Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum
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The Girl Scout Week thru the Years...
Newspaper articles about Girl Scouting was the way most people learned about Girl Scouting.
The first notice of "Girl Scout Week" in newspapers was in 1919. It's purpose was to raise funds and membership. Through the years the focus changed to meet the needs of changing world and changing girls.
William G. McAdoo, ex-Secretary of the US Treasury was quote as saying " Now that woman has the vote it is increasing important that women have the best of training. The Girl Scouts need money, that the work of providing the best training for our future mothers and citizens be pushed forward. I urge the men of the United States to support the Girl Scouts."
1920
By 1920 the Girl Scout Week was a well-oiled machine, starting on Monday, November 1st. The Girl Scouts were trying to raise $1,033,400 dollars "to take care of the thousands of girls whose must now be turned away every month. The campaign is to be a Dollar Membership Campaign, and everybody who believes in training girls in homemaking, citizenship and health-building is asked to become an associate member."
The Girl Scout pageant was presented in 1920 and depicted a Girl Scout Week;
Monday - wash day
Tuesday - cook day
Wednesday - sew day
Thursday - community service day
Friday - camp and hiking day
Saturday - babysitting day
Sunday - church day
In 1920 different Girl Scout communities held their "Girl Scout Week" at different times. Above the city of Hanover held theirs in March, below Ada held theirs in November.
Hanover lists the purpose of each day of the Girl Scout Week as well as giving the plot to the Girl Scout movie "The Golden Eagle (sic)."
1920
2019
By 1922 the public relations office of the Girl Scouts was churning out ready to print photos of patriotic Girl Scouts doing Girl Scout things ready for any newspaper to pick up. The public relations work continued for years to come.
Girl Scouting strongly admonished Girl Scouts to NOT appear in public in their khaki bloomers - and here they were photographed for the newspaper!!!
This 1930 article notes that there's some lee-way in the planning of the Girl Scout Week.
Sometimes businesses would allow the Girl Scouts to put up a display for Girl Scout Week.
2015
2018
2015
In 1954 Girl Scout Week moved from autumn to March.
Oddly, during the 1990's and 2000's Girl Scout Week seemed to fade away. Certainly councils and local troops kept the spirit alive, but there was little in the way of national engagement of Girl Scout Week. There weren't even any patches offered. Starting around the 100th Anniversary things began to change and online Girl Scout Week became colorful:
Girl Scout Special Days & Special Ways
Bicentennial Girl Scout Day | Girl Scout Week thru the Years...
Girl Scout Convention Collectibles | Girl Scout Valentines
Its a Girl Scout Christmas | Girl Scout Christmas Ornaments #1
Girl Scout Christmas Ornaments #2 | Girl Scout Christmas Ornaments #3
Girl Scouts at the World's Fairs | Girl Scout Birthday Week Freebies
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