The Badge Archive has classified Proficiency Badges as all official skill based GSUSA badges from 1913 until the 1980 Program was introduced.
A Proficiency Badge Alphabetized List is available, showing all proficiency badges GSUSA used between the start of the program until the 1980s program replaced it.
Who Can Earn These?
Original Proficiency Badges could be earned by any Girl Scout, ages 10-17, until 1947.
1947-1963 Proficiency Badges could be earned by any Intermediary Girl Scout, ages 10-14.
1963-1980 Proficiency Badges could be earned by:
- Green Borders – by any Junior Girl Scout, ages 9-11 or 4th-6th grade,
- Yellow Borders – by any Cadette Girl Scouts, ages 12-14 or 7th-9th grade.
Handbooks
The Vintage Girl Scout has a wonderful collection, including a page dedicated to images of a timeline of all handbooks and badge books. The Badge Archive focuses on those that have badge requirements, but the main handbooks and badge books for Proficiency Badges are:
1912 – How Girls Can Help Their Country, Handbook for the Girl Scouts
– with new Proficiency Badge requirements
– Reprinted with original 1912 content in 1972 and 2010.
– Available on the Open Library
1917 – How Girls Can Help Their Country, Handbook for the Girl Scouts
– with updated Proficiency Badges
– Available on daisylow.com
1920-26 – Scouting For Girls
– with updated Proficiency Badges
– Available on the Open Library
1928 – Scouting For Girls, Second Abridged Edition
– with updated Proficiency Badges
1930-33 – Girl Scout Handbook (with silhouette artwork on green cover)
– with updated Proficiency Badges
1934 – Girl Scout Proficiency Badge Requirements and Special Awards 1934 (green silhouette artwork)
– with updated Proficiency Badges
1936 – Girl Scout Handbook (black lines and GSUSA logo on green cover)
– with NO BADGES
1938 – Girl Scout Program and Activities, Ranks and Badges (teal cover)
– with new Proficiency Badge requirements
1941 – Girl Scout Handbook (w/o paper book cover, yellow lines and trefoil on green cover)
– with NO BADGES
1945 – Senior Girl Scouting
– with NO BADGES
1947 – Girl Scout Handbook (yellow trefoil outline on green cover)
– with new Proficiency Badge requirements
– Available on the Open Library
1951 – Brownie Scout Handbook
– with NO BADGES
– Available on the Open Library
1952 – Senior Girl Scouting, 2nd edition
– with NO BADGES
1953 – Girl Scout Handbook (GSUSA symbol w/half black & half green cover)
– with updated Proficiency Badges
– Available on the Open Library
1963 – Brownie/Junior/Cadette/Senior Girl Scout Handbooks
(each a different color)
– with new Proficiency Badge requirements for Junior and Cadette
– with NO BADGES for Brownie and Senior
– Junior handbook is on the Open Library
– Cadette handbook is on the Open Library
1977 – Worlds to Explore, Junior Badges and Signs (red cover)
– with new Proficiency Badge requirements
– Available on the Open Library
Brief History
When the first Girl Scout Handbook was published in 1913, they called the badges Proficiency Badges. The first incarnation of badges could be earned by all Girl Scouts, ages 10-17. Girls who were not yet 10, but had completed 1st grade, could be Brownie Scouts in the new Brownie Program in 1926. However, they did not have any official badges.
These badges went through countless revisions and updates. But the biggest change was in 1945, when the Senior Girl Scouting handbook was published. Girl Scouts were now Intermediary Girl Scouts, from ages 10-14. The older scouts were called Senior Girl Scouts and did not have any badges. The Proficiency Badges were meant to be earned as an Intermediary Girl Scout and the skills learned used in the Senior Girl Scout activities.
More revisions and updates continued through the years, until the 1963 program. This is when Junior and Cadette Levels were introduced. The Brownies and Seniors still had no badges, but the Proficiency Badges were updated and divided between the Junior and Cadette levels.
It wasn’t until 1980 when a completely new program of badges was planned and started to be released, starting with Junior level. Brownies would get badges in 1986, and Cadettes and Seniors would share the IP Badges in 1987. While some badges had a version in the new program, the standard images and names for the Proficiency Badges was largely unused in the 1980 Program.
1980 GSUSA Program
While it went through many revisions, the Proficiency Badges were the main badges of GSUSA until they revamped the program between 1980 and 1987. While the 1980 GSUSA Program kept some of the images used in the Proficiency Badge program, it did a complete redesign of all requirements for Juniors and gave Seniors the chance to work on the same badge program they gave to the Cadettes. Brownies were given badges for the first time and Daisy level was introduced.
Links last checked in March of 2022.
The Badge Archive 