The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-11-19
ADVENTUROUS GIRLS
Mrs. Rinehart Explains whats the
Matter with jane


Girls are great idealists. No one
familiar with the working of the girl
mind can fail to recognize how quick
ly they respond to ideals, They
dream dreams, not of success, but of
happiness. They look up rather than
out.
But they are vague and uncertain,
full of wistful yearnings that lead
nowhere. Given a cause and leader,
and they will bring to it an almost
pathetic eagerness, staunchness, 10y
atty, enthusiasm and unselfish effort.
There comes a critical time in a
girls mental and spiritual life, when
she is waiting impatiently for young
womanhood. The things Of her child
hood have lost their interest. She
has abandoned her dolls. The little
boys she played with have deserted
her, and found the girl-less associa-
lions of the teens. They have their
clubs, their sports, their meeting
places. But to the young girl there
is nothing but that period of waiting.
She is peculiarly isolated. Her fam
lily often finds her strange. She is
moody and dreamy. She begins to
spend an almost alarming amount OF
time and thought upon her appear
ance. The family says: What in the
world is the matter with Jane? And
her father suggests it is too much
going to the moving pictures.
But The truth is chat Jane is idle.
Sire does not belong. between baby
hood and womanhood, anywhere in
the social organization. She is active
and romatic. Her days are long wait
ing for maturity and with maturity
the fullillment of her dreams, of love,
marriage, motherhood. She hamts
the movies because she finds there
vicarious romance and vicarious adj
venture. The great outdoors is hers
to play in-on the screen.
And at the same time, with no in
creasedf outlet for her activities, her
imh giMdtion is beins stimulated as
never before Books magazines. au.
touobiEes, moving pictures all are re-
Vealing to her this strange thing we
cali iife, which is hers to observe hut
not yet to 1--WE. She is yearning
onioeker
1t is time TO realize that hundreds
OF thousands of young girls in this
country, doubly important now that
they are future citizens as the poten.
tial mothers of future citi2ens-that
these young girls be given occupation
a feeling of responsibility, practical
ideal to which they may bring their
innate loyalty and enthusiasm. They
need organized play and athletics
They need something concrete to tie
to. They need to be Taught, If you
please, what is the gang" spirit
among boys They need TO learn that
their young bodies are I'd be used in
stead of decorated Until they learn
that we shall have sickly mothers and
puny babies. No movement for the
Improvement OF American people as
a race, no advance of science or san
itation, can compare in Importance
with the necessity for building "
morally, spiritually and bodily, our fu
ture mothers.
They need to be taught certain
= loyalties. sex loyalty Loyalty to /
deals. Loyalty to country This last
LOYALTY to country. has to be taught
When a man learns to take OFF his ha
to the flag, he has new respect for
l.;
Some Of our girls need to be laugh
honesty. They cover their dreams
with small deceits They seek 70
nance ont of sheer random, cando
driven into hypocrisy The boy hai
fewer dreams to conceal and h,
honest with the honesty of fresh ali
and the great out doors. When W,
give our girls occupation. when W,
get out of doors, when we give then
organized play in the open, there viii
be fewer morbid women.
Give them something to do that in
teTests them. Get them out into tn
air. Fill in the waiting years witt
work and play, give them some rules
of life which win appeal alike to thei
imaginations and to their ipstinctiv,
desire for something better. lie
them look out as we'll as up,
Nearest of all the proposed plan
to cope with what an increasing mum
Der Of families are finding to be thei
problem, the adolescent girl. TIL
The Girl Scout movement fulflls al
these requirements. 1t is sane health!
ana normal 1t teaches honesty, pun
ity, vjgor and love of country Ant
it takes the girl in her teens and give
her a live interest in the present in
stead Of the future.
1t should have nationwide support
CHRISTMAS TREE TRAFFIC