GIRL SCOUTS is a United States organization for girls be tween the ages of 1 o and 18 years of age, with a programme of home-making, health, citizenship and out-of-door activity. The "scout way" devised by Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of all scouting, is followed by the Girl Scouts: the troop from 8 to 32 members is divided into smaller groups or "patrols" of from 6 to 8, the natural size of the spontaneous clubs or cliques that girls form in their early teens. Each patrol elects a leader and these patrol leaders with an adult leader form a "court of honor" or executive committee, which considers suggestions made by the patrols and plans the proerammes and activities of the troop. The promise which every girl scout takes is, "On my honor, I will try to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people at all times, to obey the Scout laws." The first of the ten simple laws is "A girl scout's honor is to be trusted." The girl scouts learn by making their own plans and working them out. To-day the troop is off for a hike, next week they are taking a course in baby care; they adopt a needy family; they give a play which they have written and costumed themselves, under leadership as indirect as possible, of an older girl or woman. By such means they learn responsibility and initiative and the actual application of their simple code of ethics to their everyday activities. In each com munity where girl scouting flourishes there is either a girl scout council or a community committee composed of adults who foster the movement.
There are three ranks in girl scouting. To become a tenderfoot a girl voluntarily takes the promise, learns the laws, and begins to "do a good turn daily." She must show observation by telling about her animal pet, know the pledge of allegiance, the executive officers of her community, State and nation, and stand observances in connection with the flag. She must practise thrift and know certain knots and woodcraft signs. For her second class badge she makes further progress in homemaking, woodcraft, learns to value and safeguard her own health and must perform some service to her home, troop, church or community. To be a first class girl scout she shows still greater ress in these requirements, particularly housekeeping, child care and cooking; must be able to swim and understand saving methods, start a savings account, train a tenderfoot girl scout and serve her community in some tangible way. Girl scouts interested in some particular ject such as art, athletics, music, ing or horsemanship may win merit badges for special knowledge. The golden eaglet, highest award of the Girl Scouts, is given to a girl who has earned 21 such badges and the letter of commendation in recog nition of girl scout spirit as shown by service.
Camping plays an important part in girl scouting throughout the country. Every girl scout tries to go to camp for at least one week each summer and to a week-end camp during the winter. It is in these camps that girls learn to watch and study birds, trees and flowers, learn how to camp comfortably, to cook and build fires out-of-doors and to find their way with the sun and stars as guides. It is in camp that they frequently become interested in f o1k-dancing, handicrafts of various kinds, group singing and pageantry, that they may carry on during the rest of the year in their own communities or homes. The national Girl Scout camp is Camp Andree Clark, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., where the older girl scouts from throughout the entire country come to learn the best camping methods. A leaders' training camp, where courses are given in leadership, troop man agement and psychology of the adolescent girl, is also established at Briarcliff Manor.
The Girl Scouts were founded in America by Mrs. Juliette Low of Savannah, Ga. She had lived for many years in England, where she was a friend of Sir Robert Baden-Powell and of his sister, Miss Agnes Baden-Powell, who originally helped him to adapt the scout idea to the needs of English girls. The first American troop was organized in Savannah in 1912. (See GIRL GUIDES.)