Little Miss C pulled open a drawer in the study earlier and in doing so found Mr C's old Scout camp badges (and some swimming awards – I had no idea I'd married a man so talented!) and it got me thinking about my time in the Brownies and Guides.
I still have all my old badges from my three years in the Brownies and year in the Guides. I went away to camp a couple of times and was quite jealous of the camp blankets that some of the older members had with their many many badges on them. In my attempt to be like them I started collecting sew on badges from pretty much everywhere I went and they all went on my travel rug along with my guiding badges.
The ones from tourist attractions far outnumber the ones I actually earned, and looking back at them now I wonder why on earth I chose to put them all on such a colourful blanket. They look hideous!
I loved my time in the Brownies and was quite sad that when I moved at the age of 11 or 12 I couldn't find another Guide group close to where I was as I wish I'd been able to be involved for longer. I also hope that LMC will be interested in joining when she's old enough. Bearing in mind I was a Guide and her Dad a Scout I'm guessing some desire will have rubbed off on her. What I may look to do before then though is find a plainer blanket for my badges (and if he lets me Mr C's Scout badges too) and then maybe she can take it to camp one day with her.
Looking online I'm amazed that I can't find a full detailed list of all old Brownie and Guide Badges and details of what they were. The following is therefore from memory and if I get the time I may even set up some pages myself as I'm sure I can't be the only person who wants to know what they all were for!
Picture 1 – Guide cap badge
Picture 2 (L-R) – Musician, Jester, Hostess, Collector, Pathfinder interest badges
Picture 3 – First Aider, Animal Lover, Swimmer, Craft interest badges
Picture 4 – Green badge (name forgotten) showing I was in Brownies for 2? years, Blue badge showing I was in Brownies before becoming a Guide, Gnome, Kelpie and Sprite patrol badges
Picture 5 – Venture badge (something to do with going on a trip with Brownies I think), Footpath, Road and Highway badges (no idea how I got there, but I do remember being annoyed that they changed the style before I got three that went together!), seconder and sixer stripes, Guide Writer and Collector badges, Guide Snowdrop patrol badge.
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