Requirements:

Georgia was one of the original 13 Colonies, and is the 10th largest of the United States today. Georgia’s nickname is “The Peach State” – but we grow more peanuts than peaches! Find out what makes Georgia a special place to live, work and play by meeting with and learning about people and traveling to places that will keep Georgia on your mind.

To earn this badge, do all five steps; there are three choices under each step – do one to complete the step.

STEPS

1. Georgia Past, Georgia Present

2. GO! Get Outdoors, Georgia!

3. “To serve…my country”

4. “Make new friends…”

5. “Georgia’s Dime”

PURPOSE When I have earned this badge, I’ll know more about the people, places and history of Georgia.

STEP 1 – GEORGIA PAST, GEORGIA PRESENT Festivals, street fairs and markets, home tours, seasonal and historical celebrations – these are all ways to explore Georgia’s history and culture! Or perhaps a science center, planetarium, observatory or airport is what intrigues you. There are lots of “fun” ways you can learn more about Georgia.

CHOICES – DO ONE:

 With your family or Girl Scout friends, research, choose, and take part in an event that celebrates Georgia’s present – or future!

OR…  Go online (with adult permission) or to a library and research three or more of Georgia’s historic sites (the location, facilities, programs); plan and go on a day or overnight trip to the site of your choice with your family or Girl Scout friends.

OR…  Create an “Historic Scavenger Hunt” that includes as many Georgia Historical Markers in your county (or beyond!) that you can safely visit. Challenge another troop or group to go on the hunt with you; each troop takes a picture of the marker with a troop member standing next to it. The troop which finds and photographs the most markers within a certain time, wins. Go to http://www.georgiaplanning.com/hm/ for a list and to discover when and why the State of Georgia began erecting historical markers. You will need to involve the adults in your troop to keep this game safe as well as exciting.

STEP 2 - GO! GET OUTDOORS, GEORGIA! With care and planning, you can be outdoors in Georgia every season of the year. So GO – plan your own adventure!

CHOICES – DO ONE:

 The Appalachian Trail begins in Georgia at Springer Mountain, in Fannin Country, and leaves the Peach State 79 miles later at Bly Gap. Choose an area where it’s easy to access the Trail and spend at least one hour walking it – longer, if you can! Use the Safety Activity Checkpoints for Hiking to help you plan and prepare for your trip.

OR…  Find out about and participate in an outdoor activity that helps keep Georgia beautiful, such pulling invasive plants, cleaning up a river, or planting native trees or flowers. (Always follow the guidelines in “Safety Activity Checkpoints.”)

OR…  Find out what “rail trail” or rails-to-trails means. Go online or to your local library to locate Georgia’s rail trails, then get together with family or friends to plan and go on a walking, biking or skating rail trail adventure. Follow the guidelines in “Safety Activity Checkpoints,” of course!

STEP 3 - “TO SERVE…MY COUNTRY” There are many ways that women and men can serve their country. Some choose to serve by joining the military, some by running for public office (mayor or county commissioner, for example), and some by being community activists and volunteers. As you learn more about the people who have served Georgia, America, and the world, you’ll be getting ideas about how you can live your Girl Scout Promise.

 Georgia’s State Government is a representative democracy: every county elects women and men to represent, or speak for them, in the state legislature. Find out who your state senators and representatives are, and what they do when the legislature is in session. What is the name of Georgia’s current governor? What does he or she do? If possible, visit the State Capitol in Atlanta.

OR…  Find out about some of the important women in Georgia’s history (other than Juliette Gordon Low!) If possible, visit their home or a museum established in their honor. What impact did they have on women today? Share what you find with other Girl Scouts or community members (by making a display in a library, for example.)

OR…  Georgia is the birthplace of two Nobel Peace Prize winners (their homes are two of Georgia’s National Historic Sites.) Who are these two men? Where are the sites that honor them? Why were each awarded the Peace Prize? Decide on a way that you, as a Girl Scout, can help carry forward their dream of peace.

STEP 4 - “MAKE NEW FRIENDS…” Here are some more quotes for you: “be a sister to every Girl Scout;” “friendly and helpful;” “respect myself and others.” Did you recognize them as parts of the Girl Scout Law? Girl Scouts of all ages say that making friends is one of the best parts of being a Girl Scout. Here’s chance to get to know folks past and present who may be different from you, but worthy of being good friends!

 Visit a Georgia community that is different from yours. For example, if you live in a city or suburban area, visit a small town or a rural community; or, if you live in a small town or a rural community, visit a large city. Before you go, learn a little of the town’s history. Write or go online to the town’s Chamber of Commerce for information about local attractions, businesses, schools, and places to live. Find out if there is a Girl Scout troop in the town. Make a scrapbook, photo album or DVD to record your trip. Include a list of things you feel make Georgia special.

OR…  Georgia has a mix of many different cultures, races, and ethnic groups. Visit a museum or cultural center that will help you learn more about Georgians – past or present – whose racial or ethnic background is different from yours. Or, learn about and volunteer with a group that supports children or adults with disabilities.

OR…  Make a timeline, starting with the Paleo-Indians and continuing through today, of the groups of people who came to or were brought to Georgia. What are some of the things each group brought with them that has become part of Georgia’s culture? (For example: words, foods, music, and holidays.) When did your own family come to Georgia? Add them to the time line!

STEP 5 - “GEORGIA’S DIME” Have you ever looked closely at the man’s face on a USA dime? It is Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), who was President of the United States from 1933 to 1945. President Roosevelt used a wheelchair after an illness (polio) left him paralyzed from the waist down. President Roosevelt helped start the March of Dimes, and that is one reason his portrait is on the dime. But what is FDR’s Georgia connection?

CHOICES – DO ONE:

 Franklin Roosevelt hoped that exercising in warm water would make his legs work again, so he founded a water-therapy center in Warm Springs, Georgia, and visited there as often as he could. Today, the Roosevelt Warm Springs Rehabilitation Institute (http://www.rooseveltrehab.org/pages/view) empowers individuals with disabilities to achieve personal independence. Go online to learn about the history of Warm Springs both before and after FDR, and the services and programs the Institute offers today. If all possible, visit the National Historic Landmark campus.

OR…  At The Little White House Historic Site in Warm Springs, Georgia, visitors can tour FDR’s home, which has been carefully preserved very much as he left it. Go to www.gastateparks.org/LittleWhiteHouse to learn about the activities and special events at the Little White House, then plan and go on a day or overnight trip there.

OR…  When FDR came to Georgia, his favorite retreat was Dowdell’s Knob in what is now F.D. Roosevelt State Park (http://www.gastateparks.org/FDRoosevelt) in Pine Mountain, Georgia. On this rocky outcrop, FDR entertained his closest friends, but also came alone to struggle with issues like the Great Depression and World War II. Dowdell’s Knob is where FDR felt most at home and was one of the few places where he didn’t hide his disability. Visit FDR State Park and take a picnic hike to Dowdell’s Knob; find the life-size sculpture of FDR that overlooks the spot. Add the Badge to Your Journey As you do Step 4, “Make New Friends,” you’ll be learning about people whose lives are different from yours. As you work on the “Speak Out” award as part of your aMUSE Leadership Journey, you’ll be exploring stereotypes and how to deal with them. Use what you learn on this part of your Journey to help you Make New Friends by getting rid of any stereotypes you have about people who live in a different place, or look differently, from you.

Now that I’ve earned this badge, I’m prepared to give service by:  introducing another troop to the fun of hiking or walking Georgia trails;  inviting a troop from a different part of the council to meet with my troop and explore our community together;  helping a Girl Scout Brownie troop earn their Georgia On My Mind badge. What are you inspired to do with your new skill? I’m inspired to: ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Sign here ______________________________________________________________________________