The National History of Girl Scouts:
Imagine you are a contemporary Girl Scout living in a world where much has changed since Girl Scout founder Juliette Low's time. You may feel disconnected from that world of the early 20th century - before computer science, CDs, answering machines, VCRs and microwave ovens. But as a Girl Scout, you are rooted in the same philosophy and values by which early Girl Scouts lived.
The Girl Scout tradition connects you to the generations of girls who came before you and to the girls who will follow you. What hasn't changed much over the years is the need for personal development and community service. Community-service projects have helped generations of Girl Scouts develop self-esteem, clarify personal values and feel pride in working with others toward a common goal. Which projects and activities did girls your age participate in during the early years of Girl Scouting? Many of them weren't much different from what you do today. Take a look.
1920s
A 1923 issue of Girl Scout Leader magazine mentioned girls who helped pack and deliver holiday baskets for the Salvation Army. And like girls today, they enjoyed outdoor activities that had to "harmonize with our government conservation program." At the Eastern Conference for Camp Leaders in 1923, Girl Scouts were discouraged from collecting wild flowers and ferns or "mutilating trees in the pursuit of nature study." (Does that strike a familiar note?) Girl Scouts also participated in a Cleaner Brooklyn, N.Y., Parade on May 16, 1925, as part of an effort with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to clean up the city.
1930s
The Garden Badge was introduced in 1931. Girls had to create and care for a 12-foot by 15-foot garden for an entire season. A Girl Scout Leader magazine article stated that girls benefited from "wise planning, steady, painstaking effort toward a definite goal, and the joy of accomplishment." During this decade GSUSA (Girl Soucts of the USA) focused more on keeping teens involved by giving them opportunities to develop leadership and management skills.
1940s
During World War II, Girl Scouts were especially helpful to the war effort. They helped the United Nations by making scrapbooks that depicted daily life in America. These were needed to counter negative propaganda about the United States and were sent to "unknown friends" in Great Britain. Girls also made supplies for soldiers such as wooden shower sandals (there was a shortage of rubber), drawstring bags for personal items and scrapbooks with news stories, cartoons and quizzes. Since there was a loss of hospital personnel to the armed forces, Girl Scouts became hospital volunteers, doing everything from telling stories to children and mending rubber gloves to operating the switchboard.
1950s
Girl Scouts continued their volunteer work in hospitals, libraries and museums. They baby-sat while parents voted and attended PTA meetings. The made stuffed dolls for a children's home, held car washes to earn money and collected books for the needy. In Omaha, Neb., in 1957, Brownie Girl Scout Troop 400 became special friends to a 3-year-old girl who was deaf. Girl Scouts of Troop 50 in Ogden, Utah, gave a Halloween party at the state school for children with hearing and visual impairments.
1960s
The National Board went on record as strongly supporting civil rights. Senior Girl Scout Speakout conferences were held around the country and the "ACTION 70" project was launched in 1969, both as nationwide Girl Scout initiatives to overcome prejudice. The Piper Project, headed by actress and Girl Scout troop leader Debbie Reynolds, was launched to retain girls so they could benefit from the program for each age level, as well as to recruit Girl Scouts in populations that were underserved.
1970s
Girl Scout members elected the first African American National Girl Scout President, Gloria D. Scott, in 1975. Girl Scouts helped Vietnamese refugee children adapt to their new homes. Girl Scouts contributed to a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health.
1980s
The Contemporary Issues series was developed in the 1980s to help girls and their families deal with serious social issues. The first, "Tune In to Well Being, Say No to Drugs," was introduced in collaboration with a project initiated by First Lady Nancy Reagan. Subsequent publications dealt with issues such as child abuse, youth suicide, literacy and pluralism. Project Safe Time was introduced for girls whose parents were not home to care for them after school. Management guru Peter Drucker cited the Girl Scouts as his choice for the best managed organization.
1990s
The first Asian American National Girl Scout President, Connie Matsui, was elected. Nearly four million Girl Scouts, girls and adult leaders, tackled illiteracy alongside First Lady Barbara Bush in the Right to Read service project. Girl Scouts inaugurated a health and fitness national service project, Be Your Best, to promote different ways of being healthy, keeping fit and eating right.
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