SWAPS - Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere

By -


SWAPS - Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere

by Cassie R.
 

My earliest experience with Girl Scout SWAPS was in second grade when my Brownie Troop went Association camping at Camp Blue Bay. I remember seeing older Girl Scouts trading little hand-made pins with other Girl Scouts, almost like trading baseball cards only instead girls would trade hand-made mementos that shared information about themselves. They would share and exchange these gifts with friends and sisters, building a bond with Girl Scouting as the common thread. These pins came in all shape, sizes and colors; in unique and creative designs. I remember wanting to swap as many SWAPS as I could, gathering tons of new Girl Scout friendships.  

SWAPS (aka "Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere") are small mementos which are handmade and represent the girl, her country, her community, or her background. SWAPS often have a little note or tag attached to them that provides a name, troop number, address or email and sometimes, even a little quote or message… this is so that new friendships and pen pals can be formed with Girl Scouts from other states or countries.

Over my years as a Girl Scout, I have seen many creative SWAPS! From butterflies to lollipops, to camp fires and frying pans. SWAPS are all about being creative and sharing your favorite things with Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from all over the world. 

Learn How to Make SWAPS>>

Learn all about SWAPS>>

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Make a Sit-Upon Using a Reusable Shopping Bag

By -
Image
With some many Girl Scout spending their summer outdoors and at camp, now is the perfect time to talk about sit-upons... a great item to bring on any outdoor adventure . So, when we were challenged to make a sit-upon, we decided to do what Girl Scouts do and use our resources wisely... so, we used some items that we had on hand. Here is what we came up with: Supplies needed : Scissors Already read newspaper Reusable shopping bag Duct tape (we used gold glitter duct tape of course, but an type of duct tape will do) Instructions: Cut the sewed seams of the reusable shopping bag.  Lay the reusable bag out flat (waterproof/plastic side down) and place the newspaper on one half of the laid out bag as shown.  Fold the other side of the bag over the newspaper so that the newspaper is sandwiched between the two sides of the reusable shopping bag. Using the duct tape, tape the seams of the bag that are open so that the newspaper is sealed into the b
Read more

How To...Tie a Girl Scout Scarf

By -
Image
By: Paige D., Intern Have you been trying to find new ways to wear your Girl Scout scarf? If so, then today is your lucky day. We here at Girl Scouts of Nassau County are running a new mini blog series on how to tie your Girl Scout scarf. For those of you who don’t know, Donna Ceravolo has been recognized for her wide variety of scarves and different ways to tie them. You never know what you might find Donna wearing, from simple square knots to elaborate bow ties; your selection will never seem dull! Throughout this mini-series we hope to inspire your creativity when it comes to stepping up your Girl Scout uniform! You can pick up one of our beautiful scarves in the Girl Scouts of Nassau County shop, or online at shop.gsnc.org/store/ . Follow the simple step-by-step instructions and you'll be on your way to a whole new updated look for your Girl Scout uniform! The first scarf we are using is a long and narrow silk scarf . First, you must fold both edges of scarf to meet in
Read more

Working at a Girl Scout Camp by Maggie Robinson

By -
Of all the different first jobs a young person could have, summer camp counselor is simply the best. Other regular jobs won’t leave a young person with as well-rounded a skill set as summer camp and in my (incredibly-biased) opinion, being a Girl Scout summer camp counselor is even better for introducing young minds to the workforce. Growing up I had two dreams: become a world famous best-selling author and be a Unit Leader at Camp Blue Bay. Thanks to my experience working at summer camp, I’ve already been able to achieve one of my lifelong goals! (And as soon as I finish my novel, I’ll complete the other one…)  It all started 15 years ago. I was 8 years old and enjoying the sleepaway experience at Camp Blue Bay for the very first time, but my camp counselors were an enigma to me. They were teenagers and college kids who were also adults, and they were cool but also responsible?? I had never met a person like that before. They were friendly and helpful when I misplaced my water bottle
Read more