Pizza Party / Intro to SWAPS

7/13/12  at Ms. Tia's Studio*  

(We don't list specific places on the blog for safety reasons, if you need directions please contact me on Facebook or call me) 

Drop off:  6PM 

Pick Up: 8PM

Working on: Having fun! We'll be eating pizza and making SWAPS. SWAPS (Some Whatchamacallit Affectionately Pinned Somewhere) is a Scouting tradition that can be traced back to Lord Baden Powell, the founder of Boy Scouts. You can read the history and etiquette of SWAPS after the page break. 

What to Bring: Your Brownie Smile!

Click "Read more" to see attendance, pictures, 
and SWAPS info. 

Attendance:

Weslynn
Kambell
Claudia
Jessica
Brianna
Gracie
Charlotte

Pictures: 

SWAPS History

In 1924 there were a group of Boy Scouts who could not attend the Imperial Jamboree due to having been hospitalized.  Lord Baden-Powell  was concerned that the would not be able to attend and suggested they make "Mafuzziwogs" (Items out of materials easily found in the hospital) to attend in their place, so that even though they could not go, they would be there in spirit. 

He took the idea from  Potlatch, the ceremonial distribution of gifts practiced by Native Americans of the Northwest. The first potlatch was used to explain how birds received their colored feathers. According to the legend, two Native American girls took feathers from a strange, magical bird and distributed them to all the birds in the forest - yellow and brown to the meadowlark, red and brown to the robin, brown to the wren, yellow and black to the finch. Native Americans had potlatch ceremonies to commemorate special occasions such as birth, marriage, and the coming of age. These ceremonies usually included speeches, songs, dances, games, races, and refreshments. The potlatch gifts, symbols of the family and their status in the village, were often elaborate and presented at the very end of the ceremony.

SWAPS, though not called SWAPS at the time, later became a way to introduce one Scout to another. The SWAPS were traded to start a conversation by explain the SWAPS to the other Scout. SWAPS are taken to any event where you might meet another Scout you may not know, they are usually, but not always, a small homemade item that represents the person, their community, their interests, or their background. 

The term SWAPS started at the original National Girl Scout Roundup Conference in 1954. At that time a SWAPS was a little remembrance that one Girl Scout gave to another. 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 for future reference.

SWAPS Etiquette 

S.W.A.P.s to be traded should be carried in a shoe box, baggie or pinned to your shirt. SWAPS that are pinned to someone's hat or bandanna are usually keepsakes from previous events. 

It is considered rude if you refuse to swap with someone who asks you. Be courteous. If a person gives you a swap you really don't like, remember that it may have come with the purest of intentions and the simplest of skills.

If you don't like the item you have been given, or already have an identical S.W.A.P, accept it politely, and give them one of yours with a Girl Scout smile!

ALWAYS say thank you! A Girl Scout is courteous.

Never give a swap away that someone gave you.

Always have a few extra SWAPS on hand for those people who have few or none. It is also nice if you give someone a SWAPS who doesn't have one to give in return. That is what being a Girl Scout is all about.

Include the information such as your troop number, city and state on the S.W.A.P. You may also want to mark it with the date or the event name to help identify the S.W.A.P. later on. Tags can be easily made on the computer, cut to size and attached to the pin.

Don't make SWAPS with food items - they can't be kept as keepsakes and they attract bugs and critters when outdoors.

Don't make flimsy swaps - they're heartbreaking for the creator and the recipient. Make sure items are colorfast, the pin is secure and the item can hold up to handling and transport.