On the celebration of the 49th birthday of .the Girl Scouts of America the
Adak Sun is proud to present a history of the Girl Scouts.
Just before the 20th century, during the Boer war, a British Officer, Robert
Baden Powell, was sent to South Africa to defend Mafeking from assult. Finding
the men under his command not prepared for vigorous life in the open he make up
a series of games that he called "Stunts in Scouting" to help them. Dividing
the men into patrols with leaders of their own choosing the men enjoyed the
games so much that it was not long before boys in England took to doingthe games.
When he returned to England, he rewrote the games into a program ;for boys and
in 1908 Boy Scouting began. It wasn’t long before the idea spread and many boys
belonged to the new club. Girls saw what fun their brothers were having and
began to clamor for their own club. In 1909 a Boy Scout Rally waw held in the
Crystal Palace in London where the King was to acclaim Sir Robert Baden-Powell
"The Hero of Mafeking". To everyones surprize, marching with the thousands of
boys were a group of girls dressed in khaki shirts and "wide awake" hats. They
were determined to be Scouts, too!
Almost before Sir Robert knew what was happening, some 6,000 girls had taken
up the Scouting idea and something hadto be done about them. In late, 1909,the
Girl Guide movement was launched and Sir Robert’s sister, Miss Agnes Baden
Powell, became,its first president.
Girl Guiding soon spread all overthe empire andthe world. In some countries
the name was changed to Girl Scouts. It was Juliette^Gordon Low, friend of the
Powell’s who returned to America in January of 1912f*J>egan the movement in
the United States. Soon after reaching Savananah, Georgia and contacting her
friend, Miss Nina Pape a meeting was held with~a group of girls from Miss Nina
Pape's school and on March 12, 1912 the first Girl Guide Company in the U. S.
was organized. In 1913 the name was changed to Girl Scouts.
, The uniform of that first troop was blue, and the 1st Girl Scdut Hanbook was
entitled? "How Girls Can Help Their Country.” The story of the Girl Scouts
those first few years is a story of the tireless energy and enthusiasm of one
• woman, JULIETTE LOW. The handicap of poor health and almost tota'l deafness did
not stop her from doing the work she had started and wherever she went new GIRL
SCOUT TROOPS sprung up with her personal friends " as the sometime unwilling
leaders. She used her own money, even parting with a treasured heirloom, her
pearls in order to continue the movement.
By the end of 1915 there were 5,000 Girl Scouts and the organization had a
National Council and Constitution and By-Laws, Mrs. Low becamethe 1st President.
Girl Scouts became widely known for their services during the 1st World War and
by the end of 1919 there were 34,061 members.
Today, there are over a million Girl Scoutsb in the.U. S. alone. Whereever
you go, you will find your sister Scouts, in big cities and on farms, in school
and church and even hospitals and oveer institutions. Let us wish all of them
a heppy birthday and salute those who help their cause.