The silent sentinels of hours and hours of service give to the community, these service bars were first introduced in 1953 for Senior Girl Scouts only. Poorly made, many pins were lost when the back catch broke off. The equally poor paint job meant that they quickly chipped and looked out of place on a uniform. Oddly, these pins that represent one of the greatest programs in Girl Scouting - volunteer service, did not and continues to not carry any identification of Girl Scouting.

Just eight different service areas were offered at first, but that quickly grew in 1962 when eager Senior Girl Scouts clamored to broaden the programs offered. Minor changes happened throughout the years as interest in certain areas grew or fell, but overall remained stable until the Worlds to Explore program began in 1980 and the number of bars was dropped to six, one for each of the five "worlds" and one for Girl Scouting in general. This also brought in an enameling paint job, with a much better finish and durability. In 1992 the clutch back style of pin was phased in. In 1995 the program dropped to just three areas, but allowed Cadette Girl Scouts to participate. Around 2011 the program changed again, changing the pin look, adding the Ambassador program and raising the number of bars to six.