Rockford Girl Scouts

Swaps

SWAPS are:

"Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere"

"Shared With A Pal"

What are SWAPS?

SWAPS are little handmade crafts that Girl Scouts give or trade with other Girl Scouts as a special remember me gift. SWAPS can be simple or complex, cheap or expensive, whatever the maker desires. SWAPS are usually small. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on SWAPS. Many people make them out of scraps or natural materials.
Most SWAPS are made with pins attached so they can be pinned onto a camp shirt or hat. However, SWAPS do not have to be pins. They can be bracelets, necklaces, council patches, event patches, or other small items. SWAPS should NOT contain edible food. Food items can't be kept as keepsakes and they attract bugs and critters when outdoors.

SWAPS History:

"SWAPS" can trace their roots to POTLATCH the Native American custom of a ceremonial distribution of gifts (see Potlatch section below).
The idea of SWAPS started at the original National Roundup Conferences. At that time a "SWAP" was a little remembrance that one Girl Scout gave to another.

What is a Potlatch?

A ceremonial feast among certain Native American peoples of the Northwest Pacific coast at which the host distributes gifts requiring reciprocation. From the Chinoook patshatl, meaning, "to give".
Potlatches were social celebrations given by coastal tribes to celebrate important events such as the ascension of a new chief, rites of passage for girls and boys, birth, marriage and death. Members of the local tribes were invited for common potlatches, while elite's invited guests from many tribes. Depending upon the tribe, the potlatch took on many forms, but most lasted for several days and included singing, dancing, games and eating. A host could easily find himself bankrupt from throwing a single potlatch, but because of the prestige for himself and his clan, it was considered well worth the price and all of the effort. During the potlatch, there were ceremonial exchanges of gifts between those in attendance. They included canoes, blankets, food, equipment and jewelry, as well as household items.

Why SWAP?

The girls and leaders "SWAP" these tokens with new friends they make at various events. SWAPS are made and given to promote friendship and to make new friends. Swapping allows us to share our handiwork with other scouts and to bring back a memento of a special occasion. SWAPS can be exchanged at Council, Association or Service Unit Events (such as Jamborees, Encampments, Day or Twilight Camps) and at an inter-troop cookouts or campfires. Cadette and Seniors going to a Destination may want to SWAP. Many troops that visit Birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low exchange SWAPS with troops they meet there.

Planning and making SWAPS

SWAPS should be hand made. Store bought things take away from the concept of the gift. Each girl should decide how many SWAPS she wants to trade. She may make them all the same, or make everyone different. SWAPS can be made during part of a troop meeting, during a special meeting called for the purpose of making SWAPS, or with examples shown at the meeting, with the SWAPS to be made by the girls at home. If you are making SWAPS in your troop, give the girls an assortment of beads, small wooden shapes, paints, markers, ribbons, felt, chenille stems, and let their imaginations go wild. It is a good idea for the Leader to have several SWAPS samples on hand as an example for those girls who cannot think of a single thing to make. SWAPS usually tell something about the person who made it or about the area or region that they are from. They can also represent the theme of an activity or event. Instruct the girls to create their SWAPS with a safety pin attached, or some way of wearing the SWAP.
If you are attending an event as a troop, encourage each girl to make a different SWAP. This will prevent an overabundance of your SWAPS.

SWAPS In General:

Think about the kind of SWAP that you would like to receive from someone else. Try not to spend tons of money. SWAPS are hand made, thus the girl is giving a part of herself to show friendship. Something made from donated or recycled material is more in the spirit of the SWAP. Plan ahead so you have time to make SWAPS. Make them portable. You must carry SWAPS to the event and others will be carrying them away from the event. Swapping is a good way of starting correspondence with Scouts from other states and countries. For this reason you usually attach your name or troop number and address or e-mail for future reference.

Exchanging SWAPS:

SWAPping "do’s and don’ts" vary from council to council but there are some basic rules that everyone should be aware of. SWAPS for trade are carried separately from the ones you want to keep. Keepers are frequently pinned on to hats or bandannas. SWAPS for trade can be in a SWAP bag or plastic bag.
It is considered rude to refuse to swap with someone who asks. Even if you don’t like the item you have been given or already have an identical SWAP, accept it politely and give them one of yours with a Girl Scout smile. (Try to make your SWAPS something you would want to receive.) ALWAYS say thank you!
On the day of an event, each girl will come with her SWAPS and will mingle with other girls, trading her SWAPS. Leaders may want to come prepared with a few extra SWAPS for girls who were absent when they were made, or who may have left their SWAPS at home.

Wearing and Displaying SWAPS:

SWAPS are traditionally pinned on a SWAPS hat. This hat could be part of your troop identification. Perhaps matching painter's caps in your troop color. Some troops use lanyards to hang their SWAPS on. Never wear SWAPS on the front of your Girl Scout Uniform.

Other Neat things to do with SWAPS:

• Make a display or scrapbook for events or troop visits.
• Put the SWAPS in a memory box or shadow box.
• Make a quilt.
• Give the SWAPS away with your thank-you letters to sponsors and folks who helped you go on your trip.
• Attach pins and patches on a hat or jacket or scarf.

Where to find more ideas and information:

Here are several websites with more information. Some of these sites are offering kits you can buy. You may not want to buy the kit, but you can get ideas from pictures on the website. Also try EBAY and again there are many SWAP kits for sale to give you ideas.
There are also several YAHOO groups dedicate to SWAPS.
• www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/swaps
• www.scoutswaps.com
• www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/Program/CraftsSwaps.htm
• http://swaps-a-lot.ecrater.com/
• www.angelfire.com/ct/cgrob123/swaps.htm
• www.makingfriends.com

Flag in a Bag

Supplies:
2x3 ziploc bags
13 stars
7 red ribbons
6 white ribbons
1 small blue square
1 safety pin

The card has a poem on it and it is titled:
Ingredients For Freedom
A heaping cup of red, for courage true
For loyalty, a dash of heavenly blue
For purity, a layer of snowy white &
a sprinkle of stars to make it just right.

A. Put supplies in ziploc bag.
B. Make a card to pin to the bag.

Flag on a Safety Pin

Supplies:
1 Large Safety Pin
13 Small Safety Pins
24 Blue Beads
53 Red Beads
40 White Beads

A. Make 6 small pins with 4 blue beads, then alternating red, white red, white end in a red bead.
B. Make 7 small pins with alternating red and white beads four times then end with a red bead like the first 6 pins.
C. Slide on A. first then B.

Beach in a Bag

Supplies:
2x3 ziploc bag
Sand
Small Shells
Sky blue paper
Yellow paper
Small labels*
A. Punch cut footprints out of blue paper, and punch cut suns out of the yellow paper.
B. Pour sand in bag till about ½ full.
C. Put one seashell in the bag.
D. Put one Sun in the bag.
E. Put 4 footprints in the bag.
F. On label write Troop# and Council name.*

* Instead of labels you can make a tag with a safetypin

Eggs in a Frying Pan

Supplies:
Bottlecaps
Paperclips
Yellow & White puffy paint
Flatback pin
Glue
Black spraypaint

A. Spray paint bottlecaps and paperclips black. Let dry.
B. Glue paper clip and pin to bottom of bottlecap.
C. Put 2 blobs of white puffy paint in bottle cap let dry. On top of the two white blobs put smaller yellow blobs.

Instant Snowman

Supplies:
Black paper
Wiggly eyes
Orange paper
Small clear beads or other small clear plastic
2x3 bags

A. Cut a hat out of black paper.
B. Cut a carrot shape out of orange paper.
C. Fill bag about ½ full or clear beads; put two wiggly eyes in bag, 1 carrot nose, and one black hat.
D. You may label this as Instant Snowman. Also as a swap you may add with a safety pin a card with your Troop# and Council name.

Flashlight Pin

Supplies:
Golf Tees
Orange beads
Toothpicks
Flatback pins
Glue

A. Cut off pointed end of golf tee.
B. Glue orange bead in curved end of tee.
C. Cut toothpick to look likes a switch. Glue toothpick to tee.
D. Glue flatback pin to tee on opposite side the switch is on.

American Pincharming Flag

Supplies:
Seed beads- White, Dark Red, Royal Blue
Pincharming Pins
Head pins

A. Make ten head pins with red and white seed beads alternating 2 red and 2 white beads until there is a total of 24 beads. End the alternation with white beads. We will call this head pin A.
B. Make four head pins alternating 2 red and white beads for a total of 16 beads. End alternation with 8 blue beads. We will call these head pin B.
C. Make three head pins alternating 2 red and 2 white beads for a total of 16 beads. End with alternating 2 blue and 1 white for a total of 8. We will call this head pin C.
D. Make two head pins alternating 2 red and 2 white for a total of 16 beads. Then alternate 1 blue and 1 white for total of 6 beads. End with 2 blue beads. We will call head pin D.
E. Evenly cut off excess wire from each head pin leaving enough to bend end into a loop.
F. Arrange on Pincharming Pin in this order: head pin B – 2, head pin C-1, head pin D – 1, head pin C – 1, head pin D – 1, head pin C –1, head pin B – 2, head pin A – 10.

Make New Friends Swap

Cut a large trefoil from green craft foam (I enlarged my GS pin for the pattern)

Glue on the front silver and gold craft rings found in the wedding centers at any craft store to the center.

Have the girls write with black pen Girls Scouts, GS, etc. anything they like.

On the back, I had typed the words to the Make New Friends song to a label which I cut to size for the pin. You can also include your troop number and city on the swap back.

This was easy and fun for the girls to do.

Pictures Needed

Email Jane, with pictures of your troop.