Mascot Exchange
Patch by Patchwork Effie the Unicorn

Hi! My name is Effie and I was adopted by Brownie Troop #420 on September 15, 2000 to be the official troop mascot. As troop mascot, I get to travel to other places to meet other Girl Scouts and Girl Guides across the county and across the world! I bring my travel journal with me and, with the help of my host troop, I make entries about the different things I see and learn, the activities and events in which I participate, and about the people I meet. When I return home, I share my adventures with my own troop so that they can also learn and share in my adventures. It's a tough job sometimes, and can be very tiring, but it is also very rewarding!

My first trip was to Brownie Troop #215 in Pleasant Plains, Illinois. Their mascot is Chirpie Cardinal. The cardinal is the state bird for both Illinois and North Carolina! (Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia also chose the cardinal; it's the most popular choice for state bird in the United States! Chirpie must be very proud!) I got to make Christmas crafts with the troop and went Christmas caroling with them. They raised money for the Ronald McDonald House. Boy, do those girls know how to sing! I really enjoyed my time in Pleasant Plains!

From there, I traveled to Brownie Troop #2286 in St. Leonard, Maryland. I arrived just in time to take part in the troop sleepover! We made mini pizzas together and watched a video called "The Golden Eaglet" about Juliette Low. We had a blast! We spent time getting ready for Thinking Day at troop meetings. We learned about Germany. Did you know that pretzels and Christmas trees originated in Germany? The mom of one of the leaders is from Zweibrucken. She talked to us about living in Germany, taught us some German words and phrases, and gave us Gummi Bears! Thirty-one troops participated in the Thinking Day program and, boy, was it fun!

Next, I was on my way to Girl Scout Troop #1243 in Chandler Heights, Arizona. One of the Brownies made an earring for me! She also has a new niece so I got to learn a bit about taking care of babies while I stayed with her! I visited one of the other Brownies' mom's work place and learned about packing fruit. I enjoyed that too. Another Brownie took me for a trip to Laughlin, Nevada for the River Stampede PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) Rodeo. Participants have to belong to the organization and follow all sorts of rules and regulations to be able to bring livestock or compete as a cowboy. There were over 700 contestants, including almost all the top cowboys in the world! I learned about cattle, horses, pigs, and goats and helped to feed them. She also took me to Costa Mesa, California for Easter with her aunt and uncle. These girls really know how to show a mascot a great time!

I returned to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a brief stay so I could prepare for my visit to the 1st Wanneroo Guides in Perth, West Australia. I arrived back just in time for Leaders Appreciation Day. The Brownies had made cards and written notes to the troop leaders and really made the leaders feel very special and appreciated! (I hope all Girl Scout leaders realize how special they are and what a tremendous difference they make in each Scout's life!) I was also able to be with the troop while they worked on their Manners Try-It. A travelling mascot needs to keep all these etiquette rules in mind!

By the end of June, I was on my way again. The trip to Australia was long but well worth it. Boy, was it beautiful! I spent a few nights with Kiah and then spent a few nights with Loubee then I was finally able to attend my first meeting with the Daisies. It was great! We learned about road safety and the Daisies also wrote letters to their penpals. The Daisies were very happy to see me and gave me heaps of cuddles.

I took a sidetrip to South Australia with Kiah. It was a four hour plane flight to Adeliade, the capital of South Australia. We relaxed in a Japanese garden, visited the largest rocking horse, and made a stop at the Guide House to get some badges for our unit in Perth. We had a great time and saw lots more great things but we were happy to get home and see everyone.

After my trip to Adelaide, I had a nice rest and then attended another Unit meeting. I met Scout the Dog and Summer the Elephant, both from the USA as visiting mascots.

The girls were busy practicing their skipping skills, getting ready for the Jump Rope for Heart Jump-Off. They were raising money for the Australian Heart Foundation to fund research into heart disease. They all skip very well but it looks like hard work so I was quite happy to sit and watch.

Western Australia is such a nice place and the girls in Wanneroo Guide Unit are all very nice. The girls were excellent hostesses (especially Ashlyn who kept me company at night) and I hated having to leave. They treated me like royalty and even dressed me up with a beautiful new necklace and fancy hair clips. For my going away gift, the girls gave me a pillow to make my flight back nice and comfy. They had decorated it with badge displaying both the Australian flag and the Guide symbol, another badge that shows that I'm a friend maker and have made many new friends, and also a pin from when Kiah and I visited the Big Rocking horse. I will certainly miss each of the girls and look forward to hearing all about their continuing adventures through their pen pal letters.

I arrived back to Chapel Hill only to discover that the troop had already been busy arranging for yet another year of travels. I barely had time to say "hi" to the troop before I was on my way again! Before I knew it, I was on my way to Brownie Troop #1804 in Bethlehem, Georgia; Junior Troop #7 in Burlington, Wisconsin; Brownie Troop #225 in Sayville, New York; and Troop #539 in Cordova, Alabama. Curently I am with Brownie Troop #567 in Agawam, Massachusetts. I will be sure to update this page as soon as I get back!


My 2002/2003 Schedule:

September/October - Brownie Troop #567; Agawam, Massachusetts
November/December - Brownie Troop #139; Middlesex, New Jersey
January/February - 1st Thorngumbold Brownies; Hull, East Yorkshire, England
March/April - 14th Wallasey Brownies; Wallasey, Wirral, England
May - Back Home Again!

If your troop is interested in hosting me (or you would just like to send me a note - I love hearing from other mascots!), please e-mail me:

Effie the Unicorn


Thanks again to each of the troops who have hosted me already. You've been great and I have really enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you.

By the way, the Mascot Exchange patch pictured on this page is available from Patchwork. (Thanks, Renee!) If you'd like to learn more about the mascot exchange program, The Mascot University is an excellent resource. You can also check out the "What is a Mascot" page on the Scouting Links web site. The "Mascot Do's &Don'ts" page provides suggestions on how to get started and guidelines for participating.



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This page was last updated on 24 October 2002.