11 (Happily) Retired Girl Scout Badges

March 12, 2022, marked the 110th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the USA, a group established in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low to empower young girls ages 5 to 18. Whether they were Daisies (kindergarten to first grade), Brownies (second and third grade), Juniors (fourth and fifth grade), Cadettes (sixth through eighth grade), Seniors (ninth and tenth grade), or Ambassadors (eleventh and twelfth grade), the Girl Scouts have always been about fostering confidence in young women.

To earn a coveted badge for their sash or vest, Girl Scouts must complete tasks based around activities like camping, first aid, or coding. Originally designed as a way to encourage young girls to acquire new skills—and to meet societal expectations of the roles women should fill—these badges have undergone significant change since 1912. This has led to the retirement of several sexist, outdated, and even outright peculiar badges. Here are 11 of the most unusual ones.

1. Good Grooming

First introduced in 1947 and retired in 1980, this overtly outdated Cadette badge persisted for over 30 years before it was finally retired. While certain elements have been integrated into the current Social Butterfly badge for Juniors, the original focus of this Cinderella-like badge was largely on maintaining hygiene and ‘the importance of good grooming, posture, and appropriateness of clothing.’ These goals now seem trivial compared to the more significant merit badges earned by Boy Scouts during the same era, covering topics like aviation and conservation.

2. Folk Dancing

While the exact dances required for earning the Folk Dancing badge remain somewhat unclear, this badge was incredibly popular during the early years of the Cadette program, which began in 1963. By the 1970s, however, it had essentially fallen out of favor. Interestingly, it is now one of the rarest and most sought-after collectible badges, with prices on eBay reaching around $4 per badge.

3. Minstrel

Cadette Girl Scouts with a love for music could earn this badge, featuring a vintage lute, by mastering three traditional American folk songs, three popular folk songs from other countries, two art songs (vocal performances accompanied by piano), and two challenging melodies. This collectible badge was awarded from 1929 until 1980.

4. Invalid Cooking

The Invalid Cooking badge was one of the first 27 proficiency badges created for the Girl Scouts. Between 1918 and 1920, it was awarded to Scouts who could prepare basic, life-sustaining meals such as gruel, milk toast, barley water, beef tea, chicken jelly, clam or oyster soup, and a fermented dairy drink called kumyss. The goal was to ensure that even if someone couldn’t digest much, these foods would provide the necessary nourishment to keep them alive.

5. Laundress

Among various badges focused on traditional female roles—though it’s worth noting there was a male counterpart in the form of the Laundry Man merit badge—Girl Scouts earned a badge for mastering domestic skills such as washing, ironing, and starching blouses, softening hard water, and using starch and soap effectively. They also learned how to press skirts.

6. Pioneer

Though the name might evoke images of frontier expansion and the Wild West, the Pioneer badge was actually about survival camping when it was introduced in 1913. Scouts had to learn practical skills like building a simple shelter, tying six different knots, starting a fire, preparing basic meals, purifying water, and using tools like an axe, saw, and hatchet. Originally, the badge design (used until 1938) featured crossed axes, while later versions depicted a Native American teepee. These Intermediate and Cadette Proficiency badges were retired in 1980.

7. Dairy Maid

Farmwork was an essential part of life for many of the earliest Girl Scouts, regardless of their age. Between 1913 and 1918, Scouts could earn the Dairy Maid proficiency badge by completing tasks such as churning butter, using a sulfuric acid substance for the Babcock Test to analyze cow’s milk, cleaning the utensils and pans used for milking, and—among other responsibilities—raising, killing, and preparing poultry for meals.

8. Matron Housekeeper

To prepare young girls for what were expected to be routine homemaking duties, the Matron Housekeeper badge was given to Girl Scouts who mastered tasks like washing windows, vacuuming, polishing and staining hardwood floors, properly cleaning dishes, and shining silverware. Offered from 1913 to 1918, recipients also had to learn about different types of meat, seafood, and game, as well as their costs. They were expected to track seasonal produce and know when fruits and vegetables were at their peak. Other requirements included measuring and purchasing basic pantry items like flour, sugar, cereal, and rice, and preparing the home for family life.

9. Gypsy

Introduced in 1963 and available until 1980, the Gypsy badge, featuring a hobo-style rucksack on a stick, centered around leading full-day hikes. Junior-level girls were expected to plan safe routes, pack enough food for themselves and others, build a fire, dress appropriately, and carry the right gear—which included a rope, bandana, and proper eating utensils. The badge also required knowledge of hiking songs, emergency first aid, knot-tying, compass navigation, knife handling, and teaching others a game during the hike.

10. Oil Up

Introduced in the early 2000s and retired in 2011, the poorly named Oil Up badge aimed to educate Juniors about the environmental impact of oil spills, including the effects on wildlife and the roles of scientists and rescue workers involved in cleanup efforts. Most of the badge’s activities revolved around studying fossils, tracking the use of petroleum products over a week, and learning about the cultures of oil-producing regions. A key hands-on activity involved simulating an oil spill by pouring vegetable oil into a pan of water mixed with sand and wooden objects (to mimic a beach scene) and attempting to clean it up using string, spoons, paper towels, and cotton balls.

 11. Law & Order

This Cadette and Senior level interest project award, introduced in 1997 and phased out in 2011, encouraged Girl Scouts to dive into the world of law enforcement. Scouts were tasked with interviewing police officers, hosting crime- and justice-themed sleepovers, and conducting mock trials on issues relevant to teens, along with other investigative activities. Optional tasks included exploring lawsuits involving students, and learning about techniques like polygraph tests, DNA analysis, and fingerprinting to earn this surprisingly serious Girl Scout badge.