Earning Badges

 

Girls love to earn badges to show their skills and achievements.  Girl Guides has a range of badges for girls to achieve.  Each one is attempted at the girl's own level, meaning that every badge a girl earns is a challenge for her.

 

How to earn badges at home

 

Often girls decide to work on a badge at home to extend their Guiding.  This is encouraged, but there are a few rules to follow:

• She must speak to a Leader before beginning any work on the badge

• All work must be her own

• To achieve a badge, four challenges must be completed

• Each challenge must actually be a challenge for her 

• All challenges must be different from one another

• Once the work is completed it is assessed by the girl, along with her Leader and peers

 

Create a Challenge

 

The Create a Challenge badges are fun for girls of all ages.  Each badge has a theme, and girls decide with their Leaders and peers which challenges they will do to achieve the badge.  Themes include Australia, Feet, Nature, Pets, Girls, Numbers, and more.

 

At Mount Barker Girl Guides these badges are usually earned in three ways.  We may choose one to attempt as a group (this is usually done by girls age 5 to 8), we may earn badges as part of a camp, sleepover, or other activity (for girls of all ages), or girls may choose to attempt the badge alone, with most work being done at home (for girls of all ages).  Generally three or four challenges are completed to earn the badge.

 

The Create a Challenge badges are worn on the sash.

 

 

Explore a Challenge

 

Explore a Challenge badges allow girls to select activities from a list, to learn about a particular topic.  Themes include Technology, Our World, Guiding, and others.

 

Explore a Challenge badges can be attempted as a group during meetings or during a camp or sleepover, or by girls working alone at home.  To achieve an Explore a Challenge badge girls must complete four of the challenges listed.

 

The Explore a Challenge badges are worn on the sash.

 

 

Achieve a Challenge

 

Achieve a Challenge badges allow girls to develop their skills in a range of topics including Emergency, Sport, Boating, Leadership, and more.  These badges can be achieved at three levels, with each one requiring a higher skill level.

 

Many of the Achieve a Challenge badges can be earned in conjunction with groups outside of Guiding, including a sporting club, band, drama group, or similar.  

 

The Achieve a Challenge badges are worn on the sash.  When the second and third level are reached, an extra trefoil is added to the badge.

 

 

Discover a Challenge

 

There is a Discover a Challenge badge for every year of age from five to fourteen.  Each level requires girls to complete two challenges in each of the fields Physical, People, Practical, and Self, plus an extra two challenges from any of the fields.  As girls earn each badge they grow and develop their Guiding and Life Skills.  

 

We often hear that girls are working hard to finish the badge for their age before their next birthday, and then eager to get started on the new badge as soon as the big date has passed.  When a new badge is earned, last year's badge is "retired" from the sash to the blanket or dilly bag.

 

 

Action Guide

 

The Action Guide badge is available each year to girls who take part in all the fun that Guiding has to offer.  To achieve the badge, girls need to attend meetings regularly, go to State and Region events, do Service activities, and attend a camp or sleepover.  

 

Once the badge has been earned it is worn on the sash until the start of the new year.  A different coloured badge is issued each calendar year.

 

 

Anzac Challenge

 

The Anzac Challenge badge can be started at any time during the year, although it is easiest and fastest to start it during term one.  Girls complete a number of challenges aimed at increasing their knowledge and understanding of our service men and women, and the effect of war on the community.

 

Most of the activities for the Anzac Challenge can be done at our Anzac Sleepover, but some are done during regular meetings or at home.

 

The Anzac Challenge badge is displayed on a dilly bag or blanket.

 

 

Peak Achievements

 

Peak Achievement badges are the highest awards that any Guide can achieve, based on her age.  Girls aged seven and over can earn the Junior Baden Powell Award.  Girls aged ten and over can earn the Baden Powell Award.  Girls aged fourteen and over can earn the Queen's Guide Award.  Young women aged 18 to 30 can earn the Olave Baden Powell Award.  Youth awards can be started at any age over the minimum, and must be finished before the girl's eighteenth birthday.

 

The Queen's Guide Award counts towards the SACE in stage one and stage two.  It takes a minimum of one year to complete.

 

Youth Peak Achievement badges are worn on the sash.  Only the highest level achieved is worn - older badges are "retired" to the dilly bag or blanket.  The Olave BP Award is worn on the Leader's badge tab.

 

 

Other Badges

 

There are other badges which can be earned by Guides.  Many of these are special occasion badges which may be available only for a short time (an example is the Olympics Challenge).  You will learn about these through your Leaders.