What are SWAPS

What are SWAPS you may ask they are?

Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere.
Swaps have been around for a long time, however they are still the perfect way for Girl Scouts to meet each other and promote friendship. Each swap is a memory of a special event or Girl Scout Sister that the girls meet along their scouting adventures.
There is a new name floating around for a swap its called Share with a Pal.

So here is a little info on Swaps

A must for all swaps:

Have a tag with Event, date, Troop # and where they are from (you will see some examples later on).    So if I were making swaps for thinking day it would read something like this.

World Thinking Day

Feb 12, 2013 Troop ####

 Can put your council on if it’s a larger event)

(Name of swap)  Fork Flowers from the 1920’s

Represent something about the girl, troop, country, event you’re attending, ECT...  you catch my drift

Do and Don’ts for Swaps

Do not refuse to swap with another person that is just plan rude and shows you have no manners.

DO: Swap face-to-face, especially if exchanging addresses or email information.

Avoid using glass and sharp objects in swaps. (Yes I know safety pin can be sharp but how else with the girls pin them on their vests?)

Follow all Safety Activity Checkpoints guidelines and other rules.

Avoid using food products, unless they are individually wrapped. (I normally stay away from food, as you never know who is allergic to what.  Scary thing is our troop had to refuse (frowned upon) on medical issue (ok to do if its life and death) to swap with another troop do to they used peanuts and 2 girls in our troop got sick from touching them and the smell so please keep that in mind.

Swaps Makers

Plan ahead so there's time to make the swaps. 

Consider making something from donated or recycled material. This is where the left over scraps from crafts come in.  You do not need to spend and arm and leg for these.

Be creative have the girls come up with an idea and have fun making them if you have a lot to make consider having the girls make so many apiece between meetings.  Set aside a meeting to work on them while talking about the event and such.  Do not for get the parents!!!  Put them to work if they are sitting in the meeting.  They can help make, count, attach tags and pins as well.

Try to have one swap for each event participant and staff member.  Even if it means making 500 or more!

Swaps should be made to be worn, displayed or used. Some of these the girls will pin to their vest, hat.

OH NO WE MADE TO MANY SWAPS WHAT NOW?

Do not trash them!!! 

Things you can do with extra swaps are

Make sure the troop each has one

Send them to pen pals

Attach them to thank you and gifts of caring  (you can always change the tag on the swap to fit the need)

Start a swap in your council store.

Juliette Gordon Lowe’s Birthplace has swap bins