found_1997_girl scouting in indiana

8/3/2019 FOUND_1997_Girl Scouting in Indiana

1/16

Indiana Historian The

A Magazine Exploring Indiana History

To inspire girls with the highest idealsof character, conduct, patriotism,

and service so that they may becomehappy and resourceful citizens.

Girl Scouting in Indiana

Mission statement, GSUSA, adopted 1990


2/16+

+

The Indiana Historian, March 19972 Copyright Indiana Historical Bureau 1997

Focus

T h e In d i a n a H is t o r i a n

March 199 7I SS N 1 0 7 1 - 3 3 0 1

Ed i to rPamela J . Benne t t

Lead Res ea r che r

Paula A. BongenDes igne r

Dan i B. Pfaff Contr ibut ing Edi tors

Carole M. Allen, Ja nin e Beckley,Alan Conant , Dani B. Pfaff ,

Virginia Terpening

The Indiana Histor ian prov ides r e -sources a nd m ode l s fo r the s tu dy o f loca lh i s to ry to en courage Ind iana s c i t izens o f a l l ages to become engaged wi th the h i s -to ry o f the i r commun i t i es an d the s t a t e o f Ind iana .

Th e Indiana Histor ian (formerly Th e Indiana Junior Histor ian) i s i s s u e d q u a r -t e r ly f rom Sep tember th rough June .

I t i s a m embersh ip b ene f it o f t he Ind i -ana Ju n io r Hi s to r ica l Soc ie ty. One compl i -men ta ry subsc r ip t ion i s p rovided to Ind i -ana l ib ra r i e s , s choo l med ia cen te r s , and

cu l tu ra l an d h i s to r i ca l o rgan iza t ions .Annu a l su bsc r ip t ions a re a va il ab le fo r

$5 .00 p lu s t ax . Back i s sues a re ava i lab lea t i nd iv idua l and bu lk p r i c ing .

This material is available to visuallyimpa i red pa t rons in aud io fo rma t , cour-tesy of the Indiana History Project of theIndian a Historical Society. Tapes are avail-ab le th rou gh th e Ta lk ing Books P rogram of the Ind iana S ta t e L ib ra ry ; con tac t t he Ta lk -ing Books P rogram, 317-232 -3702 .

The Indiana Histor ian is copyrighted.Edu ca to r s may rep roduce i t ems fo r cl a s sus e , bu t no pa r t o f t he pub l ica t ion may berep roduced in any way fo r p ro fi t w ithou twr i t t en pe rmiss ion o f the Ind iana His to r i -ca l Bureau .

Cover Illustration: The Crothersville, Jackson County, Indiana Girl Scout Troop ata homecoming picnic in Henryville, ClarkCounty in August, 1912. According to theidentification on the picture, The Henryvilletrip was a little historic excursion andmissionary tour in Scout work. . . . The Dayclosed with a Scout Entertainment at the HighSchool by the Brownstown and CrothersvilleScouts. According to the BrownstownBanner, July 10, 1912, these two troopscalled Red Cross Scoutsmet in Crothersvilleon July 7 with the newly organized RedCross Crusaders, for the young people notin Scout work.Pho tograph f rom Ind iana S ta t e L ib ra ry,Ind iana Divi s ion , Pho tographs .

March 12 , 1997 is th e eighty-fifth anniversary of the Girl Scoutsfoun ded by J u lie t te Gordon Lowo n M a r ch 1 2 , 1 9 1 2 i n S a va n n a h ,Georgia . This issue uses thatoccasion to cal l a t ten t ion to th eimportan ce of you th organizat ionsin s tudy ing and documen t ing thehis tory of chi ldren an d ch i ldh ood.Ou r guest a u thor, Noraleen A.Young is introduced below.

The front cover provides aph otograph of wha t m ay be thefi rs t Gir l Scout t roop in Indian a.The ba ck cover photograph d emon-strates the interest of Girl Scouts inan historical event in 1 929.

On p age 3, there is a verybrief overview of the historicalcontext in which th e Gir ls Scoutswas foun ded . On pages 4 and 5 ,th ere is an introdu ct ion of J u liet teLow and Girl Scouting.

Pages 6 an d 7 ar e devoted toan examina t ion of bad gestherole they play and wh at h is tor icalinformat ion we can learn from th em.

Pages 8 an d 9 conta in infor-ma t ion abou t camping th roughthe yearsperhaps th e mos tfam iliar ima ge of Girls S cou ts,

bes ides th e cookie sa le , tha t m an ypeople h ave of Girl Scou ting.

Service to commu nity is a nimp ortan t pa r t of Gir l Scout ing,and some contr ibut ions gir ls havema de a re su rveyed on pages 10an d 11 . Inc lud ed is a t r ans cr ip -tion of a letter from J u liette Low toan Ind ian apol is t roop leader.

The role of Girl Scou ting a s at ra ining groun d for gir ls an dwomen is covered on page 12 inth e cont ext of th e early develop-men t of Gir l Scout ing in Ind ian ainclud ing a map of coun cils andfirs t k nown troops.

As a n examp le of the commit-m ent of Girl Scou ts t o diversity,th e st ory of an African -Am ericantroop in Ind iana polis in 192 1 isprovided on page 13.

Behind th e Scenes on page14 p rovides an opportu ni ty for ourguest a u thor Noraleen Youn g tota lk about why h is to r ian s sh ou lds tu dy the Gir l Scou ts an d o theryouth organizat ions.

Selected Resou rces areprovided on page 15.Sources : The bas ic sou rce for th einform ation in th is iss u e is You ng.The Girl Scouts of th e United Stat esof Am erica (GSUSA) Arch ives a n d th eGirl Scou ts of Hoosier Ca pital Coun cilArch ives h ave provided b oth in form a-t ion an d m ater ia l s .

Noraleen A. Young has alwaysloved history. I read many historicalnove ls as a young person . I had agrandfa ther who loved h is tory andloved to discuss i t with his grand-d a u g h t e r.

From the University of Michi-

g a n , A n n A r b o r, Yo u n g e a r n e d abach elor s d egree in Amer ican Historyan d Amer ican S tu dies an d a m as te r sdegree in Library Science, specializ-ing in a rch ives and m an u scr ip t s , thesour ce mater ia ls o f h i s tory. She cam eto Ind ianapol is in 19 84 to work a t th eIndiana State Library, Indiana Divi-sion, a collect ion of materials relatedto every aspect of Indianapeople,p laces , an d events .

She completed her thesis t i t ledThe Girl Scout of Toda y, the Woma nof Tomorrow: Girl Scouting in Cen-t r a l In d i a n a , 1 9 1 7 - 1 9 9 2 a n d e a r n e dher m as ter s degree in h istory fromIndiana Universi ty, Indianapolis in1 9 9 2 .

After she completed her thesis ,sh e became th e vo lu nteer coun cil h is -torian for the Hoosier Capital Coun-c il . When ques t ions a bout the h i s toryof Girl Scouting in central Indianaar i se , Youn g ans wers them.

Young i s now in bus iness as aconsul t ing h i s tor ian . F ind out morea b o u t h e r o n h e r We b p a g e a t h t t p :/ / w ww.t r a d e r.c om / u s e r s / 5 0 1 0 / 5 9 5 5 / index .h tm

Our guest author


3/16

Copyright Indiana Historical Bureau 1997 3

+

+

The Indiana Historian, March 1997

At th e end of the n ineteen th cen tu ry, Americansociety was n o longer based on an agricul tu raleconomy. Increa sing ind u str ia l izat ion d rew moth ers ,fa th ers , gir ls , a nd boys from sm all farm s to factor ies ,

offices, and commercial ventures in cities.Rapid growth of these ci t ies cau sed p roblems of

overcrowding, poor hea l th , u nem ployment , cr ime,an d ju veni le del inqu ency. Local governm ents werenot a ble to solve th ese problems. Man y people be-cam e concern ed abou t the loss of values a nd idealsof th e American pioneers an d forefath ers .

Many American reformers , par t of a n at ionalmovemen t ca lled progres sivism , tried to s olve theproblems of cha nge with su ch effor ts as a ren ewedinterest in religion, governmental reform, back-to-nature movement , and educat ional reform.

New ideas a bou t edu cat ion grew ou t of the fi rs tscient ific s tu dies ab out chi ld d evelopmen t . TheYoung Mens Christian Association (YMCA) had beendeveloping program s for boys s ince 18 67. Ed u catorsorgan ized oth er groups for outd oor educa t ion forboys . In the U.S . , Ernes t Thomp son Se ton a ndDan iel Charles Beard were leaders in th ese effor ts .

In Great Bri ta in in 1 908 , Robert Baden -Powellbegan a pr ogram ca lled Boy Scou ts. Ba den -Powellsprogram was a dopted b y the YMCA in the U.S. , an dby October 1910 , U.S . Boy Scou ts h ad 2 ,500 s cou t -ma sters in for ty-four s ta tes , Puerto Rico, and thePhillipin es (Murr ay, 1 5).

Baden-Powells Boy Scouts led to the foundingin Great Bri ta in in 19 10 of the Gir l Gu ides b y hissister Agn es. In th e U.S., YMCA an d Boy Scou tsleaders respon ded to American gir ls reques ts b yestab lishing Cam pfire Gir ls in 191 1. Luth er Gu lick,who a lon g with oth ers b elieved girls ph ysical an dm en ta l ab ilities were very differen t from boys , devel-oped the p rogram.

J u liet te Gordon Low ha d oth er ideas . Her Gir lScou ts , e s tab l ish ed in 19 12 , m oved beyond con tem-

porary views of gir ls an d women an d resp onded t otraining girls for the roles of women. The roles ands ta tu s o f women ha ve chan gedal though m an y ro lesha ve rema ined th e sam eover the years . Gir l Scoutprogramm ing h as evolved to cont inu e th e ideals of itsfounder to make girls into well-prepared citizenswhatever ro les th ey assu me.

In 1927:. . . The interests of parents and children werenever more divergent. The nineteenth century, withthe development of the factory system, took thework of the family out of the home. The twentiethcentury is rapidly doing the same thing to its play,and breaking down the ties which have held thehome together. . . . The heaviest strain of ourunsettled modern life falls on the shoulders of theyoung, especially on girls because of the changingstatus of women today (139-40). Girl Scouts andother youth organizations were cited as stabilizingfactors for the modern girl (143).From: Henriette R. Walter,Girl Life in America: A Study of Backgrounds(NewYork: The National Committee for the Study of Juvenile Reading, 1927).

In 1957:What resources, ideally, should a girl have inorder to grow successfully into the subtle anddemanding role of adult womanhood? Theessentials would seem to be: a reasonable senseof self based on an accurate knowledge of herown talents and interests, a positive view of andidentification with the feminine role, and enoughsustaining values to permit her to adapt flexiblyto adult womanhoodwhether . . . marriage anda family, or a career, or both (2).From: Adolescent Girls: a nation-wide study of girls between eleven and eightee

years of age ([Ann Arbor]: Survey Research Center, Institute for Social ResearcUniversity of Michigan, [1957]). The study was commissioned by the GSUSA.

You be the historian E x p lo r e t h e h i s t or y of y ou t h o rga n i za t io n s a n d a g e n -

cies. H a ve t h e r e b e en G i r l S c ou t t r o o p s or o t h e r yo u t h

organ iza t ions in your commu ni ty? Wha t ha ve they

cont r ibu ted to the ind iv idua ls involved and to thecomm u nity? Talk with p eople of variou s ages ab ou tthese top ics .

Inves t iga te Amer ican soc ie ty in the ear ly twent ie thcentu ry, esp ecial ly th e progress ive movemen t.

Explore cha nges in percept ions of the ro les of g ir l sand women up to the presen t day. Have there a l sobeen cha nges in percept ions abou t the ro les of boysa n d m e n ?

Answers to change


4/16+

+


G i r l S c o u

t T i m e

l i n e

O t h e r

E v e n

t s i n H i s t o r y 1897

Indiana GeneralAssembly passescomprehensive lawprohibiting children underthe age of 14 fromworking in manufacturingestablishments.(Phillips, 332-33)

1902

c.1899

Typical housewifespends six hours aday on two taskscooking andcleaning.(Mintz and Kellogg, 90)

1905

Daniel C. Beard foundsSociety of the Sons ofDaniel Boone for boys,

promoting sport, outdoorrecreation, woodcraft, andpreservation.(Murray, 18)

1906

New city of Garyis built by UnitedStates Steel Co.(Phillips, 364)

1911

Boy Scoutorganization is

established in U.S.(Young, 9)

1910

1910

Indiana has a higherproportion of child labor thanany other northern stateexcept Ohio and Pennsylvania.(Phillips, 334)

Ernest Thompson Setonorganizes the Tribe ofWoodcraft Indians for

boys, promoting outdoorlife, preservation, andfellowship.(Murray, 16)

Camp Fire Girls

is establishedin U.S.(Young, 9)

Girl Scouting in history

Born in Savann ah , Georg ia in 1860 , J u l ie t t eGordon ha d been rea red to be a wife an d m other.Sh e ma rr ied Will iam Low in 188 6 a nd moved to hishome in Grea t Br it a in . Her hu sban d d ied in 1905;sh e had n o ch i ld ren .

Amon g her fr iend s were Lord Robert Ba den-Powell and his sister, Agnes, founders of Boy Scoutsan d Gir l Gu ides in Grea t Bri ta in . Low becam e inter-ested in Gir l Gu ides a nd estab l ish ed t roops whensh e lived in London , England a nd Scot lan d.

Low re tu rn ed to Savan na h a nd in March 1912estab lished th e fi rs t American Gir l Guide t roop,changing the name to Gir l Scouts in 1913. To spreadthe word of Gir l Scout ing, sh e rel ied on correspon-den ce an d h er c i rc le of fr iend s.

Low devoted her life an d m oney to Girl Scou tsin th e U.S. an d th e intern at ional Gir l Gu ides. Shed ied on J an u ary 17 , 192 7 . Her fami ly home inSavann ah was res to red and opened in 195 6 as a Gi r lScou ts n a t iona l p rogram cen te r.

According to the caption for this photograph in the IndianapolisStar Magazine, June 20, 1948, Mrs. Donald R. Berner explains navigatioto Girl Scouts Barbara Bowman, Helen Eby and Elizabeth Haynes. Tstory goes on to describe how veterans in Indiana of the Womens AiForce Service Pilots (WASPS) had begun to establish Wing Scout groamong senior Girl Scoutsfive groups in Indianapolis and one inRichmond. The Wing Scouts began as an official program of the GSUin 1942; the first manual was issued in 1945. Former members of theWomens Air Corps (WACS) also helped with Wing Scout troops.

Another special opportunity was the Mariner Scout program. It waintroduced in 1924 as Sea Scouts and became an official program ofGSUSA in 1934.

The Raintree Council has documented Mariner Troops in Boonvil(1950s) and Evansville (1960s) and Senior Wing Scout Troop 19, circ1949 in Evansville (Raintree Council, 234, 235, 237).

Both programs were integrated as special interest groups in the nesenior program in 1963 (1963 Senior Handbook,148-59, 176-85).

A self-portrait by JulietteGordon Low, who wasan accomplished artist.

If character training and learning citizenship arenecessary for boys, how much more important it is thatthese principles should be instilled into the minds of girls

who are destined to be the mothers and guides of thenext generation. An attractive and practical form ofactive educational pastime is needed and for thispurpose the Girl Scouts are organized.

P h o

t o g r a p

h b y

M a u r i c e

G .

B u r n e t

t .

J ul ie t te Gordon Low(Foreword, 1 9 1 3 H a n d b o o k , Hoxie, vii)

1 9 3 3 H a n

d b o o

k ,

f r o n

t i s p

i e c e .


5/16


+

+


Gi r l

S c o

u t T i m

el i n

e

O t h er E v

en

t si nH i s

t or y

1911 1912

New Mexico andArizona becomethe 47th and 48thstates.(Carruth, 245)

February 10Girl Scout

trefoil designis patented.(Highlights, 5)

U.S. entersWorld War I.(Carruth, 254)

Indiana celebrates100th anniversary of

statehood with paradesand pageants.

(Phillips, 361)

1912 1912

1916 1917

G S U S A

1914

March 10Indiana Universityinaugurates state highschool basketballtournament with 12public high schoolsparticipating.(Phillips, 436)

March 12Juliette Gordon Low

organizes first Girl

Scout troop inSavannah, Georgiawith 18 members.

(Highlights, 5)

AugustCrothersville and

Brownstown,Indiana have GirlScout troops.(see p. 2 of this issue)

OctoberThe Rally , monthly

magazine for Girl

Scouts, beginspublication.(Highlights, 6)

1917

The development of GirlScouting reflects m an y aspects of th e h istory of society over the yearssince 1912.The levelsan d activitieshavechan ged tomeet theneeds of girlsas societyhas changed.

The uniformsmirror the cha ngingfash ions over th edecades. The clothus ed has includedcotton, Sa nforizedcotton, rayon,gabardine, an dpolyester b lends asthey became avail-able. Adult uni-forms have beendesigned b y highfash ion designers ,including Indianan at ive Bill Blas s in1984 .

Juliette Gor-don Low introdu ced the program

for girls ages 1 0-17 , with th reeranks. By 1925, girls over 18 orFirst Class Scou ts over 16 becameknown as Senior Scouts.

English leaders in 1 914developed a program for youn gergirls who followed their sisters toGirl Gu ide meetings. In th e U.S., a

chan ging times a nd the perceivedn eeds of Am erican girls from astudy it had commissioned, 1955-1957 . The program was altered toserve four Girl Scou t age groups Brownie (7-9, cu rren tly 6-9), Ju nior(9-11 ), Cad ette (12 -14), and Sen ior(14-17).

In 1 98 4, GSUSA extended itsprogramm ing to kindergarten, orage 5, with th e Daisy Girl Scou t.

Daisy GirlScout uniforms

(GSUSA).

Brownie,Intermediate, and

Senior Scoutuniforms

(1947 Handbook , 4).

Khaki uniform,circa 1914

(GSUSA).

Brownie uniform,1927-1936

(GSUSA).

Senior, Cadette, Junior, and

Brownie uniform(1963 Cadette Handbook,

frontispiece)

1 9 2 6 Handbook .

Brownie program for girls ages 7-10was officially recognized in th e m id-1920s .

As a resu lt of a U.S. Girl Scou tprogram stu dy in 1935 , a revisionof age groups was introduced in

19 38 Brownies (7-9),Int ermediates (10-13 ),an d Sen iors (14-17).

In 19 63, th e GSUSAresponded to rapidly

Green uniform(1933 Handbook, 78).


6/16+

+


G i r l S c o u

t T i m e

l i n e

O t h e r

E v e n

t s i n H i s t o r y

Badges, badges, badges

1920

1920 1920

U.S. census showsIndiana urbanpopulation largerthan rural populationfor the first time.(Phillips, 363)

1920

Rally magazinebecomes The American Girl, a

magazine for allgirls, not just GirlScouts.(Highlights, 6)

1921

Indiana General Assemblypasses law requiringchildren between the agesof 14 and 16 to complete8th grade.(Phillips, 389-90n)

1922

U.S. Bureau ofEducation reports175,031 one-roomschools across thecountry.(Walter, 32)

GSUSA reports26.1% of troops

are affiliatedwith churches.(Walter, 79)

1926

Girl Scout b adges are s ome-thing m ore tha n pieces of fabr ic topu t on a u n i fo rm, ves t , or sas h .Badge work helps girls learn skills

they can u se in th eir l ives . Ea chbadge has requ i rements th a t ha veto be m et . When a gir l completesthe requ i rements , sh e is t e s ted byher leader or by som eone withspecial kn owledge about th ebadge a rea .

Throu ghout th e years ,bad ges h ave reflected th e expectedroles of women . Bad ges also h avegiven gir ls an opportu ni ty toexp lore a reas th a t m ay no t ha vebeen considered p ar t of womenstra dition al act ivities.

In th e char t on th e nex t pagear e exam ples of ba dges offeredover the years an d some s am plebadge requ i rements . E xa m in e r e q u ir e m en t s g ive n fo r

each t ime per iod , making su re youknow the meaning of al l words.Can you meet the requi remen ts?

O ve r t im e , w h a t ele m en t s a b o u tthe requi rements for each bad ge

are al ike and what are different? Wh a t d o t h e b a d ge s a n d b a d ge

requi rements g iven te ll us abou tthe ch an ging ro le of women a ndchan ges in technology?

Wh a t m ig h t t h e n u m b e r s of t op t enbad ges earn ed in each t ime per iodte ll us abou t par t ic ipa t ion in th eGirl Scouts?

Indiana surveyshows 4,800 one-room schools stillin use.(Phillips, 391)

November 5Indiana GovernorJames Goodrich

issues proclamation

designating GirlScout week.(Indianapolis New s,November 5, 1920)

October 5Martha Selma Beck starts

first African-Americantroop in Indianapolisat School #17.

(Young, 78)

1921

Her Badge stands for one way in which a Girl Scouthas prepared herself to help others. The real badgetest is the use a Girl Scout makes of it when

opportunity comes

Sources for p . 7 : Therequ i re m e n t s a r e quo t edfrom various versions of Gir l Scout handbooks asnoted; an e l ips is ( three orfour dots ) indica tes wordsha ve been omit ted;nu mber s o f badges a r efrom Degenha rd t a ndKirsch.

Certain skills and knowledgehave always been required

for Girl Scouts. This card,circa 1930s, shows the

examination for a SecondClass Girl Scout.

G S U S A

January 1921

G S U S A

Brownie pin,1921-1937

(Degenhardt and Kirsch, 258) .


7/16


+

+


Gi r l

S c o

u t T i m

el i n

e

O t h er E v

en

t si nH i s

t or y

1927

1927

May 21Lindberg completes

first nonstop airplaneflight across the

Atlantic from NewYork to Paris.

(Carruth, 272)

1929

Indianapolis survey ofchildren reveals that morethan 50% attend moviesat least once a week.Tom Mix and Clara Boware most popular stars.(Madison, Indiana, 367)

1930 1935

1935

Survey in Indiana shows thatinadequate roads and bridges

hinder school attendance andschool consolidation.(Madison, Indiana, 190)

U.S. Social Security Act marks federalgovernments recognition of public

responsibility for aged and dependentAmericans. Indiana General Assemblypasses most significant social welfare

reforms in state history in 1936.(Madison, Indiana, 118)

Bookbinding, Pottery, My Country,Public Health, World Knowledge,Cyclist, Beekeeper, Farm Safety,Storyteller (Total, 131)

My Camera, World Neighbor,Creative Writer, Graphic Arts,Radio & Television, Traveler,Player-Producer (Total, 112)

Individual Sports, Local Lore,Peoples of the U.S., BusinessWise, Computer Fun, Ecology,Horse Lover (Total, 76)

Aviation: . . . Explain the fourmajor factors governing flightlift,thrust, drag, gravity. . . . Know theuses of the ailerons, elevators, andrudder of an aircraft; the uses ofthe flaps of an airplane; and thespoilers of a glider. . . . (1947, pp.384-85).

Handywoman: . . . Demonstratethe best and safest ways to useand care for electric and mechani-cal appliances in your home, suchas iron, toaster, clock, percolator,carpet sweeper, meat grinder. . . .Learn how to read a gas, electric,or water meter . . . (1947, p. 421).

Housekeeper: . . . Describe labor-saving devices . . . preparationsand supplies found in stores . . . .Demonstrate cleaning of enam-eled, aluminium, or stainless steelware . . . . Clean your refrigeratoror ice box . . . . If the refrigerator isrun by electricity or gas, learn howto defrost it and regulate thetemperature. . . . (1947, pp. 424-25).

Aviation: . . . Name major parts ofan airplane. Define functions of:fuselage, aileron, elevator, rudder,trim tabs, flaps, vertical stabilizer.Identify a glider, helicopter, lightsingle-engine and twin-engineairplane, seaplane, a turbopropand turbojet two or four enginetransport. . . . (1963 Cadette, 286).

Handywoman: . . . Describe how,when, and under what circum-stances utilities should be turnedoff in your home. . . . Demonstratethe safe and correct way to useand care for four major appliances,such as stove, refrigerator, vacuumcleaner, washer, electric rotisserie,dishwasher, dryer. . . . (1963Cadette, [305]).

Housekeeper: . . . Check the planin your home for safe storage ofcleaning equipment and supplies. . . .Show how to use a broom, dustmop, vacuum cleaner. . . . Visitgrocery stores to compare labelson different food packages. Lookfor information on quantity, quality,and price. . . . (1963 Junior, 335).

Aerospace: . . . Talk to someolder people in your communityabout what it was like to fly in thefirst half of the 20th century. . . .Visit an airport, a control tower, aspace center, an aerospacemuseum, or a planetarium, or seean air show. . . . ( Girl Scout Badges , 1980, pp. 78-79).

Ms. Fix-it: . . . Find out what to do[in] . . . the following emergencies:water wont stop running . . .something goes wrong with the hotwater heater . . . toilet gets clogged. . . thermostat wont shut off/turnon furnace . . . smoke alarm orsecurity system wont shut off . . .gas is leaking . . . ( Girl Scout Badges , 1980, pp. 96-97).

Household Whiz : . . . Find outhow the changes in housekeepinghave changed family life. . . .Conduct a safety check of yourhome. . . . Choose a vegetable orfruit that is sold in fresh, frozen,and canned form. . . . Decide whichis the most economical. . . .Explore the ways energy is used inyour home. . . . ( Girl Scout Badges , 1980, pp. 32-33).

1913-1938 1938-1963 1963-1980 1980-1985Top ten badges within each time frame (Notes: * Introduced 1922 / ** Introduced 1947 / *** Introduced 1953 )

Health Winner.......................... 178,712 Cook ..................................... 2,973,738 Troop Camper ...................... 5,069,531 First Aid................................... 872,560Scholarship* ............................ 168,622 Hostess ................................. 1,703,537 Cook...................................... 4,905,725 Troop Camper ........................ 854,349Cook ........................................ 156,256 Child Care............................. 1,605,861 Health Aide ........................... 3,923,495 Child Care............................... 597,935Housekeeper ........................... 146,253 First Aid ................................ 1,132,065 Hospitality ............................. 3,763,353 Outdoor Fun ........................... 566,012Hostess .................................... 145,629 Outdoor Cook ....................... 1,079,358 Housekeeper ........................ 3,577,577 Girl Scouting Everywhere ......491,104First Aide ................................. 144,610 Housekeeper ........................ 1,065,896 Collector ............................... 3,283,656 Outdoor Dabbler ..................... 463,169Needlewoman.......................... 124,131 Camp Craft ........................... 1,060,813 Backyard Fun ....................... 3,064,664 Well Being Dabbler................. 461,898Home Nurse ............................ 111,450 Sewing** ............................... 1,013,444 Toymaker.............................. 3,021,313 Wildlife ....................................450,435Observer .....................................95,003 Good Grooming** ................. 1,001,650 Water Fun ............................. 2,804,420 Math Whiz............................... 428,001Citizen.........................................91,422 Adventurer***........................... 929,389 Gypsy .................................... 2,751,800 Tending Toddlers ................... 426,877

Some other badges (Total is the number of badges available.)

Some badge requirements through the yearsFlyer : Pass tests in knowledge ofair currents, weather lore. Musthave made an aeroplane to fly 25yards (or have a certificate fordriving an aeroplane), and someknowledge of engines (Hoxie,132).

Handy-Woman: . . . Know how toturn off the water or gas supply . . . .Clean, trim and fill an oil lamp . . . .State how brooms, dry mops,dustpans, and brushes should beplaced when not in use . . . (1926,p. 515).

Matron Housekeeper: Know howto use a vacuum cleaner. How tostain and polish hardwood floors . .. . How to clean wire windowscreens . . . . How to put away furand flannels . . . . Know threedifferent cuts of meat . . . . Knowseason for chief fruits andvegetables, fish and game. Knowhow flour, sugar, rice, cereals andvegetables are sold . . . (Hoxie, 134).

Dairy Maid, Electrician, Laun-dress, Automobiling, BusinessWoman, Milliner, Scout Neighbor,Minstrel, Rambler (Total, 89)

October 1First Lady, Lou Henry Hoover

gives greetings to Girl

Scouts at National Councilmeeting in Indianapolis.(Indianapolis Star ,

October 1, 1930)

January 17Juliette GordonLow dies in

Savannah,Georgia.(Highlights, 8)

135th anniversary of the Battle of Fallen Timbers. 50th anniversary of the

American Red Cross.


8/16+

+


G i r l S c o u

t T i m e

l i n e

O t h e r

E v e n


Around the campfire

1936

Indianapolis Girl Scoutsgreet First Lady EleanorRoosevelt during her

visit to the city.(Indianapolis Star ,June 17, 1936)

1938

Camping has been from thebeginn ing a centra l par t of the Gir lScout experience.

In 19 10 , th e idea of girls

camping was cons idered un us ua l.Women were ju st b eginn ing tobreak ou t of th e t radi t iona lbou nd aries of th e home. Womenwere not expected to par t ic ipa te inathletic or hard physical activities.J u liette Low, like others pa rtici-pat ing in th e developmen t of you th organizat ions, bel ieved th atou tdoor act ivities were good fordeveloping healthy citizens.

For troops , th e first a ctivitywas often a hike to a local par k an d overnight cam ping. As th enu mb er of t roops grew in a com-mu nity, the leaders as sociat ion(later th e cou n cil) developedcamping facilit ies. Councils bor-rowed lan d, u sed Boy Scoutcamps , o r went to an Ind ianaState Pa rk. Often a fr iend of thecoun cil would dona te lan d ormon ey for a cam pgroun d. InInd iana , Whit ing, Fort Wayne,Terre Haute, Evansville, Rich-m o n d , H a m m o n d , a n d M u n c ieopened campground s be tween1 9 2 4 a n d 1 9 3 5 .

The ca mp ing experiencedu ring this per iod includ ed clas stop ics , su ch as na tu re s tu dy, fir s ta id , kno ts an d lash ing , an d o ther

outd oor ski lls . Often th ere was acook, bu t gir ls were required tohe lp ou t in the k it chen .

During the 1930s, campingwas expan ded to inclu de wintercamp ing in h eated bu ildings. Staff h ired by the Works Progress Ad-m inistration h elped th e girls withspecial skills such as folk dancing.

Camping du r ing th e years o f World War II often mea n t girls h adto find creat ive ways t o get tocampgroun ds . Gas o line wasrat ioned, so gir ls caught busses ort ra ins to the closest s tops to thec a m p g ro u n d s a n d t h e n h i k ed t h erest of th e way. Du ring the 1930 san d 194 0s , Gir l Scou ts a lso

es tab l ish ed day camps . Du r ingWorld War II, day camps helpedparents working in the war- t imefactor ies by providin g sa fe placesfor girls.

Beginning in the 1950s,GSUSA star ted nat ional Round-Upsspecial camp s h eld onceevery three years a t a sp ot in th eU.S. Girls from all over the coun-t ry a t t ended .

Throughout the years , Gir lScou t ing ha s focused on th eenv ironmen t . In th e 1970s an d1980s , th i s emph as i s was re in -forced with m inima l impact cam p-ing, in which gir ls dis tu rbedna tu re as l it t le as p ossible .

1939

The most popular magazineselling in a Brookston, Indiana

drugstore is True Story . McCalls and Saturday Evening Post are

also popular magazines.(Madison, 351)

1938

Girl Scouts revise program to

three age levelsBrownies,Intermediates, and Seniors.(Highlights, 10)

1936

Disneys Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is top money maker, but movie

attendance is down 40%.(Carruth, 293)

First nationally franchisedGirl Scout cookie sale.(Highlights, 10)

Members of Selma Becks Troop 6, School 17, Indianapolis, cook

at a campfire on an outing, circa 1921 (see p. 13).

The Family of Selma Beck Harry and Girl Scouts of Hoosier Capital Council .

150th anniversary in 1937 of the Ordinance of 1787 and the organization

of the Northwest Territory.


9/16


+

+


Gi r l

S c o u t T i m

el i n

e

O t h er E v

en

t si nH i s

t or y

1943

1940

37% of Indianafarms have tractors,up from 4% in 1920and 22% in 1930.(Madison, Indiana, 155)

U.S. entersWorld War II.(Carruth, 299)

1941

1942 1942

1942

MayGirl Scouts of the U.S.A.

publishes Senior Girl Scouting in Wartime.(Highlights, 11)

The firstwoman iselected to

the IndianaState

Senate.(Madison,

Indiana, 37)

1943

Topsy Bayer (later Mrs. J oseph Bu tch er)donated th is p ic ture of herse l f and th isschedule for a typica l camp day in the1920s , regula ted by her as t he bu gler.

Ox Hollow nearCannelton, Indiana is now

a Girl Scout camp.(Indianapolis Star,July 26, 1942)

DecemberPoll shows 44% of U.S.

high school students arecritical of, confused by, orindifferent toward the war.

(Indianapolis Star,December 8, 1942)

Mrs. Douglas MacArthurgives permission forHuntington, Indiana troop

to be named for her.(Indianapolis Star,September 20, 1942).

Number of Hoosierwomen in the workforce

increases 22% fromJanuary to Octoberdue to war-related

labor shortage.(Madison, Indiana, 389)

1943

I cant get them up!

7:00 a.m. Reveille, I cant get them up7:25 Fi rs t Call for Color s ( flag ceremony)7:30 Assembly for Colors, Colors7:55 First Call for Breakfast8:00 Breakfast , Soupee, Soupee, Soupee9:00-10:00 Assembly outside each unit to

announce inspection10:30 Assembly for Classes11:00 Assembly for Classes11:55 First call for Dinner12:00 Dinner1:00 p.m. Assembly for Rest Hour2:00 Assembly for Classes3:00 Assembly for Classes4:00 Swimming5:25 First Call for Retreat (Closing Flag

Ceremony)5:30 Retreat6:00 Supper7:25 First Call for Campfire7:30 Campfire8:30 Tattoo9:00 Taps, Day is Done

Issued July 4, 1942.

Girl Scouts of Hoosier Capital Council .

You be the historian Ta lk w it h s e n i or c it ize n s , p a r -

e n t s , a n d o t h e r s t u d e n t s . H o wh ave camp ing gear a nd act ivi t ieschan ged? S tayed the sam e? Com-pare th e photographs here of Gir lScouts camping .

E xp lo r e t h e s u b j ec t of c a m p in gan d the environm ent . Why ha veideas changed?

Girl Scouts of Hoosier Capital Council . Girl Scouts of Hoosier Capital Council .

Cooking over an open fire at Camp Gallahue, Brown County, 1989.of Lebanon Girl Scouts in 1950 at McCormicks Creek State Park.


10/16+

+


G i r l S c o u

t T i m e

l i n e

O t h e r

E v e n


Service to community

1948 1949

1959

1952

1954

1956

work with th e Red Cross , forexam ple, in th e Medical Division,in the Radio Division, in theclothing sect ion, a nd car ing foryou nger chi ldren .

World War II (19 39 -194 5)provided Girl Scou ts oth er oppor-tu nities to volu nt eer. Before th e U.S.entered th e war in 1 941, troops inInd iana polis ra i sed fun ds to bu yma ttress es for chi ldren inEngland. After 1941, older GirlScouts watched younger chi ldrenwhile their moth ers worked.Troops in Ind iana polis pledged tosu pply cookies to th eServicem en s Cen ter each weekareal sacr i f ice because sugar andbut ter were rat ioned.

Gir l Scouts ha ve cont inu ed to

help their comm u nit ies in var iousways. In 1 952 , Gir l Scou ts in th eGary area p ar t ic ipat ed in a votersaid contest cond u cted by GSUSA.Gary Girl Scouts were creditedwith the largest n u mb er of servicehou rs given to th eir commu nity of any other counci l in the country.Gir ls went house- to-house toencou rage people to regis ter,baby-sat so parents could vote ,an d d is t r ibu ted sam ple ba llo t s .

Dur ing the 1970s , with agrea te r emph as i s on the env iron-ment , many t roops par t ic ipated incleaning up their neighborhoods.Gir l Scouts around the TerreHau te a rea ra i sed fu nds to savethe Ir ishm an Covered Bridge.

A cent ra l them e of GirlScout ing ha s a lways been s ervice.Gir ls are en coura ged to helpwithin th eir families an d in their

schools and communit ies . Histor i -cal events of the twen t ieth cen tu ryha ve had an impa c t on how Gir lScouts served their communit ies .

Many Gir l Scout t roopsorganized during World War I(1914-1919). Before the U.S.en te red the war in 1917 , t roopscollected clothes for ch ildren inwar- torn Eu rope. After th e U.S.entered the war, Gir l Scouts rolledban dages , kn i t t ed socks , an d so ldw a r b o n d s .

During the Great Depression(192 9-194 1), Gir l Scou ts helpedn eedy fam ilies by collecting itemsfor food baskets. Girls could alsoa t t e n d S a t u r d a y m a t in e e s a t t h elocal movie theater by bringingpotatoes , on ions , or f rui t , whichwere then given to sou p ki tchensan d n eedy fam ilies .

Sometimes a disaster wouldspu r local Gir l Scouts into act ion.In J an u ary 1937 , a combina t ion o f heavy ra ins , sn ow, an d ice on th eOhio, Waba sh , an d White r iverscau sed severe flooding. In th eEvansvi l le area, thousands of people were evacua ted from theirhom es. At least 10 0 Gir l Scoutvolu nteers performed invalua ble

Segregation is outlawedin Indiana schools.

Girl Scouts integrateIndianapolis day camp.(Young, 84-86)

Indiana Wing Scoutsto be taught by ex-

WASPS.(Indianapolis Star Mag azine, June 20, 1948)

March 18Lady Baden-

Powell visitsEvansville.(Raintree Council, 55)

May 17Racial segregation inpublic schools is declaredunconstitutional by U.S.Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education.(Carruth, 331)

October 19Juliette GordonLow Birthplace isdedicated as a

national Girl Scoutprogram center.(Highlights, 14)

Alaska and Hawaii become49th and 50th states.(Carruth, 343)

Issued October 29, 1948 at Savannah,Georgia.

50th anniversary of the founding of Boy Scouts

of America.

Continuing thetradition ofservice, the Junior Girl

Scout Troops357, 610, and732 of the Pike-

Zionsvilleneighborhoodmade cookies

and candycirca 1960s for

the U.S.Marines in

Vietnam.


11/16


+

+


Gi r l

S c o

u t T i m

el i n

e

O t h er E v

en

t si nH i s

t or y

1962 1963

1969 1971

1972

New wording for

Girl Scout Promise and GirlScout Law is approved.(Highlights, 18)

New Girl Scout program includes

Brownies, Juniors,Cadettes, and Seniors.(Highlights, 15)

1964 1967

Mrs. Merrill Deerestablishes aBrownie troop for

children of migrantfarm workers.(Franklin Daily Journal,January 26, 1965)

Senior Scout National Conference on the innercity is held at Marian College in Indianapolis.(Indianapolis News , August 8, 1967)

Neil Armstrong walkson the moon.

(Carruth, 391)

Indiana is one of firststates to pass environ-mental legislationlimiting the amount ofphosphorus indetergents.(Madison, Indiana Way , 283)

50th anniversary of the founding of Girl Scouts.

G i r l S c o u

t s o

f H o o s

i e r

C a p

i t a

l C o u n c i

l . Left: Reproduction of the top ofpage 1 of Juliette Lows letterwhich is transcribed in full above

You be the historian Wh a t h a ve Gir l

S c o u t s o r o t h e ryou th organ izat ionsd o n e t o m a k e y o u rc o m m u n i t y a b e t t e rplace in wh ich to live?

March 12Girl Scouts

celebrates 50thanniversary.(Highlights, 15)

A letter from Juliette Gordon LowIn th e early years of Girl Scout ing, local leader s often wrotethe national office for suggestions on activit ies for the troop.Ann a Ridge , who es tabl i shed the fi r s t t roop in Indian apol is

in 1917, wrote abou t ge t t ing pen pals for her g i r l s . Ju l ie t teLow replied with som e su gges t ions . The le t te r has beentran scribed l ine for l ine.

[end of page 1]

P.S. please address your reply to my homeaddress Lafayette Square Savannah Georgia

March 9th 1918.Dear Mrs Ridge

Enclosed letters will explain why therewill be a delay in giving each Girl Scout the addressof some Girl Guide with whom she can correspond.

During this war, As all English Girl Guides are veryhardworked & are leading sad lives, it will be ofgreat value if each Girl Scout should first writea letter instead of simply sending her name &address. the things she could tell an English girlare: What she does at the Girl Scout meeting?

Where she goes when they are having a hike?describe the hike?Does she go to camp in Summer?Is she trying for a war badge?Have her troup done Red Cross or garden work?Has she helped entertain at a Soldiers Concert?

These things & indeed any of the activities ofGirl Scout life would interest the English [. . .]

and she could give the Girls Scout some veryinteresting information, if questions were asked theGuide, such as Have you ever been in a Zeppelin

raid?Have you a father or brothers in the

war or in a munition factory?Have you worked at a munifactory yrself?Did you know of any oness house or ofany friends house struck by anti aircraft guns or by a Zeppelin bomb?Have you helped at a Canteen, what isa Canteen, do you go right up to asoldier at a Canteen & speak to himwhether you have ever known him beforeor whether he is a stranger?

Of course these questions are only suggestions yourGirl Scouts may wish to know about other thingsover there but in any case a personal letterwill create more interest than if a Girl Scout

simply sent her name & address.If you will please read the letter aloud

to your girls I will be much obliged & if you will alsosend the enclosed letters to girls who were absent whenyou read my letter to the whole troop Yrs Sincerely Juliette Low

President

G i r l S c o u

t s o f

H o o s i e r

C a p

i t a

l C o u n c i

l .


12/16+

+


G i r l S c o u

t T i m e

l i n e

O t h e r

E v e n


A training ground

1974

Columbus, Indiana Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Foundation fundspilot project linking Girl Scout

councils in 8 states to provideservices to girls in Mexicanmigrant worker families.(Williams, 33-34)

1978

OctoberRedesigned

trefoil isintroduced.(Highlights, 19)

1979 1980

1981

SeptemberSandra Day OConnor,

confirmed by U.S. Senate,is 1st female U.S.

Supreme Court justice.(Carruth, 443)

1983

1983

1974

Richard Nixonresigns from office

as Presidentof the U.S.

(Carruth, 413)

JulyAmerican Girl

magazine ceasespublication.(Highlights, 20)

Famous manage-ment consultantPeter F. Drucker

conducts seminarsfor Girl Scout councilpresidents.(Highlights, 20)

DecemberGirl Scouts of the

U.S.A. makes last

mortgage payment onheadquarters building inNew York City.

(Highlights, 21)

June 18-24Sally Ride becomes firstU.S. woman in spaceaboard Challenger'ssecond mission.(Carruth, 453)

Girl Scou ts is a large organ ization2.5 m illiongir ls an d over 700 ,000 a du l ts in th e U.S. Most of thework is d one by volu nteers , with in an organizat ionals t ru c tu re es tab lish ed to h e lp t ra in those volu n tee rs

an d p rovide wort h while activities for girls.Early t roops organ ized as ind ividu al un its .

Often a m other or other int erested woman wouldsta r t th e t roop out of th e local sch ool or chu rch.When th e leader left , Gir l Scout ing often disapp earedun t il ano ther t roop s ta r ted .

Troop leaders often formed a n ass ociat ion tosh are ideas . The leaders ass ociat ion then sou ghtcouncil designation. A council was officially char-tered by th e na t iona l organizat ion to repres ent Gir lScou t ing in th e commu ni ty.

Whiting, Indiana received the first councilcha r ter in Indian a in 192 0. Indian ap olis fol lowed in192 1. By the 193 0s, Fort Wayne, Evan svil le , Gary,Ter re Haute , an d Richmon d h ad cou nc i ls . By the194 0s, th ere were ma ny Gir l Scout cou nci ls inInd iana .

In th e la te 19 50s , coun cils were combinedUnder the Green Umbrella. These larger groupingswere to ena ble coun cils to offer bet ter cam pingprograms an d bet ter t ra ining for leaders .

Volu nt eers ha ve rema ined imp ortan t to Gir lScout ing. Most cou nci ls h ave a s ma ll paid s taff toma na ge the cam ping faci li t ies a nd provide t ra ining.Volu nt eers s t i ll lead th e t roops.

Women have generally led the organization.Women also h ave gained valua ble experience inleadership and provided role models for girls. Manygir ls an d women ha ve used t he s ki lls from Gir lScou t ing in ca ree rs an d work in o ther a reas in the i rcommuni t i es .

9 Hoosier Capital Council10 Covered Bridge Council11 Tulip Trace Council12 Treaty Line Council13 Raintree Council14 Kentuckiana Council15 Great Rivers Council16 Shagbark Council

Current councils1 Calumet Council

of Indiana and Illinois2 Drifting Dunes Council3 Singing Sands Council4 Indiana Lakeland Council5 Limberlost Council6 Sycamore Council7 Tribal Trails Council8 Wapehani Council

19 3 5 i nd ica te sfirst knowntroop

C1935 i nd ica te sformationof council

EarlyGirl

Scoutsin

Indiana

Note: Thism a p h a s b e e ncompiled from

informationsupp l i ed

by councilsto Young.


13/16


+

+


Gi r l

S c o

u t T i m

el i n

e

O t h er E v

en

t si nH i s

t or y

1984

Girl Scoutsintroduces DaisyGirl Scouts for 5

year olds.(Highlights, 21)

1985

Minoritymembershipin Girl Scouts

raises to 14%.(Highlights, 21)

1985

September 1Wreck of the luxury liner Titanic which sank in 1912 is found by aU.S.-French team.(Carruth, 460)

1995

GSUSA introduces low-fat

and no-fat cookiesfor the first time.(Highlights Update )

1987

March 12Girl Scouts

celebrates 75thanniversary.(Highlights, 22)

1993

March 12Good Housekeep- ing presents its first

Seal of CommunityService to GSUSA.(Highlights Update )

1996

Addressing diversity

G S U S A

G S U S A

T h e

F a m

i l y o

f S e l m

a B e c

k H a r r y a n

d

Selma Beck in hiking gear1921.The troop disbandedwhen Selma Beck married

George Harry in 1923. Theoriginal members of Troop 6

met many years later atseveral reunions. Selma Beck

Harrys daughter,granddaughter, and great-

granddaughter alsobecame Girl Scouts.

Selma Beck demonstratesproper signaling, 1921.Signaling with two flags insemaphore code was arequirement to be a First ClassScout and one of the originalproficiency badges in the1913 handbook. Flagpositions were set to indicateletters of the alphabet.

school . Supportcam e from bothPrincipal GeorgeL. Hayes, an d

his wife. Thegirls providedfirs t a id an das sis ted withfire drills in th eschool . DuringGirl Scout Week in 19 21 , theypa rt icipa ted incity-wide S cou tevents . To payfor registr ationfees, activities,and un i fo rms ,girls s old cook-ies m ade inth eir Domes t icScience class .

Troop 6worked onc o m m u n i t yser vice p rojects

J u liet te Low includ ed as oneof the ten Girl Scout Laws: A GirlScout Is a Fr iend to All , and aSis ter to every Other Gir l Scout n o

Matter to wha t Social Clas s sh eMay Belong (Hoxie, 5).

Gir l Scou t ing was aimed atall girls, b u t existing social att i-tud es sh aped th e deve lopment o f scou ting a m ong girls of color. Itwas no t u n t i l the ea r ly 1950s tha tm a n y ca m p g r ou n d s a n d t r o op swere integrated.

An experience in Indian a ca nbe docum ented b y items providedto Hoosier Capital Council bydescen dan ts of an ear ly Afr ican -American Girl Scout leader.

Mary Phinn ey, first execu tivedirector of the Marion Coun tycou n cil, visited local sch ools t oexplain th e Gir l Scou t program .Sh e spoke a t Sch ool 17, a n Afr i -can -American sch ool located onthe nea r-west-s ide of Ind ian apol is .

Mar tha Se lma Beck , anAfrican -American ma th teach er a tSchool 17, s tar ted Troop 6 onOctober 4 , 1921. Members wenton th eir firs t h ike on October 12,tra veling from Riverside Park toFairview. Fifteen girls p as sedTend erfoot tes ts , condu cted byPhinney, in December 1921.

Man y of th e a ctivities of Troop 6 revolved a roun d th e

within th e neighb orhood an d forcity-wide agencies. The girlsvisited the Alpha Home for theAged Colored at Chris tm as . Theypu t s t ickers ad vert is ing Red CrossChr i s tmas s ea ls on ca r wind-sh ields at a local fill in g sta tion.The t roop worked a t a Hea l thExposi t ion at the Indiana StateFa i r Ground s .

Th e girls went t o movies a t th eIndiana Theater in the MadameWalker Bu ilding. In Octob er 192 3,Beck took th e girls to h ear J ohnPhilip Sous a an d his ban d. Theyatten ded Ca mp Ada -Boy-Hollida y,the councils camping facility atCollege Avenue and 75th Street.See a lso: Lillian S. Williams , A Bridge tothe Future: The History of Diversity in GirlScouting . New York: GSUSA, 1996.

GSUSA World WideWeb site appearson the Internet at

http://www.gsusa.org/ index.html(Highlights Update )


14/16+

+


Behind the scenesI was a Gir l Scou t a nd ha d

ma ny great experiences . When Imoved to Ind ian ap olis in 198 4 formy f irs t job a s a special librar ian,

I wan ted to h elp th e organizat iontha t h ad g iven me so mu ch . Ibecam e a Gir l Scout leader an d le tthe Hoosier Capi ta l Cou nci l knowI was interested in h elping du ringthe 75th anniversary celebrat ionof Girl Scouting on March 12,1 9 8 7 .

Working with the local coun-c il dur ing the 75 th an n iversa ryallowed m e to expres s m y love of h i s to ry an d m y des ire to makehis tory int erest ing and fun . Iworked on a fas hion s how of oldGir l Scout u niforms a nd re-searched a scr ipt which includedhis tor ical facts abou t Gir l Scou t-ing in th e Ind iana polis area.

Dur ing this t ime I went back to school to earn a m as ter s d egreein h i s to ry an d dec ided tha t theGir l Scou ts s eemed to be a perfectthesis project for me.

It is importan t for an y organ i-zat ion to kn ow its pa st . Membersneed to kn ow how their organiza-t ion got to th e curr ent p oint intime. How did it get started? Howha s i t chan ged? Wha t ha s s tayedthe same? Were there problems?Wha t forces sha ped th e organ iza-t ion : the members , the commu -n ity, s ociety?

Histor ians ha ve often ignoredorganizations like Girl Scouts, in

par t b ecause th ey a re femaleorgan izat ions. Only in recentyears h ave his tor ian s general lybegun to look at th e his tory of women in American society.

I was a lso intr igu ed with theh istor y of ch ildr en s a ctivities.This area ha s a lso been ignored.Children have rarely left thesou rce mat er ia l for his tor ian s to

Noraleen A. Young works on Girl Scouhistory in the Indiana State Librar

study. Youngpeople ra rely leavedocuments o rother records

beh ind . S tu dy ingyouth organiza-tions like GirlScou ts he lps u slea rn abou tchildrens activi-ties.

My th esisresearch focusedon Gir l Scout ingin th e cen t ra lInd iana a rea . Iu s e d t h e m i n u t e san d pu b lica t ionsof th e Girl Scou tsof Hoosier Cap italCouncil. I lookedat c i ty newsp a-pers for storiesabou t th e organ izat ion. I a lso readabou t wha t chi ldren were doing inthe pas t . Becaus e th is was anorgan izat ion ab out gir ls a ndwomen, I a lso did res earch onwomen a nd their act ivi t ies du ringthe t ime p er iod I s tud ied.

This research helped me toan swer ques t ions a bout h ow Gir lScouts ma intained t ra di t iona l rolesof women in American society buta l so expan ded wha t was poss ib lefor women . Girl Scouts , for ex-am ple, helped ma ke i t acceptab lefor gir ls an d women to go cam pingan d h ik ing and do o ther phys ica l

activities.My history of the council hasbeen u sed by new s ta ff memb ers tolea rn a bout th e coun c il and by theboard of directors t o plan for thefu tu re by looking at wh ere thecou nc i l ha s been .

As the his tor ian for th e Hoo-sier Capital Council, I have orga-nized th e coun cil archives , ph oto-

graph collections, and collectionsof ha ndb ooks an d u n i fo rms . I havealso pu t together c i rculat ing ki tscontaining old uniforms andha ndb ooks . Us ing these resou rces ,I hope th at Gir l Scouts can get area l sens e o f wha t th e pas t wasl ikeand learn the fun and valueof history.

Behind the scenesBehind the scenesBehind the scenesBehind the scenesBehind the scenes presents some aspect of how the Bureau staff produces each issue ofmagazine. The focus may be, for example, the research process, an interpretation problem, etc. Ienables us to thank our partners and demonstrate that research is a collaboration with ounexpected twists and turns.

Thank youThe following councils provided materials fthis issue:Indiana Lakeland Council (Goshen)Covered Bridge Council (Terre Haute)Tulip Trace Council (Bloomington)Sycamore Girl Scout Council (Lafayette)Limberlost Girl Scout Council (Fort Wayne)Girl Scouts of Singing Sands Council

(Granger)Tribal Trails Council (Logansport)Drifting Dunes Council (Valparaiso)

The archives of theGirl Scouts of HoosierCapital Council has been invaluable.

GSUSA has been most generous in ap-proving use of its material.


15/16


+

+


Selected resourcesBibliography C ar ru t h , G or ton . What Happened When . New York: Ha rp er & Row,Publishers, 1989.

D ege n h a r dt , Ma r y, a n d J u d it hKirsch. Girl Scout Collectors Guide.Lomb ard , IL: Wallace-Homes teadBook Co., 1987. Girl Scout h an dbooks, various,1920-1992. Highlights in Girl Scouting, 1912 -1991 . New York: Girl Scou ts of th eU.S.A., [19 92 ]. H oxie , W. J . How Girls Can HelpTheir Country: The 191 3 Hand book

for Girl Scouts . Reprin t, New York:Girl Scou ts of th e U.S.A., 19 72. Ma d is on , J a m e s H . Indianathrough Trad ition an d Chan ge . . .1920-1945 . Indianapolis: IndianaHistorical Society, 1 982 . Ma d is on , J a m e s H . The IndianaWay . Indianapolis: Indiana Univer-sity Press a nd Ind ian a HistoricalSociety, 1986 . Min t z, S te ve n , a n d S u s a nKellogg. Domestic Revolutions: ASocial History of Am erican Family

Life . New York: The Free Press , 19 88. Murray, William D. The History of the Boy Scouts of Am erica . NewYork: Boy Scouts of America, 1937. Phillips , Clifton J . Ind ian a inTrans ition . . . 1 880 -192 0 . Ind ia-napolis: Indiana Historical Bureauan d Ind ian a Historical Society, 1968. Raintree Coun cil History Com-mittee. Yesterday and Today .Evansville: Raintree Girl Scout

Coun cil, 198 7. Walter, Henr ie tt e R. Girl Life in America: A S tudy of Backgroun ds .New York: The National Committeefor th e Stu dy of J u ven ile Reading,1927 . Youn g, Noraleen Ann . The GirlScou t of Toda y, the Woma n of Tomorrow: Girl Scou ting in Centr al

Ind ian a, 19 17-199 2. M.A. th esis,Department of History, IndianaUniversity, 1992 .Other Girl Sco ut m ate rials

See also pages 13, 14 . B re n em a n , E die , a n d Le a hStallings. Covered Bridge Girl Scout

History. [Terre Haute: CoveredBridge Girl Scout Cou ncil, 19 87.] Howard , Jane , For Ju lie tt eGordon Lows girls, a sp ark lingDiam ond J u bilee, Smithsonian ,October 1987 , pp. 46-55. Low, Ju lie t te. Gir l Scouts a s anEdu cationa l Force, Bu lletin 33 ,Departm ent of the Interior, Bu reauof Education. Washington D.C.:Govern men t Printing Office, 191 9. Roths child, Mary Aiken. ToScou t or To Guide?: The Girl Scout-Boy Scout Controversy, 1912-1942, Frontiers 6 (198 2): 115-21 . Schultz, Gladys Denny, andLawrence Daisy Gordon. Lad y fromS ava nn ah : The Life of Juliette Low .New York: Girl Scou ts of th e U.S.A.,1958, repr int 1988.

75 Yea rs of Girl Scouting . NewYork: Girl Scouts of th e U.S.A., 19 86. Str icklan d, Charles E. J ul ie t teLow, the Girl Scou ts, a n d th e Roleof Am erican Women , in Ma ry Kelly,ed., Woma ns B eing, Woma nsPlace: Fem ale Identity an d Vocationin Am erican History (Bost on: G. K.Hall, 1979), 251-64. Wrigh t , Ka ther ine O. Girl Scout-ing in the Great Lakes Region.Chicago, IL: Girl Scout s, Inc., 1 93 8.

Othe r yout h organizations Buckler, Helen, Mary F. Fielder,and Martha F. Allen. WO-HE-LO:The S tory of the Cam p Fire Girls,1910-1960 . New York : Holt,Rineha rt an d Winston, 1 961. Macleod , David . Build ing Cha rac-ter in the American Boy: The BoyScouts, YMCA, and Their Forerun-

ners, 1870-1920 . Madison, WI:University of Wiscon sin Pres s, 1 98 3.Suggeste d reading Cohen, Rona ld D. Child Savingand Progressivism, 1885-1915, inJ oseph M. Hawes and N. Ray Hiner,eds., Ame rican Ch ildh ood: A Re-sea rch Guide a nd Historical Hand-book , 273-310. Westport, CT:Greenwood Press, 198 5. Hawes , J oseph M. The S t rangeHistory of Female Adolescence inthe United States, The Journal of Psychohistory (Su mm er 1985), 13:51-63.Selected s t udent resources Beh ren s , J u n e. Juliette Low :Foun de r of the Girl Scouts of

America . Chicago: Childrens Press,1988 .

An eas y to read b iograph y withinteresting photographs . Br own , Fer n G. Daisy a nd theGirl Scouts: The Story of JulietteGordon Low . Morton Grove, IL:Albert Whitman & Comp an y, 1996.

A compr ehen sive biograp hy for

interm ediate read ers. Inclu deshistoric photograph s an d an ind ex. Kudl insk i, Ka th leen V. JulietteGord on Low : Am ericas First GirlScout . New York: Viking Kestrel,1988 .

A br ief biograp h y. Trefoil Round the World . London :World Ass ociation of Girl Guides a ndGirl Scouts , ninth edition 19 92.

Excellent overview arranged inalphabetical order according to

coun try. Text a vailable in En glishan d langua ge of the coun try de-scribed. World Gam es a nd Recipes .Lon don : World Ass ociation of GirlGuides an d Girl Scouts, 197 9,reprint 1988.

A Girl Scou t collection .

A note regarding resources:A note regarding resources:A note regarding resources:A note regarding resources:A note regarding resources: Items are listed on this page that enhance work withthe topic discussed. Some older items, especially, may include dated practices andideas that are no longer generally accepted. Resources reflecting current practicesare noted whenever possible. Bibliography includes items cited in the issue.


16/16

+


Indiana Historical Bureau140 North Senate Avenue Room 408 Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2296 317-232-2535 TDD 317-232-7763

On June 21, 1929,Girl Scouts

participated in thededication of a

marker for the ClarkGrant in NewAlbany, Floyd

County. The eventwas part of the

1929 annualpilgrimage of the

Society of IndianaPioneers and the

Indiana HistoricalSociety. A group of149 people in four

busses (visible in thebackground) and

twenty-four privatecars then traveledinto Kentucky visiting

historic sites (IndianaHistory Bulletin,July

1929, pp. 182,199).

found_1997_girl scouting in indiana

Documents