From retro to historical
Experiences as a Leader, Reminiscing 1 Comment 
badges we don't need no stinkin badges, history, retro, traditions
Yet again, I’ve been wanting to update the blog for a month now, but real life kept getting in the way. But I’m back, jack!
Anyway, we had our first GS meeting as Juniors yesterday, and I think we’re going to have a good year. I love this age. We kicked things off with the GS Way badge to get back into the swing of GS. As I was looking through the badge activities, I saw some of the badges I earned as a Junior featured! Yay! But then I read what the blurb said:
“These historic badge activities.” So now I’m historic. After re-reading it, I realize that it’s not calling me old per se, but still, at first I associated it as being old. Yeah. But then I picked myself up out of the pity party and said, “Hey, I’m just part of a long line of Girl Scout traditions.”
And then I saw this:
1980? What, that wasn’t that long ago, was it? Oh. Well, I wasn’t a GS yet in 1980, so I’m not THAT old, right? 🙂 I’m not quite sure I’ve accepted being 40 yet. At least mentally, I haven’t. Bah! Get off my lawn, kids! I rode my bike uphill both ways on my way to GS meetings! We had to weave our own fabric and dye our own thread to make badges when I was growing up – and weeeee liked it!
BTW, that Musician badge was one of my favorites!
You think YOU feel old when one of your badges is called “historic”? I was a girl Scout in the 60’s. Quite literally. I started Brownies in the fall of 1960 (no Daisys back then). I was a Brownie for three years, then flew up to Intermediates in the spring of ’63. My Intermediate troop met a bit over the summer and earned two badges, Adventurer and Backyard Camper. Then in the fall, everything changed and suddenly, we’re second year Juniors! I earned Troop Camper, which
looks identical to Adventurer; same design, new name and requirements. So whenever I show someone my badge sash, I usually end up having to explain why I have “two of the same badges”. More recently, GS came out with a scarf of “vintage” badges. I proudly wear the Historian’s (Promise) scarf, so I was eager to see this new one. Vintage my foot! They were all from the 90’s! Somehow, I just can’t bring myself to call something “vintage” that came around 20 years AFTER I graduated out of GS!