



Produced by David Edwards, Josephine Paolucci and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.
(This file was made using scans of public domain works put
online by Harvard University Library\\\'s Open Collections
Program, Women Working 1800 - 1930.)







[Illustration]

How Girls Can Help Their Country

Adapted from

Agnes Baden-Powell

and

Sir Robert Baden-Powell's Handbook

1917

COPYRIGHT, 1917

BY

JULIETTE LOW

Transcriber's note: Italics are signified by underscores, _, and bold is
signified by tildes, ~, around the words. In one spot in the text [=V]
is used to describe a V with a line above it and [V=] signifies a V with
a line below it.




Contents


Part I.
                                      PAGE

HISTORY                                  1

HOW TO BEGIN                             4

LAWS                                     7

SELF-IMPROVEMENT                         9


Part II.

MEMBERSHIP                              20

QUALIFICATIONS FOR GRADES AND RANK      25

ENROLLMENT                              27

BADGES AND AWARDS                       29

TESTS FOR MERIT BADGES                  31


Part III.

GAMES                                   48

CAMPING                                 57

SCOUTCRAFT                              68

STARS                                   83

GARDENING                               92


Part IV.

SANITATION                              94

HEALTH                                  98

HOME LIFE                              106


Part V.

FIRST AID                              124


Part VI.

PATRIOTISM                             136

LIST OF BOOKS TO READ                  142

INDEX                                  153


Copies of this book may be obtained from Girl Scout National
Headquarters, 527 Fifth Avenue, City of New York; price 30 cents,
postpaid.




PATRONESSES OF GIRL SCOUTS.


MRS. PHILIP BROWN                New York
"    ARTHUR CHOATE                 "   "
"    POWERS FARR                   "   "
"    SNOWDON MARSHALL              "   "
"    HENRY PARISH, JR.             "   "
"    THEODORE PRICE                "   "
"    DOUGLAS ROBINSON              "   "
"    SAMUEL VAN DUSEN              "   "
"    LEONARD WOOD                  "   "
"    WM. J. BOARDMAN             Washington, D. C.
"    ALBERT BURLESON               "         "  "
"    JAS. MARION JOHNSTON          "         "  "
"    JOSEPH R. LAMAR               "         "  "
"    RICHARD G. LAY                "         "  "
"    OSCAR UNDERWOOD               "         "  "
"    JOHN VAN RENSSELAER           "         "  "
"    EDWARD DOUGLAS WHITE          "         "  "
"    H. C. GREENE                Boston, Mass.
MISS KATHERINE LORING              "      "
"    LOUISA LORING                 "      "
MRS. RONALD LYMAN                  "      "
"    HENRY PARKMAN                 "      "
"    WILLIAM LOWELL PUTNAM         "      "
"    LAWRENCE ROTCH                "      "
"    WILLIAM W. VAUGHAN            "      "
"    BARRETT WENDELL               "      "
"    ROGER WOLCOTT                 "      "
"    WILLIAM RUFFIN COX        Richmond, Va.
"    HUNTER MCGUIRE                "      "
"    GEO. HYDE CLARK           Cooperstown, N. Y.
"    HERBERT BARRY             Orange, N. J.
"    THOMAS EDISON               "     "  "
"    PHILIP MCK. GARRISON        "     "  "
"    GEORGE MERCK                "     "  "
"    B. PALMER AXSON            Savannah, Ga.
"    GEORGE J. BALDWIN             "      "
MISS ELIZABETH BECKWITH            "      "
MRS. ROCKWELL S. BRANK             "      "
"    W. W. GORDON                  "      "
"    LOUIS W. HASKELL              "      "
MISS HORTENSE ORCUTT               "      "
"    NINA PAPE                     "      "
MRS. FREDERICK F. REESE            "      "
" SAMUEL DRURY       St. Paul's School, Concord, N. H.
" ORTON BROWN                   Berlin, N. H.
" FREDERICK FRELINGHUYSEN       Newark, N. J.
" WAYNE PARKER                     "    "  "
" DOUGLAS GORMAN                Baltimore, Md.
MISS MANLY                         "       "
MRS. JAS. HOUSTOUN JOHNSTON     Birmingham, Ala.
" WILLIAM S. LOVELL                 "       "
" ROBERT C. ALSTON                  "       "
" JOHN B. GORDON                  Atlanta, Ga.
" CLELAND KINLOCH NELSON           "       "
" JOHN M. SLATON                   "       "
" CARTER HARRISON                 Chicago, Ill.
" HERBERT HAVEMEYER                 "      "
" CYRUS MCCORMICK, SENIOR           "      "
MISS SKINNER                        "      "
" FREDERICA SKINNER                 "      "
MRS. MARK WILLING                   "      "
" CHARLES G. WASHBURN           Worcester, Mass.
MISS KATHERINE HUTCHINSON       Philadelphia, Pa.
MRS. ROBERT LESLIE                   "        "
" JOHN MARKOE                        "        "
" ALFONSO MUNOZ                      "        "
MISS ANNE THOMPSON                   "        "
MRS. CHARLES DOBNEY             Cincinnati, Ohio
" JAMES PERKINS                     "        "
MISS JOSEPHINE SIMRALL              "        "
MRS. ROBERT TAFT, JUNIOR            "        "
" MAX HIRSCH                        "        "
" G. S. RAFTER                  Washington, D. C.




Part I




HISTORY OF GIRL SCOUTS


Girl Scouts, like Boy Scouts, are found all over the world. When Sir
Robert Baden-Powell formed the first troops of Boy Scouts, six thousand
girls enrolled themselves, but, as Sir Robert's project did not include
the admission of girls, he asked his sister, Miss Baden-Powell, to found
a similar organization for girls, based on the Boy Scout laws, with
activities and occupations properly adapted for girls. She then founded
the Girl Guide organization.

In America, in March, 1912, the first patrols of Girl Guides were
enrolled by Juliette Low, in Savannah, Georgia. In 1913, the National
Headquarters were established by her in Washington, D. C., and Miss
Edith Johnston became the National Secretary. The name Girl Guides was
then changed to Girl Scouts because the object of the organization is to
promote the ten Scout Laws: TRUTH, LOYALTY, HELPFULNESS, FRIENDLINESS,
COURTESY, KINDNESS, OBEDIENCE, CHEERFULNESS, PURITY, and THRIFT.

The movement then grew and spread in a remarkable way. The success of
the movement is due, in a great measure, to the work of the National
Secretary, Miss Cora Neal, who built up the organization during the most
difficult years of its existence. In 1916, Headquarters were removed
from Washington to New York, and the machinery for unifying the national
work of the organization is now placed on an efficient basis.

The training of Girl Scouts is set forth in the Handbook, written by
Lieut.-General Sir Robert Baden-Powell and Miss Baden-Powell.

Juliette Low obtained the rights of their book and, with the help of
committees and experts from all parts of America, adapted it to the use
of the Girl Scouts of the United States. It is impossible to train Girl
Scouts without the Handbook.

In 1915, a Convention of Girl Scout leaders from most of the large
cities was held and a National Council was formed, composed of delegates
from the cities or communities where more than one hundred Girl Scouts
were enrolled.

This National Council met in Washington, D. C., on June 10, 1915, and
put the management of the business of the National Organization in the
hands of an Executive Committee, composed of:

    A President.
    A Secretary or Executive Officer.
    A Treasurer.
    A Vice-President.
    Chief Commissioner.
    Six or more members of the National Council.

The Duties of the Executive Committee are:

    (1) To grant charters to the Local Councils of Girl Scouts.
    (2) To manufacture and copyright the badges.
    (3) To select uniforms and other equipment.

At every annual meeting of the National Council there is an election of
the Executive Committee. This committee has the power to cancel a
charter.


National Headquarters

The National Headquarters has a staff of officers to do the work of the
organization, holding their positions at the pleasure of the Executive
Board. The National Secretary is appointed by the President and holds
office at the pleasure of the President.

Each city or locality has a Local Council of twelve or more members,
according to the size of the community. These local Councils are under
the direction of the National Council and obtain their charters from
Headquarters. Where one hundred or more Girl Scouts have been enrolled,
the Local Council has the right to send one representative to the
National Council for the annual meeting.

The salute is three fingers raised, the little finger held down by the
thumb.

[Illustration: _The Salute_]

Handshake with the left hand while the right hand is raised in half
salute--that is three fingers raised and held on the line with the
shoulder. This is the salute given between one Girl Scout and another,
and the full salute is when the fingers are raised to the temple on a
level with the brow. This is given to officers and to the United States
flag. (In saluting, the hand is always held upright, never in a
horizontal position.)




HOW TO BEGIN


It is not intended that Girl Scouts should necessarily form a new club
separated from all others. Girls who belong to any kind of existing
organization, such as school clubs or Y. W. C. A.'s may also undertake,
in addition to their other work or play, the Girl Scouts' training and
games, especially on Saturdays and Sundays.

It is not meant that girls should play or work on Sunday, but that they
may take walks where they can carry on a study of plants and animals.

Groups or bands of girls not already belonging to any club may be
organized directly as a Girl Scout Patrol or Troop.


How to Start a Patrol

Eight girls in any town, school, or settlement may join together to form
a Patrol. They should have a Captain who must be at least twenty-one
years old. The Captain selects a Lieutenant, or second in command, and
the girls elect a Patrol leader. The girls should be from ten to
seventeen years of age. It is best if all the girls in each Patrol are
about the same age. A less number than eight girls can begin the
movement, but eight girls are required to form a Patrol. A girl may not
become a Lieutenant until she has reached the age of eighteen, or a
Captain until she is twenty-one. In Europe, Girl Scout Patrols are
sometimes formed by grown women who wish to carry out the Girl Scout
program of preparedness. Members of such Patrols are called Senior
Scouts. Senior Scouts make the three promises and accept the Scout law.
They are enrolled as Scouts but do not meet regularly in the same manner
as girls' Troops. They are organized in classes to learn first aid,
signalling, marksmanship, or any other subject of the Girl Scout
program of training. Senior Scouts may well practice what they learn in
such classes by teaching, for one or two months, Patrols of younger Girl
Scouts. Thus they improve their command of what they have learned, and
serve as an example to the younger Scouts, stimulating their interest in
being prepared and especially in the subject taught.


The First Meeting

At the first meeting, the Scout Captain, who has previously studied the
plan, principles, and object of the Girl Scout organization, explains
the laws, promises, and obligations of the Girl Scouts to the members
who are to form the troops. The names and addresses of the girls are
recorded, the day set for the regular meeting, and the length of time
for each meeting determined. Fifteen minutes may be spent on knot-tying,
the Scout Captain first explaining the parts of the knot, and the
requirements for knot-tying. Three-quarters of an hour to an hour should
be spent on recreation out of doors.


Succeeding Meetings

The second, third, and fourth meetings should be spent in learning the
requirements for the Tenderfoot tests. Each meeting should open with the
formation of the troop in rank, by patrols, facing the Scout Captain.
The first salute should be given to the Scout Captain, followed by the
pledge to the flag, and inspection of the troop by the captain. After
inspection the troop should break ranks and hold a short business
meeting. Elections may be held at the second or third meeting for the
patrol leader, corporal, secretary, treasurer, and any other officers
the members of the troop may desire. The Scout Captain should instruct
the troop how to conduct a business meeting, and explain the nomination
and election of officers. Weekly dues may be determined, and some
decision had on the disposition of the funds. After the business
meeting, the