I loved being a Girl Scout. I just loved it. I loved the camps and the activities and the crafts and yes, I loved that ugly green dress and I still have my sash. I loved earning those badges that my dad helped me earn. I know Laura and Just A Mom are into scouting. Sue’s into 4-H which is very similar.
After an awful lot of years, they are changing the looks and types of badges you can earn. Check them out here. Here is an update on what they kept and got rid of and what new badges they are adding. Here are the Girl Scout Merit Badges and here are the Boy Scouts Merit Badges.
What do you think of the changes? Were you a scout? Are your kids? If not old enough, will they be? What badges do you think they should have and what do you think should be eliminated?
Us Girls..Our Views 
I really don’t like the new look for Girl Scouts. I love tradition and this just seems to break that. The badges are easier to earn as well. The girls in my troop really don’t care for the new look either. I promise I did not sway them either. I tried to be very positive about all the new changes. They can always earn the old badges and if you can find the patches online somewhere they can wear them on their uniforms.
I cannot give an opinion about girl scouts in the States nor in the Netherlands where I grew up, I never join them. My sons never joined the scouts which I always felt sad about. I could not pursuit them to do so.I believe it is a good part of a child’s education.
I do have a question about girl scouts. did it make you a different person ? I mean, if you hadn’t join the girl scouts, would you be a “different” person?
Ellen, in my opinion it gave me great leadership skills which I have used all throughout my life. It also gave me a group of friends with whom I am still friends with to this day. I can also be thrown out into the woods for a week and manage to come through fairly well!
I was never a scout, nor was anyone in my family. They had requirements that you basically couldn’t meet if you had a working mom or a very tight budget.
The badges sound interesting, but I don’t know enough about them to judge.
Lately I have heard that the girl scouts have a liberal agenda that I don’t want to participate in. For example, it seems that that some of their programs encourage teen girls to experiment with sex. I don’t know if I’m getting the straight story, but I will be very wary about getting my kids involved in Girl Scouts or pretty much any other large organization.
I do think it would be great for them to get involved with a youth organization that encourages a lot of old-fashioned outdoor fun. At 45, there’s only so much my body can do. I did promise them that next year, I will take them for an overnight in a tent. My back is already in pain at the thought. Ah, a mother’s love knows no bounds.
I wasn’t in Girl Scouts, but I was a Blue Bird. But, I didn’t make it to be a Camp Fire Girl (12 yrs old) I did love it. I wish I still had my vest!
I think programs like this are great for young kids. If I had a daughter that wanted to get involved in something like that, I’d be all for it. Same for if my son wanted to be a scout. He just never had any interest in it.
Girl Scouts are updated much more than you are letting on. I heard on the news just this week that they have agreed to let a boy who is living his life as a girl join! Seriously.
It’s too bad that they’re changing the badges from the older traditional ones…