SWAPS
The information you find on this page is the result of trial and error through my first year as a Daisy Leader. I am sharing these idea's and experiences with you in the hopes that you will be more comfortable in your role as a Girl Scout Leader.

Cute little things you can pin on or wear.  They can be anything and can be made from just about anything.  Last year we received a paper swap, fun foam, plastic and card board. We also received a flower pin and a bracelet. Just as long as they are small and wearable AND the girls make them. However, we have received council patches as swaps as well.

SWAPS are a very cool way to get to know other troops and it just makes everyone feel real good.  SWAPS are little trinkets or gifts handmade that troops swap with each other.  An example might be to have your troop make friendship bracelets then you would send these to the troop you are swapping with.  They in return may send you bookmarks.  It is a lot of fun.  The girls love thinking of things to make.  Keep in mind that you need to make a swap for each girl in the troop you are swapping with and don't make anything too big or heavy as you are paying to ship it to them. We usually make things that will fit into a manila envelope.  Also, if you are swapping coloring pages, this would be more under the heading for Pen Pals rather than Swaps.
Again, you will need to find troops wanting to SWAP. 

You have several options for finding troops to swap with. If you are simply looking for troops and it doesn't matter were they are, you might first try you own Unit. You could start by swapping with other level troops in your own town. However, if you are like us and love learning about troops in other states or even countries, you will need to do a little more work. But first, let's back up to to your local Unit.

You will need to attend your Unit meetings. I know this is hard for Daisy Leaders as the meetings don't have a lot to do with that level. You really need to go anyway. Think about it, regardless of what the other levels are planning, you will have an opportunity to create a plan to get your Daisy's involved in some aspect. Whether your daisy are singing at the event or just showing up in uniform. It's important to get your troop in the public. Ok, back to Swapping within the Unit.

Before the meeting, prepare a basic flyer or just some words on a piece of paper. Write what you are looking for, what level you are willing to work with, any themes that you are interested in and of course, how and when to contact you. Take enough flyers to your unit meeting for everyone. You never know, one of the older level troops may have a contact for a daisy or brownie troop. (I receive emails everyday from leaders of older level troops asking if I know anyone willing to swap. I take their info to the unit meetings, with their permission and share with the other leaders.)

To find a troop outside your unit but within your state, contact your local Council office. Some councils have programs set up for this and others will simply give you a list of Units/councils or pass your info along to other units. Either way, be sure to supply an email address or phone number. If you are given a list from the council, follow through on it with invitations to swap with your troop. You can email, phone or write them. If your name is passed along through the council, don't hold your breath, I received only one response.

Now, if you're looking for troops outside your state you're going to have to work a little more. First, you will want to place your free ad here on this website. By doing this, you enable me to share my contacts with you as well as introduce user of the site to your troop. There are also many message boards out there willing to post your info. Be careful. Make sure they are truly a Girl Scout participant.

The same with outside the country. This is a little tougher, but you might want to start with the Girl Scouts USA website. There are links and posts of folks overseas looking for partners. Be sure to check them out as you never really know who you are talking to. Also, communicating with Girl Scouts in other countries can be tough due to different languages. Most Girl Scout troops outside the country has at least one person that can speak and write a little in English.

The best way, is to add your request for pen pals to this site.  We get nearly 100 visitors per day and most all of them are leaders.

Very Important!  Once you commit, keep your promise!  The hearts of some very special girls are involved.  Swapping means that you take the time to do something very special for the person you are sending it to.  DON'T make the swaps your self. I know this is tempting when your little five year olds try to glue something and it seems to look a bit odd, but remember, the girls that are getting them have probably done the same thing. Do Not, under any circumstances share your personal information with strangers.  All troops you have not met are strangers.  Do not give the children's last names or addresses.  Be careful if giving school info.

It's very important to get a count of how many girls and adults are in the troop. Then add, two or three extra swaps. You never know if Sally just joined the day before the swaps arrive. Not to mention that most leaders, like myself, have a daughter or two that is there during the meetings and feels a little left out if she doesn't get one too.

I tell everyone that we swap with that we have 10 Daisy's, 1 junior Daisy (my co-leaders daughter), 1 Brownie Helper (my daughter) and 3 adults (me, co-leader and a parent helper) I also ask them to send one for our mascot as she is truly a member of this troop. My swap gets attached to our troop flag so we can show them off.
 

It's a good idea to keep track of where your swaps come from and where you send them.  If you are like us and send out to many troops, it truly helps to keep track.  You can use a day timer to record who, what and when... or a simple track on paper.

This is tricky.  It could get expensive if you are not careful.  Last year, I spent nearly 300.00 out of pocket for our troop without even realizing it.  Ideally, fun foam is the cheapest and the easiest to work with.  Use scraps of material, paper, beads, etc.  Garage sales are a great resource for supplies.

There is the added cost of postage so you really don't want your swaps to be too heavy. Be sure to package the swaps carefully. Last year we received about a dozen swaps only to find that most of them fell apart on the way. My co-leader and I tried very hard to put them back together before the girls saw them.

Remember, swapping is fun and very special.  Make sure you all are having fun (you too, leader).  If it becomes work, the you and the girls will hate it.  Daisy Troop 1503 sends a SWAP to a new troop each month. 

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