Thanks PP! I'll try them.

I've been running into problems with the Council's Own badges because the councils are discontinuing their badges or are saying that the badges are unique to their area so can only be earned while you are visiting that council, unfortunately. I guess I'll just get on the ball and order what I can, quickly, before they are all gone.

They are also phasing out anything like boating, swimming, camping because those aren't specific to a particular area. Yet there are no badges for Brownies/Juniors on those skills.

Many councils have their own badges in addition to the standard ones. Try doing a search of the councils in the North West and see if you can find any Council badges that have more outdoor themes and just order those. This link has a few that might work for you. I have been a leader for 7 years and was a Girl Scout for 12. I am a big believer in following the spirit of the law. If your girls are excited about a topic then follow their enthusiam and just find a badge that the picture works. Make up your own badge requirements following the same format as the current badges and then just make sure you girls know how they earned it so that if someone askes "what is that badge?" They can answer with excitement about all they learned while earning it.
http://www.girlscoutsosw.org/Storefront/c-192-gsosw-council-badges.aspx

I believe you can design your own badge once per year.

Also the Chesapeake Bay council has more outdoor-oriented badges. See here: http://www.gscb.org/02_for_girls/awards_recog/councils_own_awards/council_awards.html

Thanks, PP!

We have done the hiker badge (such as it is) this year. I was looking around for a more advanced hiker's badge through "Council's Own" but the only one I can find is "Hike the Appalachian Trail" and they aren't ready for something like that.

Can troops design their own badges? I am thinking of trying to cobble something together through Council's Own and Fun Patches but the girls do enjoy earning "official" Girl Scout badges... they just would prefer more outdoor and skills oriented activities. Also it seems many of the Council's Own badges are being discontinued.

Hiker seems like it might be a good badge to do. I would encourage you to go with your girls' interests. My girls are older and I've seen their interest in the program wane when I've tried to stick with what GSUSA wants us to do vs what they want to do. This program is all about girl leadership, so I would honor their input and desires and get them involved in planning. You could design your own badge incorporating some of what they want to do.

You'll be following the original spirit of Girl Scouts, so I say go for it. I wish our girls shared these interests!

Anonymous wrote:Check with the Council on what they may have in the way of outdoor programs in the coming year. Sometimes they do just daylong events and sometimes they'll do an overnight. Our troop did both and they were a lot of fun. Especially the local day long event. For first aid, maybe you can get someone to come in and do something with them although I think the official program is for older girls.

OP here. There is a First Aid Badge for Brownies, so that one's fine.

We can certainly do all those other activities with the girls. But would we be following the Brownie Girl Scout program or just making up our own stuff?

Check with the Council on what they may have in the way of outdoor programs in the coming year. Sometimes they do just daylong events and sometimes they'll do an overnight. Our troop did both and they were a lot of fun. Especially the local day long event. For first aid, maybe you can get someone to come in and do something with them although I think the official program is for older girls.

We are planning for our Brownie troop next year (they will be 3rd graders) and my co-leader and I have asked the girls which badges and Journeys they want to do.

We've already done one JOurney and many of the more interesting badges. They looked the possibilities over, but aren't that excited about most of the badges remaining.

They told us what they want to work on: swimming, boating, camping and campfires, bicycling, ice skating, first aid, whittling/jack knives, fishing, and anything having to do with horses.

I know that we don't HAVE to do things to get badges; we can just do activities on our own as a troop, of course. And you can always buy the "fun patches". But I'd like to tie their interests to the actual Girl Scout Brownie program is I can.

Can you think of badges or Journeys where these mostly outdoorsy interests would fit in?