Evening star., 1923-09-30
Girls ar d Their Affairs.
Conducted BY Helen III. Fetter

THE Girl Scouts is an organization
i that means a great deal in the
lives of many girls all over the world.
In the United States alone there are
nearly 126,000 who are enthusiastic
members of the Girl Scouts of Amer
lea. In Washington there are be-
between 500 and 800 girls who belong
TO this organization.
OF all the phases of scout work
there is probably none that is so uni
: versally popular as the camp life that
the girls enjoy In the summer months.
In many cases in local troops MEM
bers have given basaars and otner
entertainments to raise funds to senu
such members as could not otherwise
afford camp life for even week, TO
= the scout camp at Magnolia, Md.
n Now, according to an announce
N ment issued by the National Council
OF Girl Scouts in New York city, two
important conferences on Girl Scout
camps have been arranged. One, the
western conference, was held in Min
neapolis, Mimi, during the past week.
This conference was primarily for
leaders in this work in the western
states beyond the Mississippi river.
The second conference, to be held
this week at Briarcliff Manor. n. V,
will be the center for the interests of
the eastern representatives. Miss
Louise Price, national camp director,
has supervision over the discussions
of both conferences.
COMMISSIONERS. camp committee
~ members, camp directors and
captains directing camps, as well as
others interested in the scout camp
development, were invited to both
sessions. At the western conference
there was the additional advantage
of working directly with the forest
rangers
One of the features of that confer
/ ence was the illustration of methods
used by the Minneapolis scouts in
developing attractive evening pro
grams for around the campfire, uti
lizing songs, ballads and Indian leg
ends.
At the conference this week, two
-.hourS daily will be devoted to prac.
'tical demonstration work of summer
camp programs, featuring woodcraft,
games in the open, and nature lore
under the direction of Prof. Francis
of the department of forestry recrea-
tion at the New York School of For
estry, Syracuse, n. Y.
Both conferences aim to consider
exclusively the needs of Girl Scout
campers and discuss the progress Of
various types OF camps conducted by
the organization TO date. These types
include permanent camps, those con-
Quoted for eek-enders, those for
mixers and overnight camps such as
that in Connecticut, which Is oper
ated on the daily system and used by
Scouts who are unable to keep in ac-
tive touch with the troop captains
during the summer months.
y r
EVEN though school and all its at
Ltendant duties are we'll under
way. the lure of the woods is even
more inviting than during the hot
summer months. Many girls not in
this organization. as well as the Girl
Scouts themselves, indulge in week
end hikes to nearby woods and along
the river and canal.
There is no sport quite as fascinat-
Ing and satisfying as camping COM
bined with hiking. 1t Is to he hoped
that at these conferences of one of
the largest organizations having the
interests of the American girl at
heart, the leaders present will not
overlook this matter of what might
lie termed intermittent camping. Many
1girlS who do not possess the money
or time to enjoy real camping, appre-
- ciate immensely any arrangements
whereby they may have the pleasure
of week end trips.