Evening star., 1915-12-05

project did not include the admission of
girls, SO he turned to his sister. Miss
Agnes Baden-Powell, and said: III you
can form an organization for girls built
On the plan of the Boy Scouts without
making ,tomboys out OF them. go
And Miss Agnes Baden-Powell went
ahead-to use Sir Roberts expression
with these English girls. The result is
the existence of an International body
of Girl Scouts, ready to march shoulder
to shoulder with the boys.
The work Of Miss Baden-Powell
marks the first period in the history Of
the Girl Scouts. The second period
scene. Mrs. Juliette Gordon Low of Sa-
vannah. Ga, who spends much time on
her estates in Scotland and England
and numbers among her closest
Low was impressed with the possible
titles which their scheme of training
held for American girls. She took the
first steamer for America after she
had planned her course and went di-
rectly to Savannah. where she person.
ally organized the first Girl Scout troop
in the United States.
This troop and her Girl Scout princi-
Piles evoked enthusiasm which spread
beyond the bounds of her native south
ern city. This enthusiasm presaged a
national development and Mrs. Low
was emboldened to establish headquar-
ters in the National Capital OF the
country to further Girl Scout interests
and. incidentally, to take charge OF
work which was growing too great for
any one person to handle.
Savannah. which began with one troop
of Girl Scouts. now has fifteen troops
of 200 girls. Boston. with the adjoining
cities and small towns of New England,
leads every other section of the coun-
try in the size Of its membership. Mar
blehead started at the beginning of
last summer with one little Girl Scout
"a lone pebble on that rock-bound
coast. This little eirl-a visitor-soon
interested other girls. and before the
summer was over p troop was formed
of fftv members.
In Grand Rapids the Girl Scouts are
esta blished on such a prosperous basis
that they have permanent lakeside
camps. where they live during their
vacations. frequently entertaining Boy
Scout troops. scoutmasters and their
wives.
Miss Jane Adams was impressed with
the value of Girl Scout training, and
the first Chicago troop was organized
at her famous settlement. Hull House.
The playground associations OF Califor-
MIA discovered that scout work has
strong hold on girls. consequently the
heads of the recreation department be-
came interested. and Girl Scout troops
were organized all over that coast state
under bona fde official supervision. In
several sections of the country 1t has
worked in connection with the Y. W. c.
A. and other woman organizations.
The National Capital leads the coun-
try in the number Of Girl Scouts which
form the Washington troop. Between
$50 and 800 girls are rallisd under the
Washington Girl Scout banner
1t is doubtless true that the great
reason for the rapid development OF
Girl Scouts in America is due to the
fact that it is an organization perfectly
attuned to the principles upon which
this country is founded. The funda-
mental principle of the Girl Scouts. as
of the United States. is democracy.
can prevent a girl from being
a scout The Girl Scouts is open to all.
just as America is haven for all. Rich