The troop crest began as a method of differentiating troops. The first four troops were symbolized by the white rose, the poppy, the carnation, and the red rose. With an estimated 3.2 million members divided into troops, one can easily see why the troop crest was abandoned in favor or troop numbers. The tradition of the troop crest continues in an altered fashion.

My eldest daughter is in third grade and preparing to bridge to Juniors and also time to select a troop crest to symbolize who they are as a group. It should symbolize who they are as a group, their interests, and their goals as a group.

When I was a girl Girl Scout, our troop chose the White Rose, which I now know symbolizes the Royal House of Stuart, loyalty, and challenge. It was also the crest of the first troop in Savannah, Georgia. As a historian, I suspect that the "house of Stuart" label is off by a hundred years or so. The white and the red roses symbolized the houses of York and Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses in England. The red rose "won" when Henry VI slew Richard III at the battle of Bosworth. Henry married the white rose heir, Elizabeth of York, and so united the two factions. Their daughter, Margaret, married the heir to the Scottish throne and their grandson, the first Stuart King of England, united England and Scotland under one crown. But, I digress... greatly.

Back to the idea of selecting a crest. As far as I can remember, we chose our symbol because we liked the rose. As it turns out, it was a great symbol for me as a historian and because I was the last standing member of my troop. Loyalty truly was one of my core traits.

Choosing by one's favorite picture, however, strikes me as less than meaningful. Originally, all troop crests were birds, flowers, or trees. Today there is a crest that depicts a of unicorn, which is, of course, a perpetual favorite among 8- and 9-year-old girls. There is also a really cool-looking falling star. With such persuasive images, selection should not be made on the image but on the meaning.

For my daughter's troop, I have sent out a list of meanings with no picture attached and asked each girl to rank their top three choices based on how close they feel the meaning describes their troop. I plan to collate the rankings and a winner will emerge.

I have a handful of votes in already and there is not one vote for the unicorn (meaning = magic, mystery and purity) or the falling star symbol (meaning = good luck - makes wishes come true) . Instead, the girls have chosen the symbols for the circle of friendship (symbol = Hawaiian lei) and for discovery (symbol = seashell). These symbols are the frontrunners so far and they definitely do symbolize the troop at this moment, although I am a bit surprised that the Pansy (meaning = friendship and service) has not garnered any votes. I suppose that is because the girls see and feel their friendships, but it is the leaders who see and value the service. Personally, I hope by the time these girls head off to college, they Wild Rose will be their symbol.

Here's a list of the current crests and their traditional meanings. If none of these fits your troop, there is a blank crest for you to design and create your own.

Bluebird~~ symbol of happiness and cheerfulness.
Cardinal~~ known for its song, good cheer and bright color. The cardinal is at home in the city or in the wild.
Clover Leaf~~ traditional symbol of good luck. This is also the shape of the girl scout trefoil.
Daffodil~~ spring flower and the symbol of sunny personality.
Dogwood~~new life, rebirth, a spring flowering tree.
Falling Star~~ symbol of good luck--makes wishes come true.
Forget-Me-Not~~ long standing symbol of friendship and loyalty.
Hawaiian Lei~~ symbol of circle of friendship.
Lightning~~ symbol of power in nature.
Lily of the Valley~~ symbol of purity---in folk-lore, it is known as Fairy Bells.
Morning Glory~~ symbol of awakening a new day.
Music Notes~~ symbol of music and song.
Pine Tree~~ symbol of boldness, loyalty, and stability.
Purple Pansy~~ also known as "heart's ease"; stands for service and friendship.
Purple Violet~~ symbolic today of a clean environment and a clean earth.
Red Rose~~ all-American flower, symbol of beauty and love.
Sailboat~~ symbol of freedom on the wind and adventurous journey.
Seashell~~ a promise of discovery-a gift from the sea.
Star of Bethlehem~~ a guide beacon that shows the way, a goal.
Unicorn~~ symbol of magic, mystery, and purity.
Waterfall~~ symbol of faith and loyalty and the quest for truth.
White Rose~ (It was also the crest symbol of the Royal House of Stuart; it stands for loyalty and challenge. It was also the crest of first troop in Savannah, Georgia.
Wild Rose~~ symbol of perseverance and adaptability even in the face of adversity, beauty in strength, and exploring the possibilities.