Recently I received a query from a reader about how and where to get uniforms at a discount. Girl Scouts is for everyone, including those who have few pennies to spare. Ironically, Juliette Low advocated uniforms to level social distinctions between girls in troops and in the organization. Yet today, the cost of a uniform with a top, bottom, vest, etc. etc. can easily cause a parent to step back and gulp.

So what answers are there for those who need to stretch their dollars? First, check with your service unit, neighborhood, and/or council to see if there is a uniform, books, and materials exchange. In our neighborhood, the May leaders's meeting is a time when troops bring in the items they no longer need. New Brownie troops can benefit from the cast offs of soon-to-be Juniors. We repeat the swap in the Fall for those forming new troops or who weren't present in May.

Daisy troops, in particular, may want to be savvy about supplies and uniforms, since their items are only used for a year. At my school, we hand down our books from one year to the next. We have a central supply cabinet on school grounds and the procedure has been casual with the outgoing Daisy leader letting the new Daisy leader know that the materials are there for ongoing use by troops in the school.


If you want to be proactive, approach a troop leader with girls exiting the level you are entering and ask for their hand-me-downs. Books and uniforms aren't the only gems you may receive. Girls going onto Juniors, for example, have no use for unearned Try Its or other insignia in the wrong color.

Finally, check the second-hand shops and the internet. Used clothing is not only available in second-hand shops but also online. I recently outfitted my new Brownie and my new Junior with the basics (vests, shirts, coulottes) for about $20 each. Honestly, I don't like the new Brownie uniform top at all, so I took advantage of the fact that all uniforms, once official, remain so and bought her the same version her sister had.

Remember though, any Scout is considered fully in uniform in she is wearing her pin.