Several troop favorites are now part of the newly retired Girl Scout badges. Where can leaders find them?
This past May, the GSUSA made the decision to retire the following badges:
- Brownie Inventor
- Brownie Potter
- Brownie Painter
- Junior Jeweler
- Junior Drawing
They are being replaced with these badges, which are not as craft specific:
- Animal Observer (replacing Potter and Inventor)
- Art and Design (replacing Entrepreneur)
- Craft and Tinker (replacing Jeweler and Painting)
- Create and Innovate (replacing Drawing and Product Design)
Overall, leaders are not pleased with the changes. These retired Girl Scout badges are the most hands on and crafty ones, and they are also quite popular with the troops at these levels. Brownie and Junior leaders do not have an issue with new badges; it was not explained to them the reasons why the old ones were retired. Why couldn’t the badges stay and just add new ones to the mix?
Can Troops Still Earn Retired Girl Scout Badges?
The short answer is, yes, they can. Once official, always official.
Where Can Leaders Find Retired Girl Scout Badges?
Now that these Girl Scout badges are retired, there has been a scramble to find them. Here is a list of places where you may be able to find them.
Girl Scout Shop Online and Local
Some of these badges, like the Girl Scout Junior Jeweler badge, are still available in the online shop. (those sold out quickly!)
You can also call your local shops in your state and surrounding states to see if they have any in stock.
Girl Scout Facebook Groups
Leaders tend to have extra badges on hand. You can ask in the multiple groups to see if anyone has any for sale.
eBay, Mercari and Poshmark
Online marketplaces often have Girl Scout badges for sale. Just be aware that sellers are going to ship these via USPS Ground Advantage, and the cost is based on distance. They cannot be mailed in an envelope with no tracking because the sites will hurt their account if there is not tracking attached to the order.
Ask Your Fellow Local Leaders
If you attend your Service Unit meetings, you can ask other leaders if they have any in their stash that you can trade or buy outright. That will save shipping costs.
Good luck finding these retired Girl Scout badges!
