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What
Are SWAPS?
“Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere”
or
“Shared With A Pal”
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History:
The idea of exchanging mementos as a token
of friendship is probably as old as mankind. At the first
National Girl Scout Round-Up in 1956 the term “swap”
was introduced on a national level by GSUSA in what was
called the “Swap Tent.” This was a popular
gathering place where Girl Scouts made new friends and
exchanged personal tokens. At that time a SWAP was a little
remembrance that one Girl Scout gave to another. It was
handmade and represented the girl, her country, her community,
or her background. Swapping was a way of starting correspondence
with Girl Scouts from other states and countries. For
this reason, girls were encouraged to attach their name,
troop number, and address to the swap for future reference.
The first Swap Tent was such a success that SWAPS became
a part of the National Girl Scout Round-Up
Conferences and Wider
Opportunities (now called STUDIO
2B Destinations). Today Girl Scouts of all ages enjoy sharing SWAPS at national, regional,
and local Girl Scout Council events.
Origin:
The origin of SWAPS can be traced to Potlatch,
the ceremonial distribution of gifts practiced by Native
Americans of the Northwest. The first potlatch was used
to explain how birds received their colored feathers. According
to the legend, two Native American girls took feathers from
a strange, magical bird and distributed them to all the
birds in the forest - yellow and brown to the meadowlark,
red and brown to the robin, brown to the wren, yellow and
black to the finch. Native Americans had potlatch ceremonies
to commemorate special occasions such as birth, marriage,
and the coming of age. These ceremonies usually included
speeches, songs, dances, games, races, and refreshments.
The potlatch gifts, symbols of the family and their status
in the village, were often elaborate and presented at the
very end of the ceremony.
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