The Brownies at my school were working on their HerStory badge and wanted to interview adults who had been Girl Scouts when they were young. I pulled out my old Junior uniform sash and took a walk down memory lane.

A quick inventory shows a few stars, tarnished from storage in basements and closets. Fly-up wings representing the move from Brownies to Juniors. Troop number, council name, and badges: badges galore.

The badges are a fascinating glimpse into the girl I was in elementary school. Two music: one general, another more advanced. A cooking badge; I earned that with my piano teacher and her daughters. Two that imply outdoor cooking – what was the difference between the campfire and the grill? Was it exactly what it seems? There’s a badge with a slipper, medeival style. Storytelling? Theater? The sewing badge that I earned along with my troop; I squeaked through this one by the skin of my teeth with my mother’s help. The sewing gene skipped a generation; my daughter can sew, but I can’t.

The oval patch above the troop number – I now know it was the troop crest – featured a lily of the valley. I’ve always loved these gentle flowers, and I grow them in my backyard.

With the patches – badges and crests and more – come the memories. I hope today’s Scouts’ memories last into their adulthood. I thank them for inviting me to visit their troop and stirring me to reflect on the way the Girl Scout in my past resembled the woman I am now.