Junior Girl Scout Advancement Chart

Using the Cub Scout and Webelos Advancement Charts as models (I was a Den Leader for 5 years), I devised a large table on a poster board. Across the top I listed the abbreviated requirements for each of the four signs, the leadership pin, bridging requirements to Cadettes, and a place to list elective badges. The Junior Aid Patch requirements were included under Sign of the Rainbow. Down the side I had blocks for the girls to enter their names. See a sample chart, directions, and requirement cut-outs on the following pages.

My troop used this chart through the three junior years and had it displayed at each meeting. As each girl individually (or with the troop) completed one of the requirements, I entered the badge she earned (if applicable) in her block with ink (with month and year if room) and she colored it in lightly with colored pencil. When they finished a Sign, they added a small sticker (rainbow for Sign of Rainbow, smilie face for Sign of the Sun, etc).

The girls were quite proud of their chart and I think this visual aid helped them reach their long range goals by completing smaller steps. It also was another way for me to keep track of their progress and organize awards (I added a mark to the square when the badge was awarded). The chart was on display at our Court of Awards so that parents could see the direction the troop was taking and our goal of providing a well-rounded program for the girls. Of course, I will add that I reminded the girls of the fun they had learning something new while earning a badge. Being recognized for their efforts was special too and they were proud of the badges that they earned.

Having provided this information, please keep in mind that the Junior books are currently under revision by GSUSA with new books due out perhaps in the fall of 2001. It is, however, my understanding that the 4 signs will remain, although requirements will be updated and altered since the Worlds of Interest have been deleted.

The term “Advancement” is from my Boy Scout days. You may chose to change the title to something like “Junior Recognitions”, “Junior Achievements”, or “Junior Badges and Signs”.

I hope that you find this idea useful as you adapt it to fit the needs of your troop. Perhaps preparation of a troop chart could be one of the tasks a parent could volunteer for when you have your annual Parent Meeting. I welcome your comments and questions.

Alice Wagner
Leader, Cadette Troop 1031 (Juliette's Birthday Troop!)
Older Girl Consultant
Florida
awagner1031@cfl.rr.com

Junior Girl Scout Advancement

The World of Well Being O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O The World of People O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O The World of Today and Tomorrow O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O The World of Arts O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O The World of Out-of-Doors O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O Junior Handbook Badges O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Sign Of the World	Sign of the Rainbow	Sign of the Sun	Sign of the Satellite	Leadership	Bridging	Elective Badges

WAGGGS Girl Scouts USA Citrus Council Girl Scouts Sunburst Service Unit Girl Scout Troop 1031 Leader, Alice Wagner

How to Make Your Junior Girl Scout Advancement Chart

- Badges: The “O” symbols represent badges cut out of the GSUSA catalog and glued beside their world of interest (no longer applicable, so could be arranged in the order listed in the catalog)

- Signs and Pins: The “” symbols represent further cutouts from the GSUSA catalog of the signs and pins. In the large block I glued cutouts of the World Trefoil Pin surrounded by the Contemporary and Traditional GS pins.

- The Girl Scout Organization: I used the space in the large block provided by the table to list how our girls fit into the larger girl scout organization, from their leader and troop up through the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

- Table Grid: The number of columns in the sample is not accurate. I typed up the abbreviated sign requirements (see below) to cut and paste on the poster. I listed optional badges and circled the one chosen by the girls or left a blank to write in later if complex options were listed. I added a column entitled “Sign Completed” so the girls could enter the a special sticker in their block. I typed the section headings and chart title in larger fonts to cut and paste. I then drew the lines down using a different colored marker for each sign and a dark line to separate each. Be sure to leave space for new girls to join in the left column. I let the girls write their own names in. The sizes of the blocks on my chart measured about 1/4” wide and 1/2” high.

- Elective Achievements: Not all badges the girls earn will go towards one of the sign requirements. As the girls earned extra badges as a troop, I wrote in the badge at the top. Because girls earned a variety of badges on their own, I left sections of the top blank and wrote the badge name in their individual square. I suggest this section for the far right side of the table as you may find you have an overachiever and need to add on to your chart!

- Considerations: Some badges could apply to more than one sign. Remember that a badge may only be used to fulfill ONE sign requirement. Let’s say a girl is working on the Sign of the Rainbow and completes two outdoor badges: “Swimming” and “Outdoor Dabbler”. I would apply “Outdoor Dabbler” to the Sign of the Rainbow, World of the Out-of-Doors requirement, and apply “Swimming” to the specific outdoor badge option under Sign of the Sun which she may chose to work on later. I feel that it is important for new junior leaders to become familiar with ALL the sign requirements so that the girls apply the badges they earn most efficiently.

- Optional Items: Depending on your font size and size of poster used, you might have room left to add additional columns on the chart . Should this be the case, some suggestions to add are: birth date, date joined girl scouting, date bridged to Juniors, dates as Patrol Leader, other troop position, and/or a good attendance block for each year in juniors.

- Durability: To make this chart last, I glued it to a large piece of cardboard and covered all but the blocks on the table with clear contact paper.

Advancement Chart Requirement Cut-outs