An Introduction to the Basics of a
Troop Mascot
COURSE 1
Hi Classmates! My name is Iris and I will be your guide through the Mascot 101 course. If at any time you have a question or need help, use the Email button at the bottom of the page to contact the Mascot Mom. Lets get started with our first lesson.

What is a Mascot? (and how to pick one for your troop)
Normally, a mascot is a stuffed animal. But, some troops have used Dolls or even paperdolls. Some troops pick a favorite character or something that reflects the troop's area or town. For example, we're from Texas and our mascots are a Coyote, an Armadillo and a Cow. We hosted Keiko the Ocra Whale from Oregon (the home of Willy), we've meet Brownie Bear from a very proud Brownie Troop. There was Ester the Moose from New Hampshire, Popcorn the Racoon from Wisconsin and Fawna the Fawn from Oregon. We even hosted another Armadillo, Roady for Texas. There are lots of options and there is no right or wrong answer here, it is up to you (the troop). A couple of suggestion when choosing a mascot, it should be on the small side - Beanies are a great size (more on Beanies later). The bigger the mascots, the bigger the box to send it in. The bigger the box, the more it'll cost to send out. Keeping cost to a minimum is always a good idea. We'll talk more about the box later also.
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Are you thinking about a Troop Mascot?
Well, you've come to the right place. Here you can get the information you need to decide if a Troop Mascot is right for your troop. There are many things involved in the Mascot Exchange Program. The biggest investments of you and your troop will be time and money. Wait, don't go yet, let me explain more. The initial outlay of money will be getting your mascots setup and ready to travel. At the start of the program most of the time will be spent organizing the itinerary and getting ready to travel. After your mascot begins it's travels you will need to correspond with the troops hosting for you. A great way to think of this is to think of yourself as going on an extended trip. You will need to make all of your lodging arrangement before you leave home. Let's move on to some of the very basics.
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Common Terms
Home Troop - is the troop that owns the mascot.
Host Troop - is the troop the mascot is visiting.
Even Exchange - is when they host your mascot at the same time you host theirs.
Priority Mail - A specialty service from the United States Postal Service (USPS) at very little extra expense.
Delivery Conformation - A specialty service from the USPS at very little extra expense (.35 cents). This will give a tracking number that can be checked to see the date and time of delivery.
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Why are mascots sent out?
We exchange mascots to learn about other troops, councils, cities, and states. We also exchange to share with other troops. The mascot's adventures are recorded in a journal or diary so at every stop along the way the girls in the hosting troop (and the home troop) can learn a bit about the others. Mascots can end up with photos of events, ceremonies, and very special moments with friends from their adventures. Postcards, swaps, and souvenirs are common too. We've seen mascots going home with Patch vests, friendship blankets, sit upons and many other things. Some troops post their mascot's adventures on their Web sites.
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Boxes and Beanies
The box you send your mascot in is very important. The box should just fix the contents. If the box is too big, the content will slide around and have more possibility to break through the end of the box. If the box is too small, then it will bulge and the pressure may split the box. Here at Mascot U we recommend using US Post Office Priority Mail boxes. This is for several resons.
First, they are free (free is good).
Second, they come in a variety of sizes.
Third, they are already marked as Priority Mail.
Fourth, they have great adhesive on the ends.
Fifth, they are strong.
Sixth, did we mention they are FREE?
About Beanies, if you use a Beanie Baby it is highly recommended that you remove all tags (tush tags and hang tags). The reason for this is to protect your mascot. The world, it seems collects Beanie Babies, and not everyone that comes in contact with your mascot will be a Girl Scout and be living by the Girl Scout Law. We have heard stories of Beanies that retire while out traveling and they just disappear. Beanies are also a great size and come in a large variety of styles.
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