Brownies badges

[Charmster]

Hello,
not sure if this is in the right place but see lots on beavers and guiding etc.
My daughter attends a local brownies group and has done for the last few years. She passed her "Brownie Skills" badge June 2010 but the leader keeps saying there is a problem getting the badge. Does anyone know if there is a badge shortage. Its so disheartening for her and although I try to not pester the leader, over 6 months seems a bit long to me.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated.
Regards Fiona

[HeadsUp]

The problem may be getting to her nearest shop. I have to travel 50+ miles to my nearest outlet and its a pain. I have a couple waiting for badges, but I will have to wait until I am in the city for something to warent going to the guide shop as a 100 mile round trip is a bit much to pick up a couple of badges.

Some districts have a local badge person who runs a mini shop and will stock badges etc, if this is the case they might not have the ones she needs in at the moment.

I really like to award badges as soon as I can, as I know how much work some of the girls put in and also how much it means to them. But June 2010 seems a long time to wait for a badge, perhaps ask if there is a shortage or if you can help by picking htem up for the leader.

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

I'm a Brownie leader and we have this problem at the moment as our local depot has closed, meaning that the nearest place we can get badges from is over 50 miles away. I know it is hard when you have had to wait a long time, but the problem is that Guiding is a volunteer-run organisation, and sometimes things don't go quite as smoothly as they ought because of the pressures on everybody's time.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

When I was involved with the Brownies in Switzerland, we had ours sent out by post.

[PaisleyLeaf]

How silly! In a day and age when we can order things from the States and expect it within 48 hrs or so.

[LaVieEnTechnicolor]

I'm a Brownie leader too.

Trouble is, if we buy the badges online we have to pay postage which, for a couple of badges, can be disproportionate - especially as this comes out of pack funds leaving less to spend on the girls.

I agree that 6 months is a long time to wait (for anything) but things are sometimes out of stock at Trading Services and leaders can't always visit the nearest shop at the drop of a hat. I went to ours yesterday and came away with only half of what I wanted but won't have the time to go again for several weeks. That's how it is sometimes.