Citizen Near and Far (Brownie Try-it)

Please add ways to customize the Citizen Near and Far Try-it activities here, and include useful resources below.

As with all Brownie Try-its, scouts need to complete 4 activities to earn the badge.

You may be a citizen of the united Sates of America or of another country. You are also a citizen of the world. Good citizens obey the laws of their country. When you remember not to litter or when you recycle cans and newspapers, you are being a good citizen. You can do good deeds for your country and for the world.

Citizen of America
Learn about someone who acted like a good citizen. You can get the story from television, the radio, a book, a magazine or newspaper, or the internet.

Getting Along
Think how boring life would be if everybody were the same. America has so many people from so many different countries, races, and religions. In a group, talk about situations that involve differences. Share an experience in which you or someone else was treated unfairly. Maybe you or someone you know was not allowed to be part of a group. How did you or the other person feel? What did you do? What else could you have done to fix the situation?

Discuss what you would do if these things happened:


 * A friend said something bad about someone because of religion or race.
 * Some of your friends would not play with one of your other friends because she speaks English with an accent.

It’s the Law
Children, as well as adults, have laws to obey. Rules and laws help make things fair for all people. What special rules do you and other Girl Scouts follow during your meetings? During trips you take? What might happen if you or your friends did not follow the rules? Share your ideas with your troop or group.

Making Choices and Voting
As citizens, you will help make the laws when you get older. You will do this by voting for laws and for the people who make the laws. You may have already voted for something in your troop. What are some decisions your troop has made? What are some decisions your has to make?

It is important to listen to each choice before placing your vote. Practice making choices and voting. With the girls in your troop, decide on a fun activity for the next troop meeting. It could be playing a game or doing a project. Discuss each activity. Then take a vote. Talk about why the winning activity won the most votes.

Calling all Helpers
The United Nations is an ororganization that brings people together from many different countries and cultures of the world. The people talk about problems they share. They try to solve these problems.


 * 1) As a troop, choose a problem that affects people all over the world. Here are some examples: pollution, violence, not being able to go to school, not getting medical care when you are sick, being hungry.
 * 2) Ask your family and neighbors to suggest ways to solve the problems.
 * 3) At you next troop meeting, hold a "United Nations" meeting. Each of you represents a part of the community. Take turns sharing with each other what members of the community had to say.
 * 4) As a troop think about everything that you heard. Then vote on the best way to handle the problem.
 * 5) Share your solution with your family and neighbors.

Reaching Out
As a citizen of the world, you can help people in other countries with their problems. Find a group in your community that works to help people in other countries. Visit this group or ask someone from this group to come to you meeting to hear what she or he is doing to help people in other countries. Find out how you can help.