROUGH DRAFT - VERSION 7) (Invaluable for novice and experienced collectors alike)

Malta Guiding Breakdown

New Zealand Guiding Breakdown

South African Guiding Breakdown

Switzerland Guiding Breakdown

United Kingdom Guiding Breakdown

US Girl Scout Councils and their respective websites (A list, arranged by state, of all of the “old” US Girl Scout councils with, where applicable, links to each council's homepage)

US Girl Scout Councils (Arranged by alphabetical order)

Venezuela Guiding Breakdown

What I'm working on right now for this blog

2007-11-23T16:18:00.000-05:00

Though this is very clearly a blog (hello, Blogger :D), in some respects, you can view it as a traditional website, because I am planning to create numerous posts which will become like (website) pages in the sense that they will be displayed all the time on the side of the blog (much like the achieves, etc are).

Some of the ideas for such pages that I've begun work on already are:

-A directory of all the 144 countries which currently belong to WAGGGS (the World Association of Girl Guides [and] Girl Scouts), including their respective founding dates, websites, and WAGGGS pages

-An information page about my own personal Girl Guide patch (crest) trading and collecting (what I have so far, what I trade, what I'm looking for and so on)

-A directory of links to other sites about patch, badge, crest, pin, etc trading and collecting

-A directory of links to sites (including Yahoo groups) that focus on SWAPs (trading, creating, collecting, etc)

I have several other ideas for “static” pages (and oodles of things I want to write posts in general about!), which I jot down as soon as they come to me. One such idea is to create a post with links to all of the Canadian provinces who have online Girl Guide stores (and/or provincially specific items which can be ordered off of the web by sending an order form via fax, email or snail mail).

Most, if not all, of these sorts of pages will be updated and added to often. I will put a “created on” date on each post which is likely to be added to or edited often and a “last updated” date, too. That way you will always know how if there are any new changes to a page which may of particular interest to you.

What do you think? Are there any sorts of topics that you'd really like to see covered here? I'm always open to suggestions and would love to hear your thoughts, which you can share in either the comments section or by emailing me directly.