How Girls can Help Their Country.
By the Founder of the Girl Scouts
[Girl Scouts]. (Low, Juliette Gordon). How Girls Can Help Their Country. Adapted from Agnes Baden-Powell and Sir Robert Baden-Powell’s Handbook, (New York: Girl Scout National Headquarters), 1917.
8vo.; child’s pencil ownership signature on front endpaper, and penciled notes throughout; blue cloth wrappers; decoratively stamped in black with an image of a girl scout; lightly edgeworn. In a specially made cloth slipcase.
First edition, of this first guide to the Girl Scouts, who were established in the United States in 1913; adapted from the Baden-Powells’ handbook and copyrighted in America by Juliette Low. With eleven black and white photographs, and drawings illustrating the text, an eleven page reading list, and a two page Index at the rear.
In six parts, with chapters including “History,” “Laws,” “Self-improvement,” “Tests for Merit Badges,” “Scoutcraft,” “Health,” “Home Life,” and “Patriotism.” In the History section, founder of the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, and his sister, Agnes Baden-Powell, are credited with founding the Girl Guides, and the American counterpart is described as originating as follows:
In America, in March, 1912, the first patrols of Girl Guides were enrolled by Juliette Low, in Savanah, 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 handbook explains how girls can set up their own clubs, and includes rules for meetings, guidelines, the role of officers and members, an explanation of the girl scout laws, how scouts can earn merit badges, and practical information for camping.
The section, “Golden Health Habits for Girl Scouts,” includes such valuable tips as, “2. Be not the slave to unhygienic fashions. Be proud to have efficient feet. Wear light, loose and porous, but sufficient clothing,” “7. Keep Clean. The smell of flowers has been said to be their soul. Try to keep your body as fresh as possible with the sweetness of cleanliness, not perfumery. Take a sponge bath, shower or quick tub bath daily,” and the ever-popular, “10. Remember Silence is Golden. In solitudes poets and philosophers have touched the heights of life. It is valuable for everyone to take account of stock occasionally with oneself” (pp. 96-97).
The Home Life section begins a paragraph on “Housewifery” by reminding girls that “Every Girl Scout is as much a ‘hussif’ as she is a girl. She is sure to have to ‘keep house’ some day, and whatever house she finds herself in, it is certain that that place is the better for her being there” (p. 106). Girl Scouts, however, do not only learn how to properly clean house; there are explanations of how to cure hams, put out fires, rescue swimmers from drowning, prevent frostbite, and halt runaway horses.
The reading list at the rear recommends books to aid in earning merit badges. These range in topic from arts and crafts, to dairying, farming, electrical work, first aid, needlework, music and housekeeping; a well-rounded list specially assembled for scouting life.
Low (1869-1927) was the daughter of wealthy parents from Savannah, Georgia. She was privately educated, and when she was not in school she divided her time between high society in Georgia and traveling throughout Europe. It was on a trip abroad that she met another young Savannah native named Willie Low, to whom she became secretly engaged, and married without her parents’ approval. Two separate accidents – the inaccurate administration of silver nitrate in one ear to soothe an infection, and a grain of rice lodging itself in her other ear after being tossed at her wedding – rendered Low deaf in both ears.
After her
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