The Meaning of Daisy Petals

Woman in black framed eyeglasses.jpg

Members of the Daisy Girl Scout program wear colorful ribbons on the backs of their tunics. Each ribbon is a different color and represents one of the laws of Girl Scouting. As members progress through the program, they gain more of the ribbons until they can bear a whole daisy with pride.

1 History

Daisy petals were introduced to the Girl Scouts with the introduction of the Daisy Girl Scout program in 1984. Before the Daisy Girl Scout program, girls had to wait until they were 7 before they could join. The program is named for the nickname of the Girl Scout founder, Juliette “Daisy” Low.

2 Features

Daisy petals are 10 patches that are arranged in a circle on a Daisy Girl Scout's tunic. The petals come in a variety of colors, each representing one of the 10 Girl Scout laws. The meaning of each petal is the same in each Girl Scout group. The petals form a circle around a larger, deep blue patch representing the Girl Scout Promise.

3 Identification

Each petal represents demonstration and understanding of one of the Girl Scout laws, which are honest and fair (light blue); friendly and helpful (yellow); considerate and caring (light green); courageous and strong (red); responsible for what I say and do (orange); respect myself and others (purple); respect authority (magenta); use resources wisely (dark green); make the world a better place (rose/pink); and be a sister to every Girl Scout (violet).

4 Time Frame

Daisy petals are worn only by members of the Daisy Girl Scouts, the introductory group, and therefore have a set age range. Daisy Girl Scouts are ages 5 to 7 and collect their petals during the course of their time with the Girl Scouts before heading on to become Brownies.

5 Benefits

The Daisy petals are an integral part of a young member's introduction to the values of the Girl Scouts. Because they represent the Girl Scout laws and are awarded only when a member can demonstrate their understanding of the meaning of each of them, they provide an excellent way of teaching a range of values to young children.

Based in the United Kingdom, April Kohl has been writing since 1992, specializing in science and legal topics. Her work has appeared on the Second Life News Network website and in British Mensa's "LSQ" magazine. Kohl holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Durham University and a diploma in English law from the Open University.