Anyone who knows me, knows how nostalgic I am close my iii years every bit a Girl Scout. I was a Junior from 1980-1983, dorsum when 4th, fifth in addition to sixth graders were Juniors in addition to Daisies hadn't been created yet.
In 1982, my troop took a weekend trip to Skyland Ranch close Banning, California. Sitting inward the guild i black at Skyland, eating chocolate pudding out of H2O ice cream cones, the leaders gave us an activity: blueprint a badge for the upcoming skate party. This was a big deal! Not alone was the political party going to live held at Skate Depot, our love local skating rink, but it was a contest! I loved to depict in addition to I loved contests.
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| The Lodge at Skyland Ranch |
With groovy zeal, I got to work. My master copy badge blueprint looked something similar this:
Notice the trefoil. I didn't know it at the fourth dimension but council's could non role the trefoil on council's own patches. The residual of the weekend nosotros did crafts, sang songs in addition to hiked upwards to the travel past times of Timber Peak (below) where nosotros signed our names inward a majority that was inward a box at the peak.
It wasn't also long earlier my troop friends, leaders in addition to parents wondered why I wasn't reacting to the news. It WAS me! I had won. My leaders told me my spell was chosen because of its unique shape. It was a cast that hadn't been used before. Below is the actual patch:
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| Minus the trefoil :) |
To say that black had a groovy deport upon on me would live an understatement. It was a black where I felt important, talented in addition to proud. Winning also had a lasting deport upon on my confidence inward my creative abilities. Moments similar this, truthful moments of pride inward oneself, is hence of import for girls--moments non based on physical appearance, stuff possessions or popularity.
My iii years inward Girl Scouts coincided amongst years of extreme fiscal hardship inward my family. My dad had lost his chore due to wellness issues in addition to nosotros were on the verge of losing our home. My woman nurture worked 2 jobs: a solar daytime chore processing credit applications for dairy farms in addition to a black chore at Hallmark. My older sis also worked at Hallmark in addition to contributed her net income to our family. My trivial sister, who is half dozen years younger than me, was born amongst lung problems in addition to was real susceptible to pneumonia inward her commencement v years of life. When our house's heater caught on burn inward the wintertime of 1981, my parents were unable to receive got it repaired. The mutual depression temperature solid exacerbated my sister's lung issues in addition to contributed to her chronic pneumonia. Ultimately nosotros lost our dwelling inward 1983.
Winning the competitor didn't "fix" my life, or accept away my worries. But it meant hence much to the insecure, scared trivial daughter inward hand-me-down clothes. The same trivial daughter who worried close her household unit of measurement in addition to her dwelling was simply trying to live a normal 9, 10 in addition to xi twelvemonth old. That night, skating closed to amongst my hands inward my pockets in addition to a smiling on my face, all of my problems roughshod away. It was a brief reprieve but an of import one. At the 1982 Tagoma Skating Party, I was a Girl Scout commencement in addition to foremost. But to a greater extent than than that, I was a Girl Scout amongst courage, confidence in addition to character.
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Other 80's Nostalgia!
If y'all were a Girl Scout inward the 1980's, y'all in all likelihood scream upwards that nosotros had carmine hoodies that held our participation patches. Remember when Girl Scouts sold calendars? Official insignia was placed on the sash every bit it is today. There weren't vests dorsum then. I receive got a hoodie at i time that I role for my leader patches. I teach hence many compliments when I wearable it. #gspride |
| My vintage carmine hoodie |
