Program Activities & Events
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois (GSEIWI) is so excited to be offering such a variety of activites/events to more than 18,000 girls. You will notice events being offered in every part of the council and all are open to any registered Girl Scout and any girl that wishes to join Girl Scouting.
In addition to all the events listed in the event search, there are council-wide events that have their own webpage:
- Raise Your Voice - June 10-12, 2011
Event Search
Event Search Database ~ Search for events by region/area, month, grade level or theme for events throughout the council.
Leadership Experience Guide
The Leadership Experience Team developed a year-long guide that details events throughout the year. View a copy here.
Regional Resources
Resources for each of the councils five regions/areas. Check out your regional resources pages. ( Just click on your county.)
Regional resources include:
- meet your program manager
- meet your regional membership managers
- service unit meeting information
- community resources
- schedule your own events
S.W.A.P.S. - What are they?
S.W.A.P.S. stands for Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere or Share With A Pal.
SWAPS History
The origin of SWAPS is Native American. Potlatch is the ceremonial exchange of gifts practiced by Native Americans of Northwest Coastal tribes. The idea of Scout SWAPS was started at the original National Roundup Conferences. At that time a SWAPS was a little remembrance that one Scout gave another.
SWAPS are handmade, thus the girl is giving a part of herself to show friendship. SWAPS are exchanged at National Conventions, Council events, Wider Ops, service unit or neighborhood events, troop meetings and most frequently at day camp. They can have a tag attached with the event name and date or the troop number, council name or State.
In some countries SWAPS are called 'hat crafts'. Swapping promotes friendship. It encourages girls to talk to other people. SWAPS are great mementos of a good time as well as a great way to share something about where we live and what we do.
Resources for Working with Girls Outdoors
- Camp Overnight Packing List
- Compass Basics and Directions Story
- Map and Compass Activities
- Using Map and Compass Together
- Scavenger Hunts
- Fire Building
- Active Games
- Knots and Knot Games
- Nature Games
- Poison Ivy Fact Sheet
- Trail Signs
- Fun Hikes
Places to go for Outdoor Experience
Girl Links
- Girl Scout Central - Girl Scout Central is an area designed to answer your Girl Scout-related questions.
- Girls Only for girls in grades K-6 - www.gogirlsonly.org
- STUDIO 2B for girls in grades 6-12 - www.studio2b.org
- Fun quizzes and games - www.campaignforrealbeauty.com
- Scholarships for Girl Scouts - www.studio2b.org
