Girl Guides Badge Organization

Hello Guiders!  The second month of the New Year is upon us! Time to get organized! Well, this isn't really the ideal time to get your unit organized but let's just pretend that we are on top of things and getting a head start for the new Guiding season!

I've read on various blogs and facebook that Guiders are always looking for an easy way to organize and store the Unit badges.  I have tried storing badges in those plastic coin collector type page protectors that go in binders but the badges would usually fall out of the top.  I've also had badges stored in ziploc baggies but they would get mixed up and tend to run away when I was looking for them.  

Here is what works best for me...

I've used this embroidery floss container to store the Guide Badges for about 15 years.  So far, I find this to be the best container for the job.  The badges are contained in a secure plastic case and easily accessible.  It's the right size to slip into my Guiding bag.  The lid is perfect for displaying a contact sheet of the Patrol Emblems.   The inside is divided into adjustable compartments for sorting badges and pins.

The badges are arranged alphabetically with labelled cardboard dividers.  I made a contact sheet of all the badges and taped it to the lid as well. 

The page lifts up to show a second contact sheet of badges.  This was made 15 years ago and some of the badges have changed but I left it as is to show the girls how the badges used to look.{There are quite a few badge names to remember which can be frustrating especially for new Guiders.  This made it easy to quickly identify what I was looking for.  I have no idea what happened to my badge contact sheet file...it was a lot of work!}

Over the years I had switched from leading Guides to Brownies to Sparks and back again. I had left this case in the care of many new Guide Guiders...it has survived many hands. It is still intact after all those years and is still in use today.  That is proof that this is a nifty little organizational system.  I had  a second case just like this one for the older style GGC Guide Program challenge pathway badges but now the new Program Area challenge badges are so tiny.  I store those in tiny baggies inside a clear plastic 4x6 photo case which seems to work well.  

If you are wondering why there are so many badges in this inventory it is because a few years ago a neighbouring town had closed it's Guide Unit and as a result our Guide Unit inherited a good supply of badges.  

Since the Provincial Girl Guide shops have closed and everything is done online I find that it is wise to have some extra badges on hand.  Instead of paying the shipping on several small orders I find it is more economical to have a supply of the popular badges on hand.  These little guys can add up to mucho $ so I wouldn't advise getting a huge supply of extra badges. 

When the Provincial Girl Guide stores first closed their doors some of us Guiders were not accustomed to ordering online and paying shipping.  At that time I had started a "Badge Exchange" with the Units in my Area.  That worked out well for a while...but now it seems that Guiders are more prepared and have adjusted their orders so that they do not run out of the popular badges as frequently.

That's it for today's post! Happy World Thinking Day!  I hope that your WTD event is a blast!

Craft Room Chaos!...Part One

 HELP! 

My Girl Guide Life is 
taking over my Craft Room!
 

This Summer my plan was to re-organize and downsize my "Girl Guide stuff"... 40+binders full of resources for teaching the Girl Guide Program, containers of my collectibles, shelves of Guiding/Scouting books, misc craft supplies, other "stuff I might use" but have not used in years...and the list goes on!  {Keep in mind I had/have stuff for teaching Sparks, Brownies, and Guides from the past 16 years!  This is stuff that I had personally purchased and collected over the years... NOT purchased with "Unit funds"}.  I made some progress in my attempt to down size but my mission is not yet complete!

This is the "BEFORE" version of the closet in my craft room.  I try to keep all my Girl Guide stuff in this one room.  I want to eliminate the binders so that I can store my personal craft supplies and books on this shelving unit {Hubby made the shelf a few years ago... the magazine rack was a yardsale find...and so were most of the binders!}.

After about 2 months, I have most of the 40+binders scanned and converted to pdf's {thanks to my hubby and his access to a super duper machine at his work!}.  Now I have access to most of my binder resources on my computer...it has freed up much needed space in my craft room!

Another cupboard housing  piles of GGC papers/forms/stuff I'm "saving"

Some of my paper stuff was outdated and went straight to the shredder and blue bag recycle...other stuff went to my yardsale...some stuff I donated to my niece whom is new to the Daycare field...and a lot I had donated to the Unit.  I can no longer keep props for skits, seasonal decorations, multiple copies of resources and left over supplies. Time to Downsize!

This box contains memorabilia stuff I'm "saving"

Also made  a few trips to our meeting Hall to unload some stuff that I no longer need to keep in my house...luckily we have two cupboards at the hall for storing our supplies /resources.  It was difficult to decide what was really useful for teaching the GGC program and what was kept "just in case we may need it someday".  I do not want to create a cluttered Unit cupboard either.  {why do I need to hold on to left over craft projects from 10 years ago?? If it is not used within a year or two then it most likely will never be used...donate it to someone who will use it}.

This is one pile that was sent to the Hall cupboard...this photo does not show all that went away

Some stuff that I know I will be using for GGC will stay in my Craft room

I have decided to be very selective in regards to what I allow to be stored at my house.  I just do not have the space.  I want to utilize the space that I have to start back to crafting/sewing...something that I once enjoyed doing but my craft room space lost it's function.  I will keep most of my Girl Guide collections {crests/books/memorabilia/old uniforms etc} and my personal gear but that has got to be it.  

There is a crest"Guiding ...One hour a week...!" ...well someone should design a crest about the "hoarding" ..I'll buy it and add it to my collection! 

Check back soon for Part II of my craft room chaos!{and no this is not the next episode of TLC's Hoarding: Buried Alive!}