101st Anniversary
Girl Scouts one of nation’s largest youth groups
By Christie Cochran
Special to The Star-Herald
Girl Scouting in the United States began with the idea of Juliette Gordon Low to start the first troop in Savannah, Ga., with 18 girls. This was on March 12, 1912, and the program has expanded to become one of the largest youth groups in the nation and the world. Members all belong to a special unit known as WAGGGS which stands for World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
Some facts about Girl Scouting can be put in the category of “trivia” and covers a wide range of interesting tidbits for one and all.
The Girl Scouts have had an “honorary” national president since 1917, when First Lady Edith Wilson was named the first, and scouting has kept with this tradition to the present, with First Lady Michelle Obama.
In 1919, Hawaii (not yet a state) joined the Girl Scout movement with its honorary president being the last Queen of Hawaii, Liliuokalani.
In Maine, the first recorded Girl Scout troop was listed in Augusta in 1917. Also in Maine, Natarswi Girl Scout Camp was established in 1936 and consisted of 30 acres in Baxter State Park — located on Lower Togue Pond. It is in close proximity to the onset of the Appalachian Trail and very near the base of Mount Katahdin. An early troop was also established in nearby Millinocket in 1931.
Starting around 1917, Girl Scouts and their mothers baked cookies in their homes and sold them to raise funds.
One of the most notable supporters in the 1920s of Girl Scout cookies and their advertising was baseball’s famous Babe Ruth. The now-famous Girl Scout cookie sale began nationwide in 1922 with a cookie recipe formatted by a Chicago Scout leader. The recipe is as follows:
• 1 cup butter (or substitute);
• 1 cup sugar;
• 2 tablespoons of milk;
• 2 eggs;
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla;
• 2 cups of flour; and
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Cream butter and sugar; add well-beaten eggs, then milk, flavoring, flour and baking powder. Roll thin and bake in quick oven. Sprinkle sugar on top.
This recipe makes six to seven dozen cookies and came complete with the following poem:
“Cookies large and cookies small,
Made by Scouts both short and tall,
Thirty Cents is all we ask,
And we find it is no task,
To deliver to your door,
Dozens –— one, two, three or more!”
Girl Scout cookies were sold annually, except during the World War II years, when sugar, flour and butter were in short supply. The ever-enterprising girls then began selling calendars to raise funds for the organization.
Following the famous Girl Scout cookies was the well-loved “Some More,” which began in 1927. The name was shortened later to be called “S’mores” and is still enjoyed today. To make eight of the camping favorites, the recipe calls for 16 graham crackers, eight bars of plain chocolate broken in half and 16 marshmallows. Toast two marshmallows to a crisp and gooey state and then put them inside a graham cracker and chocolate bar sandwich.
During the Second World War, Girl Scouts became a part of the famous Scouting for Defense program. They began a Senior Service Scout program, working closely with the American Red Cross and the Office of Civilian Defense. Their wartime duties included messenger service, fire prevention, first aid, signaling, survival skills and cooking for crowds. They were also commended by President Roosevelt for their achievements in collecting large amounts of scrap metals and selling a high amount of war bonds.
They were also known for their help in saving farm crops and their wartime Victory Gardens.
The contributions of Girl Scouts during the war was so great, they were recognized by a special Liberty ship being named the SS Juliette Low.
From the 1950s onward, Girl Scouting in the United States has grown by leaps and bounds with more programs and projects offered to girls throughout the country. In addition to the wide variety of badges and pins that can be earned, there are special awards and honors the girls can achieve in their Scouting career. Some of these include the Bronze, Silver to Gold awards.
The first Scouts earned their highest award which was known as the Golden Eagle of Merit — also named the Golden Eaglet — and then it was changed to the Curved Bar Award, then to First Class Scout and is now known as the Gold Award. Each of these are coveted achievements for those who proudly reach the highest standards.
For more Girl Scout information, visit www.girlscouts.org.
(Editor’s note: Christie Cochran, of Washburn, has been an active member of the Girl Scout organization in Aroostook County for over 50 years.)
