The outstanding feature of the girl-scout organization is its voluntary
character. Among some 7,400 officers and leaders of girl scouts
throughout the country in the fall of 1920, just 211 were "paid
workers." This is about 3 per cent. The organization is actually a great
volunteer school of citizenship in which the women of the country share
with their younger sisters the results of their own experience in ideals
and practical working knowledge of community living. Scout troops are
organized either independently or in connection with public and private
schools, churches, settlements, and other associations.
_Scouts of different ages._--The original girl-scout program was
designed mainly with the needs of the young adolescent in mind, and the
age was fixed from 10 to 18 years. But the little girls wanted to come
in, and so a separate division was made for them called the Brownies or
Junior Scouts. Then the older girls and women wanted to join, and as
time went on the original girl scouts grew up but not out of the scout
movement, and programs are being made for Citizen Scouts who are 18 and
over.
The three age groups seem to be natural ones, and each has its own
methods and activities. The Brownies are formed into packs, under the
leadership of a "Brown Owl," and play games and learn self-help and how
to "lend a hand" to their families. The Citizen Scouts are expected to
be self-directing and to take actual part in the life of the community
and, either as wage earners or service givers, to pay their way.
But the large majority of all girl scouts belong to the middle group.
More girls register at 13 than at any other age. This is interesting, as
it marks the age of susceptibility to social ideas, shown also by the
fact that it is the most common age of religious conversion. It is also
the age of first crime. The distribution of ages at first registration
is shown by the accompanying table.
The organization of the regular girl scouts is as follows:
_Ages of Girl Scouts at first registration._
------------+--------+-----------
Ages. | Number.| Per 1,000.
------------+--------+-----------
| |
6-9 | 440 | 5
10 | 6,059 | 73
11 | 9,130 | 110
12 | 14,857 | 179
13 | 16,434 | 198
14 | 14,276 | 172
15 | 10,707 | 129
16 | 5,810 | 70
17 | 3,486 | 42
+--------+-----------
Total 10-17 | 80,759 | 978
18 and over | 1,826 | 22
+--------+-----------
Grand total | 83,025 | 1,000
------------+--------+-----------
_Patrol._--Eight girls form a Patrol, which is the working unit. One of
them is elected patrol leader and has charge of the activities for as
long as the patrol wishes. It is desirable to have each girl of a patrol
serve as a leader at some time or other.
_Troop._--One or more patrols constitute a Troop, which is the
administrative unit recognized by the national organization. The Troop
meets weekly and wherever possible at a place which "belongs" to it.
When possible troops should meet outdoors. The troops are
self-supporting and earn money for all equipment as well as for camps
and hikes or special activities. Troops are registered with national
headquarters and pay annual dues of 50 cents for each member. They also
have their own local dues, generally 5 or 10 cents weekly.
_Captain._--The troop is under the direction of a Captain, who must be
at least 21 years of age and whose qualification as a leader of young
girls is passed upon by national headquarters before she is
commissioned.
_Lieutenant._--A captain may have one or more Lieutenants, who must be
at least 18 years of age, and whose commissions are likewise subject to
control by national headquarters. Captains and lieutenants may be
organized into associations in any given locality.
_Scout classes._--There are three classes of girl scouts, the youngest
being the "Tenderfoot," the name given by frontiersmen to the man from
the city who is not hardened to the rough life out of doors. Even the
Tenderfoot, however, has to know some things, including the promise,
laws, slogan, and motto; how to salute and the respect due to the flag;
how to make an American flag; and how to tie at least four kinds of
useful knots. She must also have earned enough money to buy some part of
her scout equipment.
The "Second-class" scout has been a tenderfoot for at least one month
and can pass a test of distinctly greater difficulty. This includes,
under home interests, the ability to make fires in stoves and out of
doors, to cook a simple dish so that it will be palatable, to set a
table for two courses, to make an ordinary and a hospital bed, and to
sew.
Under health interests, she must know the main rules of healthful
living, her own height and weight, and their relation to the standard;
some simple first-aid points such as stopping bleeding, removing speck
from eye, and bandaging a sprained ankle. She must also have a variety
of facts at her command that will keep her alert and interested when out
of doors, such as an acquaintance with animals, birds, and plants, the
use of a compass, the alphabet of a signal code; and must demonstrate
her ability to observe her surroundings accurately and quickly so as to
report upon them.
Under topics preparing for citizenship she must know the history of the
American flag, how to prevent fire, and what to do in case of fire, and
must have served her troop, church, or community in some way and earned
or saved money for some personal or troop equipment.
The highest rank is that of "First-class" scout, and is to be attained
only by a young person of considerable accomplishment. She must be able
to find her way about city or country without any of the usual aids,
using only the compass and her developed judgment of distance and
direction. She must also be able to communicate and receive messages by
signaling. She must have shown proficiency in home nursing, first aid,
and housekeeping, and, in addition, in either child care, personal
health, laundering, cooking, needlework, or gardening. She must also be
an all-round outdoors person, familiar with camping and able to lead in
this, or be a good skater or a naturalist or be able to swim. Not only
must she know all these different things, but she must have trained a
tenderfoot, started a savings account, and served her community in some
tangible way.
_Proficiency badges._--After a girl scout has attained to first class
there are still other worlds to conquer, as the badges she has earned on
the way are only a few of the many to be worked toward. There are no
less than 47 subjects in which a scout may achieve, and more are being
added. Just to mention a few: A girl scout may be an artist, a
beekeeper, a business woman, a craftsman, or a dancer; an electrician, a
farmer, a flower finder, a horsewoman, an interpreter, a motorist; or a
musician, a scribe, a swimmer, or a star gazer. The highest award given
is the Golden Eaglet, which means the earning of 21 Merit Badges, of
which 15 are in required subjects.
About 2,000 Merit Badges are earned a month. An analysis of the subjects
shows that home nursing is the most popular, with 126 of each 1,000
earned. Laundress comes next with 97. First aid is next with 67.
Needlewoman, child nurse, cook, pathfinder, health guardian, flower
finder or zoologist, and home maker complete the first 10 most popular
badges, with between 61 and 38 in each 1,000. The details are shown in
the accompanying table.
_Local councils._--Where troops are numerous it is usual to form a
council composed of women and men representing all the best interests of
the community: Parents, schools, religious denominations of all sorts,
business, producers, women's clubs, and other social and philanthropic
organizations. The council acts as the link between the girl scouts and
the community. It has the same relation to the separate troops that the
school board has to the schools--that is, it guides and decides upon
policies and standards, interprets the scouts to the community and the
community to the scouts. It does not do the executive or teaching work;
that belongs to the directors, captains, lieutenants, and patrol
leaders.
One function of the council is to interest public-spirited women and
men, particularly artists and scientists, in girl-scout work and to get
them to act as referees in awarding proficiency badges.
But wisdom is to be sought not only in large cities, where there are
schools and museums, laboratories and studios. It is a poor community
that does not have at least one wise old person--a farmer learned in
nature's ways, a retired sailor stocked with sea lore, or a mother of
men who knows life as perhaps no one else can. The wise council will
know where to find these natural teachers and see that the scouts go to
their schools.
Another prime function of the council is to raise funds and to make
available such material equipment as camp sites, meeting places for the
troops, etc. The captain should turn to the council for help in
arranging and directing rallies, dances, fairs, pageants, and other
devices for entertainment or securing money.
_National organization._--The central governing body of the girl scouts
is the national council, holding an annual convention of elected
delegates from all local groups. The national council works through an
executive board, which meets monthly and conducts national headquarters
in New York. The national director is in charge of headquarters and his
direct responsibility for the administration of the whole organization,
with the general divisions of field, business, publication, and
education, each in charge of a secretary.
The field work is administered through 14 regions, each covering several
States, and in charge of a regional director, who helps in the formation
of local councils, the training of captains, and acts as general
supervisor and consultant for all work in the district.
Under business comes the handling of mails, all the work of the shop
where uniforms, insignia, books, badges, flags, and other equipment are
sold, and the distribution of material ordered by mail.
There are three classes of publications: First, a monthly journal, The
American Girl. Second, pamphlets and articles for general propaganda and
publicity; these are handled by the editorial and publicity staffs,
respectively. Third come publications of a technical nature, like the
official handbooks for scouts and officers and outlines for training
courses. These form part of the work of the education department, which
has general oversight of all that pertains to training for leaders and
the development of standards of work, including the important feature of
coordinating the girl scouts with the other educational and social
organizations. Camping also forms a part of the work of the education
department.
During 1919 and 1920 the following publications were issued:
_Scouting for Girls:_ The official handbook, 576 pages.
_Campward Ho:_ A manual for girl-scout camps, 192 pages.
Designed to cover the needs of those undertaking to organize
and direct large, self-supporting camps for girls.
_The Blue Book of Rules for Girl Scout Captains:_ All
official rules and regulations, 32 pages.
_Training Courses:_ (1) Outline for 32-period course, 17
pages. (2) Introductory course, 10 periods, 16 pages.
_Girl Scout Health Record:_ Booklet form for recording points
for health winner's badge.
_Miscellaneous Pamphlets:_ Averaging 8 pages; 128,325 copies.
_Need for leaders._--The growth in membership has been twice as rapid
among the scouts as it has among the officers, as may be seen in the
table already given. For every scout in 1918 we have 10 in 1921. For
every officer in 1918 we have but 5 in 1921. For some time to come,
therefore, the energy of the national officers must be directed toward
the securing of properly trained leaders.
Colleges and higher schools are responding to a gratifying extent with
the introduction of training courses in scouting for girls. Within two
years courses have been given at the following colleges or
universities: Adelphi, Boston, Bryn Mawr, Carnegie Institute,
Cincinnati, Converse, Elmira, Hunter, Johns Hopkins, Missouri, New
Rochelle, Northwestern, Pittsburg, Rochester Mechanics' Institute,
Rochester University, Rockford, Simmons, Smith, Syracuse, Teachers'
College, and Vassar. Also at the following higher schools: Battle Creek
Normal School of Physical Education, Brooklyn Training School for
Teachers, Chautauqua Institute, Chicago Normal School of Physical
Education, Community Service Council of Marquette County, Mich.,
Manhattan Trade School for Girls, Milwaukee Normal, State Normal at
Pittsburgh, Pa., Washington State Normal, and Western State Normal,
Mich. The following schools and colleges are asking for courses:
Chicago, Cornell, Detroit Normal, Kalamazoo, Michigan State Normal,
Pennsylvania State, and Temple University.
Through cooperation with the deans of women in all parts of the country,
and with the Intercollegiate Community Service Association, the college
women are being influenced to take up scouting as an extra academic
activity before graduation, and as a form of community service in their
home towns later.
In addition to this work through existing educational bodies, many
special courses are conducted in connection with the organizations of
local councils.
The First National Training School for Girl Scout Officers has been
conducted for four years, the last two years at Long Pond Camp in
Plymouth, Mass. During the summer of 1920 special training camps were
also held in connection with the councils of Greater New York,
Cincinnati, and Harrisburg, with instruction given under the auspices of
national headquarters. Five such camps are planned for 1921, located in
Plymouth, Central Valley, in the Catskills, Lake Mohegan, N. Y.,
Philadelphia, and Cincinnati.
_Scouting in the public schools._--Only that organization for young
people can succeed which contributes directly to their chief business,
which is getting an education. One reason the girl scout organization is
received so cheerfully by school people is that it works into the
school's own plans to a remarkable degree. Local councils have a larger
representation from the public schools than from any other single
agency. Scout leaders are drawn largely from the teaching force because
teachers naturally have a better insight into the needs of young people
than any other single group.
In a few places this interest has resulted in the gradual assimilation
of scouting into the school system. At Fort Scott, Kans., this work has
progressed furthest, with 90 per cent of all pupils of scout age, either
boy or girl scouts. Supt. Ramsey made a most favorable report on this
situation at the Cleveland meeting of the Department of Superintendence
of the National Education Association in 1920. Among essential features
he mentioned the following:
The boy scout executive and girl scout commissioner act as recreational
directors and have charge of all the health education and vocational
guidance.
A room is set aside in the Junior High School for all scout work which,
however, is passed upon by a council, including persons outside of the
school force.
Through glee clubs and choruses great interest in community singing and
other music has been developed. The scout organization is helping to
solve the dress problem for both boys and girls.
"To give the modern ideals of education would be to state the ideals of
scouting." The modern teacher is increasingly well fitted to become a
good scout leader.
Scouting may best be promoted through the public school, because that is
the only organization that includes all the boys and girls. Moreover,
because of close daily association, leaders of school troops can insure
each scout being an active scout.
The school also benefits by scouting in a number of ways. Older pupils
stay in school longer because of their interest in scouting than because
of any other influence. "A year of work in scouting will do as much
toward acquainting a teacher with the ideals of teaching as a year spent
in any college or university of the country." Finally, scouting secures
the interest, attention, and good will of the parents to the public
schools.
_Girl Scout badges earned in 1919-20._
-------------------------------+---------+-----------
Subject. | Number. | Per 1,000.
-------------------------------+---------+-----------
| |
1. Home nurse | 2,852 | 126
2. Laundress | 2,192 | 97
3. First aid | 1,523 | 67
4. Needlewoman | 1,389 | 61
5. Child nurse | 1,267 | 56
6. Cook | 991 | 44
7. Pathfinder | 990 | 44
8. Health guardian | 923 | 41
9. Flower finder or zoologist | 878 | 39
10. Home maker | 861 | 38
11. Citizen | 732 | 32
12. Signaler | 647 | 28
13. Bird hunter | 636 | 28
14. Health winner | 600 | 26
15. Pioneer | 595 | 26
16. Artist | 592 | 26
17. Musician | 580 | 26
18. Interpreter | 578 | 25
19. Swimmer | 557 | 25
20. Business | 424 | 19
21. Cyclist | 422 | 19
22. Gardener | 393 | 17
23. Athlete | 345 | 15
24. Horsewoman | 266 | 12
25. Bugler | 254 | 11
26. Scribe | 216 | 10
27. Telegrapher | 192 | 8
28. Motorist | 190 | 8
29. Dairy maid | 190 | 8
30. Farmer | 187 | 8
31. Sailor | 130 | 6
32. Electrician | 101 | 4
| |
Total | 22,693 | 1,000
-------------------------------+---------+-----------