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1913 – How Girls Can Help Their Country

The first handbook for Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. was by W.J. Hoxie and adapted from the Handbook by Agnes Baden-Powell and Sir Robert Baden-Powell. The Knickerbocker Press printed it in New York in 1913. Juliette Low held the copyright.

Disclaimer: This is an independent, unofficial guide and historical summary. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (GSUSA). “Girl Scouts” and related terms are registered trademarks of GSUSA. They are used here exclusively for historical reference and identification. The text below is an original summary, analysis, and interpretation of the handbook, and does not replicate or distribute the copyrighted expression of the original publication.

The 1913 GSU Handbook Summary

There were six instructional parts of the book. Be aware that this summary does not always go in the order of the original book. Things are simplified sometimes, or more information is provided to make sense in modern day. The order is sometimes rearranged to make more sense to a modern reader.

  1. About Girl Scouting
  2. Camping Information
  3. Household Skills
  4. First Aid
  5. Self-Discipline and Improvement
  6. Ranks, Awards, and Badges

About Girl Scouting

The first statement of the book clearly outlines that Girl Scouts is not supposed to be an exclusive club, where girls do not belong to any other organizations. Girls were encouraged to belong to schools, factories, social or charitable clubs, and YWCAs while doing their normal work and playing in daily life. However, if girls had no other clubs, they could form a group or band and be called Girl Scouts.

Summary of Girl Scouting

Girl Scouts training and games were primarily considered to take place on Saturdays and Sundays. It clarified that meetings on Sundays should not be for play or work but they can take walks to study nature and do good turns.

Eight girls can form a Patrol. A Captain should be at least 21 years old. A Lieutenant or Second in Command is elected by the adult Captain. The Scouts were 10-17 years old and elect a Patrol Leader from themselves. It is recommended that all scouts in the Patrol should be around the same age.

Instructors were specifically instructed to show and explain before “drilling” and not to “drill” too long. Practice should not be done to exhaustion. Games are carefully selected to not have a sting to them as many tend to do so. Being “it” in a game should be a reward and not a consequence and punishment. Do not rebuke for poor work or failure.

Practices, games, and competitions were to be a large part of Scout training. Rules must be obeyed as one of the most important principles to learn. All scouts need consent of parents or guardians before joining.

Scouts would need to study by themselves in the direction their talents lead. The adult Captain is a teacher before anything else.

At the end of each meeting, two Orderlies should be selected by the adult Captain to tidy the area and ensure it was back in order before leaving.

Girl Scout Promise and Law

Each Scout should promise on their honor to do three things, which is why the Girl Scout salute is to raise the three middle fingers on the hand with the thumb holding the pinky down.

“To do your duty to God and to your Country” was the first. “To help other people at all times” is the second. “To obey the Laws of the Scouts” is the final one. (p. 3)

There are 10 lines to the law that all start with “A Girl Scout…” Each has a short explanation of what the line of the law means. The 10 lines are to match “one for each finger on a Scout’s hand”. (p. 6)

  1. Honor is to be Trusted
    1. You should be able to speak truth and be trusted to do what you say.
  2. Is Loyal
    1. Loyalty should be given to many people. President and the country, officers of the troop, families, and employers are mentioned. Loyalty is defined as sticking to them no matter the circumstances and against their enemies or those who talk ill of them.
  3. Duty Is to be Useful and to Help Others
    1. They ask Scouts to do their duty before personal “pleasure, safety, and comfort”. Ask yourself, “Which is my duty?” and “Which is the best for other people?” anytime you must make a choice. Be prepared at any time to save a life or help injured people. Do a good turn at least once every day.
  4. Is a Friend to All, and a Sister to every Other Girl Scout no Matter to what Social Class she May Belong
    1. Regardless of how well you know another scout, be ready to help any way you can. Examples are helping the other scout with their duty, giving them food, or going as far as possible for anything the other scout may be in want of.
  5. Is Courteous
    1. Do not take any reward for being helpful or courteous. Be polite to all, but especially to the elderly and handicapped.
  6. Keeps herself Pure
    1. This refers to pure thoughts and actions.
  7. Is a Friend to Animals
    1. Save any animal from pain. Only kill animals when necessary, no matter how small they may be.
  8. Obeys Orders
    1. Respond to all orders cheerfully and promptly without slow or sullen responses, nor grumbles, whines, or frowns. Even in times of danger, a smile or song can help lift spirits.
  9. Is Cheerful
    1. Reemphasizing to respond to all orders cheerfully and promptly. Sing if you dislike the order. Scouts cheer others even in times of danger. A Scout should never “grumble at hardships, nor whine at each other, nor frown when put out.”
  10. Is Thrifty
    1. Save what you can in the bank to have money when out of work in order not to be a burden to others or have money to help the needy.

History of the Law

It mentions several other systems that had laws and codes.

“The Japanese have their laws of the old Samurai warriors” (p. 3) refers to Bushido (translated as “Way of the Warrior”). This strict moral and ethical code of conduct for the samurai class existed in premodern Japan. The code emphasized an unchanging martial spirit, fearlessness in battle, frugal living, and personal honor. Above all, it dictated absolute loyalty and obedience to one’s feudal lord.

“The laws of the Chivalry of the days ‘when Knighthood was in power’” (p. 3) refers to the medieval chivalric code of Europe. In the late 11th century, chivalry was a martial, moral, and social code of ethics developed for knights and nobility. There were strict behavioral expectations, requiring knights to display courage, military prowess, honor, loyalty, justice, and good manners. This also included swearing an oath to protect the defenseless.

“Our American Indian has his Calumet” (p. 3) refers to the Calumet, often commonly called a “peace pipe” or sacred pipe. This is a revered ceremonial object used by Indigenous peoples of North America, particularly the Plains and Northeast peoples. The pipe was smoked in personal prayer and collective rituals, serving as a sacrament and a central means of communicating with sacred beings.

“The Arab respects the guest who has eaten salt” (p. 3) refers to traditional Middle Eastern and Bedouin codes of hospitality. It is centered around the sharing of “bread and salt” that creates a binding covenant of kinship and trust. There is a cultural tradition that eating a meal together (and specifically consuming salt) creates a binding covenant or alliance between the host and the guest. Once a guest has eaten the host’s salt, the host is bound by honor and custom to offer them safety and protection, and the guest owes gratitude in return.

Meetings

Patrols should “practice during the week at odd times or under their Captain. Final games or exercises can be held on Saturday afternoon.”

The First Meeting

The adult Captain should call the Scouts to attention at the start of every meeting. Call roll and then ask the scouts to repeat the countersign (the Girl Scout hand sign).

It only mentions that all Scouts should form patrols. All Scouts should have a notebook, pencil, and a yard of cording. All scouts are taught the law of the Scouts in this first meeting.

The Second Meeting

They recommend bringing things to make American flags out of paper. Teach them how to cut a star by folding and cutting at proper angles. Teach the history of the flag. Enter all names in a book for marking attendance and good marks. Teach the secret passwords (Be Prepared, said backwards) and salutes of GSUSA (Girl Scout hand sign and salute). Practice drawing Scout signs on walls or ground with chalk (to be rubbed out after the meeting). Play games, physical exercise or drills, or learn how to make knots, slings, and ration bags.

Outdoor Meetings

Nature study is recommended. In town, you can locate important places (doctor, druggist, mailbox, etc.) Note the distance and direction, what turns are made, what objects are seen while traveling, etc. Make a challenge to see who can located the place first.

Games recommended were Shop-window and Hare and Hounds. They also recommend competitions for sketching maps of town or campgrounds.

Indoor Meetings

Recommended ideas:

  • Playing Match-sticks to make the fingers nimble or the Inventory Game.
  • Show how to use a marlin spike and splicing. Splice a fish line with a pin for a marlin spike.
  • Practice Jiu-jitsu.
  • Rehearse a play.

Campfire Stories

The first campfire story is telling the story of Margaret Brent. This is an inspiring example for girls and American women. 1638 she arrived with her two brothers. She studied law and became the adviser of the governor and founder of the colony she lived in. She helped shape the laws that governed and her treatment of the Native Americans helped create the Toleration Act. She respected all religions even though she was a Catholic.

The second campfire story is telling the story of Annie Tilis. During the Seminole Wars in Florida, she lived near Fort Drum. Her father stayed at their home to care for the cattle. Annie milked the cows each morning and then help her father pen them up to be safe at night. She saw Indians hiding close to the fence her father would have to pass by when leaving the house one morning while she milked the cows. If she called out to him, they would kill her at once. One of the calves smelled the Indians and ran out into the bushes. Annie quietly set her milking pail down and went after the calf, passing very close to the hidden Indians. She did not look at them and once she was hidden from view, she slipped into the house. Her father was able to blow his horn to call the soldiers from Fort Drum. If she had shown she noticed the Indians and had not quietly snuck back into the house, both she and her father might have died. They Indians may have even surprised the soldiers at the fort.

People in cities are also exposed to dangers. It’s important to Be Prepared. Jane Marshal saw a burglar step into the pantry when she came home by herself. Jane pretended she did not see him and walked by him to the back door. She left the door open while she called for her cat in a natural manner. But once she was out of the house she ran to a neighbor’s house. The neighbor called the police. The burglar was caught before her mother returned home.

Nancy Hart and her daughter are the third story for the Second Campfire. Their house was captured by Tories who felt secure in a home with only a woman and little girl. They ordered Nancy to cook dinner and amused themselves by telling her what they were going to do after dinner was done. Nancy took a chance to grab one of their guns and called to her daughter to grab another one. The child did so at once. When Nancy shot one of the Tories, her daughter handed her the second gun right away so the Tories could not rush her while unarmed. Remember, back then, guns only held one shot before they needed to be reloaded.

Self-control is important in times of danger. If you panic, it adds to the danger. A Scout’s training helps prompt obedience in the face of danger. Even in times of peace, we learn how to nurse or care for wounded just in case war may come to us.

Games and Activities

There are five games and activities described after the meetings and eight games and activities mentioned in the first and second meetings.

They also advise that a “Scout always shakes hands when she loses a game and congratulates the winner.”

  • Activity: Make a Marlin Spike
  • Activity: Practice Jiu-jitsu
  • Activity: Rehearse a play
  • Activity: Scout Meets Scouts
  • Activity: Sketch maps
  • Game: Charades
  • Game: Hare and Hounds
  • Game: Inventory Game
  • Game: Kim’s Game
  • Game: Match-sticks
  • Game: Morgan’s Game
  • Game: Shop-window

Scout Duties

This is meant to be character building and subjects that were supposed to be interesting to girls at this time.

  • Be Womanly
    • The original states that no one wants women to be soldiers or mimic men. Imitation is not as good as the real thing so do not imitate boys. Everyone loves a girl who is sweet, tender, and can soothe the weary and those in pain. Scouting is not the same for girls as it is for boys. Boys teach manliness, but girls teach womanliness to help girls better in the battle of life.
    • Modern day, we can continue to teach that it is important to be authentic to yourself. It is not good to imitate someone else when it goes against your personal nature, regardless of gender specifics.
    • Girls can be heroines even in peaceful times. Everyday heroes are examples to follow. We often hear of brave girls we admire.
  • Be Strong
    • We should be strong and healthy. It might take time to care for yourself. Exercise, running, walking, jumping, and playing games help keep you healthy.
    • Sleep with your windows open “summer and winter and you will never catch cold.” If your bed is too soft you may dream which is unhealthy and will weaken you. Don’t stay in bed in the mornings, wishing you didn’t have to get up. Get up and do quick exercise.
    • Have a daily bath when possible. Rub down with a wet towel when not.
    • Breathe through your nose, because breathing through your mouth and chewing gum makes you thirsty.
    • A Scout is taught to exercise, do gymnastics or drilling, get plenty of open air, and eat good food, not sweets. Sweets ruin your teeth and spoil your appetite.
    • Measure yourself each month to see how you improve and grow. (Table on p. 74)
  • Be Handy
    • Do things in the best and most efficient way.
    • “Study how to put things down and take them up without looking.” Always know where your tools are without needing to glance and see where they lay.
  • Frontier Life
    • Whether you live in town and may one day go to settle the wilderness or have already experienced life on the frontier, it is necessary to know “to look out for yourself and others [when] far away from any civilized help.”
    • A Scout should know how to milk, cook, cut wood, wash clothes, act as a nurse, or defend themselves. All without assistance from others.
  • Be Good Mothers
    • Know what food to give to children. How to keep them healthy. How to make them strong. Teach them to be good, hardworking, and honorable citizens.
    • Many great and good men have been made great and good by their mothers.
  • To be Observant
    • Notice and know about animals (foot tracks, signs, and how to observe them in nature). Learn about different animals and habitats.
    • Only kill animals for food. Do not injure any animal unless it is destructive and harmful. Focus on Woodcraft, Tracking, and Hunting, not in killing.
    • Tracking includes knowing if the animal is running away, feeding, or playing. You can practice in towns with tracks of men, horses, and vehicles. Learn to see the pace or how long ago the track was made.
    • Scouts should know how to find their way in the woods and wilderness.
    • Know what fruits, roots, or mushrooms are edible, and which are not. Also know which are good to attract certain animals.
    • Learn signs of danger like a startled bird. Learn signs of age, like dew and spiderwebs. Learn how to find lost objects with these observations. Learn how these small observations can help you tell when a small thing like a strap or a bit is hurting a horse to save it from being injured.
    • Watch the dress and behavior of people to prevent crime and troublemakers. Notice the sick and distressed that may be too proud or brave to make a fuss and help them.
    • Learn to see things first before others. Scouts should consider it a disgrace if others notice things before they do.
  • Camping (Called Campaigning in the book)
    • Know how to put up tents and make woodsman’s camps by yourself.
    • Build and keep up a fire and learn how to cook on it.
    • Know how to find your way by day or night, as there is no one to ask directions in the wilderness.
  • Tending the Injured
    • Accidents can happen to anyone. Railroad, auto, and street accidents are common. Help even when those injured are many and the help is far away.
    • Learn how to convert a camp or club room into a makeshift hospital.
    • Learn first aid, such as how to render aid to those bruised or maimed. Practice with a companion acting as the victim. Learn how to reduce a dislocated joint. Find out how to move someone with a broken leg to minimize pain and without worsening the injury.
  • Helping Others
    • The motto of “Do a Good Turn Every Day” is emphasized. It’s a Scout rule. Tie a knot you must untie each night before bed to remember what good turn you did each day. If you forget, you need to do two the next day to make up for it.
    • Good turns can be small things. Help someone across the street. Give someone directions or show them the way. Aid someone that has too many things in their hands. Pick up something that has dropped.
    • The only rule is to do these things without accepting anything except a thank you.
  • Home Life
    • Making others happy is the first wish of a Scout.
    • When returning home from work or school, try to lighten the burdens and cheer those who live with you. All Scouts have the power to help make a home peaceful and happy.
    • If there are younger children in the home, they are quick to mimic the actions of the older Scouts around them. Set a good example.
  • Patriotism
    • The U.S.A. is a world power for “enlightenment and liberty.” It is only because of the work of the forefathers. They spent time and effort (“brains and blood”) to do so. Brothers fought with conviction and faced foreign powers for their country.
    • In all you do, think of your country first. All Scouts make up a small part of the great whole nation.

Camping Information

Walks and picnics get you in nature, but the full benefit of getting in nature is done by camping. It does not mean you need to sleep on wet ground. Just live comfortably outdoors. It can easily be planned within a day’s travel of any city, but far enough to escape city sounds and smells.

Camping Basics

All Patrols or companies should have a place to camp. Any plot of woodlands near a city works. Beaches are hard to secure for privacy. Seasides cannot be fenced in. If strangers can pass by at any time, it is not a good camp.

If you camp at the same location, it is easier to study nature. The trees, flowers, and birds in the location are there for you to notice and care for. Record data in that limited space and learn.

The campground should be sanitary and looked after. Buildings should be possible to build on the land, even a “brush house”. This way you do not have to hunt for a place each time you want to camp. Name your camp, however you like.

Never forget matches when going camping. You can hide a weatherproof container of matches at your permanent camping location. Rubbing two sticks together can also create a fire without matches.

Water is a necessity at any camp. Simming is a pleasure, but you cannot carry your water in with you and have a comfortable time. Nor is digging water out of the ground. Camp near a well or spring.

Dry wood is also a necessity. Don’t try to cook with pine. It is fine to use as kindling, but bad for cooking. Fry your potatoes. If you must roast them, dig a hold in the ashes and cover them deep. Cook things on top of them. Then rake them out of the coals and be astonished it cooked.

Do not make a big cooking fire. You need to get close without burning your face. Start small and feed it as needed. It takes practice to cook on a fire. A regular campfire can be as big as you want. But smoke should only be looked at, not breathed in. Mosquitoes will avoid the smoke, but you should not breathe it either.

Make camp as comfortable as possible. Don’t sleep on sticks or stones, no matter how small. Hammocks are great, but a cot is a better option. Moss is apt to be moist but can have critters. Dry clean sand works, but you’ll need to shake yourself off well before breakfast. Sand and food do not mix well.

Do not let the fire spread. Damages to trees and fences are the least of it. Animals can suffer from a forest fire. Young birds die in their nests. Small creatures like rabbits can have their eyes burnt before they catch fire. Be careful with fire. Congress passed a law on May 5, 1900, that forbids setting fire to the woods and forbids leaving any fires unextinguished.

Clean up camp. Fragments of food could be placed out for birds.

Provisioning Camp

Have a list and cooperate to have everyone bring some of it. A committee (even a single person) to do all the buying helps. Individual preference should be considered. But the list should be complete and stuck to. A group could bring “six cans of soup, four pounds of sugar, and no tea or coffee” if everyone just brought what they thought to.

Canned goods are only good if you don’t have to carry them far. Same with Potatoes. Dried fruits, meal, or grits are wise. Oatmeal is preferred for lightweight and easy cooking. Ready made batter-cake flour is great for camp cooking.

When camping in the mountains, the elevation may make water boil at too low a temp and the frying pan would be required for everything. The fry pan needs to have a long handle or the short handle needs to be spliced with a long stick. Never pack things that should not get wet in paper bags. Rain, or even heavy dew could ruin salt, sugar, or flour. Tin cans are too cheap to use.

Consult military or naval ration lists to make a guess on what is required for the length of the planned stay. Beans are typically recommended.

Keep the camp tidy and clean with everything in order. “Tidy as you go,” is a good camping motto. It is hard to hunt for things as you need it. Give it a home you know where to find it and do not need to wash it before using.

Leftover food is called “slops”. With no trash, you should dig a hole to throw the slops in so it doesn’t fly around the campsite by the wind. If birds can eat it, put it aside for them later. All other scraps must be buried or flies will breed and you risk Typhoid Fever (as well as dysentery and cholera). Near water, some scraps can be used for the fish and crabs, but do not overfeed them. Use some as bait if fishing.

Wild fruits and berries can be used in meals, but do not count on them unless you are certain they are available. The wild doesn’t always produce the same year after year. It is better to use as a surprise snack than a guaranteed source of food.

Fesh smilax shoots can be hard to tell apart from asparagus. Palmetto cabbage can be eaten, but tastes horrible if cooked wrong. Only someone that knows how to forage should do these things.

The “Pocket Electric”

Candles should not be used since they blow out too easily. Have a lantern and oil. It also recommends a “pocket electric” instead. This was the 1913 term for a flashlight, which were just becoming mass-produced and affordable. The book instructs Scouts to keep them standing up rather than laying them on their sides to prevent the batteries from wasting. This was very practical advice at the time. Early flashlights were round metal tubes with protruding switches that could easily roll and turn on accidentally. Laying them horizontally also caused their primitive, cardboard-wrapped batteries to leak or short-circuit against the metal casing.

Today, modern flashlight batteries and casings are secure, so a modern Scout just needs to remember to pack one.

Cookfires

A “Gipsy Kettle” is not advised. This refers to the classic storybook image of a pot hanging from a tripod. There are three long sticks tied together at the top, forming a teepee shape directly over the fire the pots hang from. The legs get in the way of cooking, and the fire can burn the legs easily. The knot tying the top of the tripod can be burned away and then everything drops into the ashes.

A Crotched Stake Setup is recommended instead. Two crotched stakes are sticks that still have a fork on the top. They are placed into the ground on either side of the fire which a long pole rests on the natural “Y” shape at the top. This is safer as the supports are far from the fire and won’t burn. The pots can slide along the pole to control the heat. The person cooking is less likely to burn their hands or get smoke in their eyes. Wire hooks are recommended to use instead of rope which can burn from the heat above a fire.

Fan the fire with a tin or wooden plate. Do not blow on it. Exhaled breath does not have the oxygen needed to feed the fire.

Put away dry kindling every night. Possible rain during the night or dew in the morning can make kindling in the open useless.

A dry tent can catch fire. Dry leaves near the fire can carry the fire in the wind. Clean the area and keep tents well away from the fire. The author says that you could “burn a round” with burning the area a little at a time and beating out all traces of the fire in the burnt over part. This is dangerous and no smoldering embers or chunks of rotten wood can be left behind. Be thorough and burn clean as you go. Be in no hurry if ever attempting this.

Camp Routine

Leaders are instructed to have a general order posted every morning and on officer of the day and one orderly. Take turns. All scouts should read this before breakfast and see all the duties and possible activities for the day. If cooks and chores are assigned, be sure the willing ones do not do all the work, but all share responsibility. Some always want to volunteer, and some will try to avoid certain tasks and swap with others. Do not allow this, but don’t ban it completely. Inspect the camp throughout the day and point out problems but with kindness. Never chide. All rules are difficult to keep for instructors at camp. The only hard fast rule that should be enforced is that after lights are out no one must speak. Silence should reign.

Prevent accidents by going over the simple task of bandaging and other first aid exercises with each patrol.

Standing Rules

Leaders should clearly communicate rules. They should be created ahead of time and added to as needed. Explain carefully to Patrol Leaders. They are responsible for their Scouts to complete. Each patrol may camp separately from each other to compare cleanliness and good order to each other. Patrol Leaders should report back to the adult Captain to have recorded in the book.

Bathing should have strict supervision. Keep non-swimmers safe with a stake in the sand of a beach. A rope should be secured to the stake so non-swimmers can hold on to the rope in the water. No Scout should bathe when not feeling well. Two good swimmers should be on duty as lifeguards at all times. They should only bathe after all are done and the last bathers left the water.

Have a fire safety plan in place.

Keep clear boundaries for the campground. Know which areas need maintenance. Understand where good drinking water is available. No Scout is allowed out of bounds without permission. No males are allowed inside the bounds without permission.

A basic camping equipment for a one week stay for a troop, including kitchen equipment and personal effects is listed.

Safety

Various sections of Part two have safety precautions that are all listed here.

Water Safety

Any boating should have a pre-requisite for knowing who can swim and at what expertise. If you are ever adrift, cast anchor and wait for help. Never rock a boat for fun. Any Scout that does should be forbidden to going in any boat for some time.

All scouts should be instructed on how to throw things at a drowning person or someone who had an accident like a lost oar.  If you pick up a heavy wooden board or plank and hurl it through the air at a drowning person, there is a very high risk it will hit them. Striking a panicking, exhausted person in the head with a heavy piece of wood could easily knock them unconscious or injure them, making a fatal drowning much more likely. A board or plank should not be thrown toward someone in the water but launched toward them. “Launching” means placing the board flat on the water and shoving it forcefully across the surface, like sliding a puck on ice or launching a small boat. By gliding it over the water’s surface, it reaches the person without the risk of falling from the air and striking them. Because of the water’s surface tension, a flat board can also glide surprisingly far and accurately when shoved this way.

Bathing should have strict rules on distance you can go and other rules. They are not simple restrictions but safety rules. A party of boys bathed and scattered apart instead of staying close together as ordered. The big boys dared each other to go farther out while the adult Captain was distracted by young boys. The captain blew a whistle after noticing, but they ignored it. One drowned. He drowned in shallow water where he could have waded to shore if he had just been clear headed.

Pest Control

Citronella essential oil is recommended to repel mosquitoes, but only for a short time. They won’t stay in smoke or wind, so stay in a breezy area.

Black flies are part of the family Simuliidae, frequently referred to as buffalo gnats. They remain a severe pest in northern states and Canada. Because their larvae require clean, fast-flowing water to develop, they are highly concentrated around northern rivers and streams. Female black flies require blood to lay eggs and use scissor-like mouthparts to slash the skin, resulting in bites that are exceptionally painful, swollen, and itchy.

Sand-flies are biting midges (family Ceratopogonidae), known today as “no-see-ums” or punkies. They breed heavily in wet coastal soils, salt marshes, and intertidal sand. They are extremely small. Most can pass directly through standard window screens. They have a sharp, burning bite that leaves intensely itchy welts.

Scouts should use a “smudge.” This is a slow-burning, high-smoke fire used in agriculture to protect livestock from flying insects. Layer wet or green vegetation over hot coals without smothering the heat to produce thick, steady smoke. This smoke acts as a physical barrier and masks the carbon dioxide that draws the attention of insects.

The author specifically recommends using green cedar. Modern research confirms that cedar wood and its essential oils contain compounds that are highly effective natural insect repellents when released through smoke.

Snakes and Reptiles

Snakes are hard to find and are “the most timid of all creatures.” (p. 21). Poisonous snakes are usually not a concern in many places. Snakes are usually more afraid of you than them. Most will crawl away to hide after eating. Less than a tenth of people bitten by snakes die from it. Most die from bad treatment after it.

There is a mix of accurate species names and outdated regional terminology when naming harmless snakes. Two of them are highly misleading by modern standards.

  • Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) is Harmless according to Missouri Department of Conservation. It is a small, non-venomous snake that feeds primarily on slugs and earthworms. Today, the common name “brown snake” is widely recognized as referring to the Eastern Brown Snake of Australia, which is one of the world’s most venomous snakes.
  • The Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) is Harmless according to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In the early 20th century, people frequently misidentified this non-venomous water snake as a “moccasin” and is called a common banded moccasin in the book. Today, the term “moccasin” almost exclusively refers to the highly venomous Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin) or Copperhead. Never assume a snake referred to as a “moccasin” today is harmless.
  • The Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis or Pantherophis obsoletus) is Harmless according to the Virginia Herpetological Society. This is called a black mountain snake in the book and is also historically called the mountain pilot snake. It is a large, non-venomous constrictor that controls rodent populations.
  • The Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis) or the Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) is Harmless according to the University of Michigan BioKIDS. These are slender, docile, non-venomous snakes that spend their time hunting insects in grass or vegetation.
  • The Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) is Harmless according to the University of Michigan BioKIDS. They are completely harmless to humans, though their saliva contains a mild toxin strictly for subduing small prey like amphibians.
  • The Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) is Harmless according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. These are very small, secretive snakes known for the distinct ring of color around their neck and brightly colored bellies.

The original author spoke of using these harmless snakes to pick up and enjoy. They can be used at home to kill flies. They cannot hurt people and will eat insects.

She warns of two deadly snakes.

  • Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), which is native to the eastern United States is called a yellow and brown rattlesnake. This species is known for having two distinct color variations: a “black phase” and a “yellow phase.” The yellow phase features a yellowish, gray, or brown background with dark brown or black V-shaped crossbands.

The book warns that a rattle snake is most dangerous after it rains as the rattle does not work when wet. A rattlesnake’s rattle is made of loosely interlocking, hollow segments. The buzzing sound is created by the dry friction of these segments clicking against one another when the tail vibrates. When wet, it absorbs moisture, swells slightly, and the water acts as a lubricant. This prevents the segments from making a crisp clicking noise, rendering the snake virtually silent until the rattle dries out.

  • The Cottonmouth, frequently called a Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus or Agkistrodon conanti in Florida), is a heavy-bodied pit viper. Adults are typically brownish, olive, or dark blackish with faintly pixelated bands. Like most pit vipers, they have a distinctly broad, flat, spade- or triangular-shaped head to accommodate their venom glands.

The book calls it the deadliest snake, but that is not true today. Their venom will destroy tissue and blood cells. It requires immediate medical attention. Fatalities are extremely rare. According to Auburn University’s Alabama Extension, cottonmouths account for only about 2% of venomous snakebite deaths in the United States. They are thought of as aggressive, but they do not chase people. Mostly you will see them stand their ground and gape their white mouths defensively.

Green lizards will also get rid of flies. The author brings one inside when she finds one and it becomes tame. The fence lizard looks like a mini alligator and is also useful. It does not become tame.

Scouts are encouraged to pet toads. They also eat a lot of insects. Gardeners buy toads (sometimes a quarter per toad) to help keep harmful insects off the garden plants. A toad digs holes backwards and it is fun to watch. If water is near in the spring, the toad may sing. He looks slow and clumsy but can catch a fly fast.

Useful Knots

All Scouts should know how to tie knots as it is useful in every trade or calling. A Scout’s life may depend on knowing a properly tied knot.

  • The Bowline will not slip after the first grip. It can be used as a horse halter.
  • The Running Bowline is a nautical slip knot that has a length on the end of the knot.
  • The Reef Knot can join two ropes of the same thickness and will not slip but can easily be untied. This is the only knot to use in First Aid and should not be confused with the Granny Knot.
  • The Clove Hitch is two half-hitches. It will not slip up or down when tied to a pole and is used often in pioneering work.
  • The Half-Hitch is used with a single rope and a pole to tie it to.
  • The Fisherman’s Knot ties two ropes together.
  • A Round Turn and Two Half-Hitches helps keep a knot where the strain does not hurt the hitches.
  • The Sheet Bend ties two ropes of different thicknesses.
  • The Sheep-Shank allows a Scout to shorten the length of rope without cutting it.
  • The Middleman’s Knot is like a Fisherman’s Knot but uses only one rope.
  • The Slip Knot releases a knot quickly.
  • The Overhand Loop Knot allows you to insert a short stick into the knot to give you something to pull a rope easier with.

The Badge Archive Note: The remainder of this section will be written in the future.

Household Skills

The Badge Archive Note: This section will be written in the future.

First Aid

The Badge Archive Note: This section will be written in the future.

Self-Discipline and Improvement

The Badge Archive Note: This section will be written in the future.

Ranks, Awards, and Badges

Organization

Each local committee will have the following positions: Lady Commissioner of the District, Lady Vice-President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Honorary Treasurer.

There is a list of duties for the committee. They are to nominate adult captains. Headquarters must issue official warrants for the captains to be appointed.

All captains, companies, and patrols must be registered with the district headquarters for 25 cents.

The committee will supervise and grow the scouts in the district with minimal interference in individual companies and patrols. They are also responsible for granting Scout badges and awards. Scouts apply to the Secretary who will get the issued award and badge from headquarters.

Power to suspend any captain or lieutenant or withhold recognition of any company, patrol, or scout is within the rights of the committee for any “grave dereliction of duty” or rule breaking. Suspensions must be immediately reported to headquarters.

Committee meetings should be held periodically with suitable attendance. Local by-laws can be made, but two copies must be sent to headquarters. Headquarters will file one and approve and return the other.

Captains and officers may be invited to attend Committee meetings to give details before a warrant is applied or when a warrant is given from headquarters.

The adult captain can enroll scouts or recommend them to the committee for badges and awards. They may also withdraw badges at anytime or discharge the scout. Any scout that feels they were wrongly discharged may appeal to the committee, but the committee’s decision will be final.

Scouts may be discharged for misconduct or deserting the company or patrol. A discharged scout may not wear the uniform or badges and must return them. Nor can a discharge scout appear in any parades or displays. Adult captains should not accept recruits from other organizations, clubs, or schools unless that organization, club, or school has requested it.

Scouts cannot join a different patrol without written permission from the adult captain.

The adult captain chooses their own lieutenant and patrol leaders for one year. At that point they can be reappointed or substitute others. Any Patrol Leader may be demoted by the adult captain at any time. Captains are free to organize their company any way they prefer.

Patrols of scouts can write to headquarters to be enrolled if no committee exists locally. If badges are required, three well-known people in the community need to send letters to Headquarters. Enrollment cards are supplied with pamphlets for applications and forms to nominate officers for a local committee.

A company has three or more patrols. A captain must be 21 or older and is over the company. A lieutenant assists the captain. The patrol leader is appointed by the captain with a vote of the scouts in the patrol when no captain currently exists. The captain should be 15 or older and is captain for one full year. A corporal is a scout chosen by the patrol leader to assist her and take command when the patrol leader is absent. Chaplains are pastors appointed to supervise any religious training for a company. All scouts should be ages 10-16. Ranks of scouts are First Class, Second Class, and Tenderfoot. Second Class Scouts have passed certain tests and can then earn proficiency badges. Tenderfoots are new scouts that passed certain tests and may now test for Second Class. Only in special cases can girls under 10 be Junior Tenderfoots in separate patrols. No Scout can be enrolled without written permission from a parent or guardian.

A Court of Honor is when the captain and two patrol leaders or one patrol leader and their corporal meet. This is when rewards, penalties, and other questions of leadership are decided. Scouts always go out in pairs and never march or scout with boys. They are forbidden while on duty to speak without permission to boys.

Scouts do not wear anything to stand out. No staves are carried unless on parade or for ambulance practice.

Captains and lieutenants have officially signed warrants from headquarters. Scouts get official enrollment cards. Companies get a registration card that is ornamental. All units are non-denominational. They belong to no group or political movement.

Uniform

Uniforms are not required. They should dress alike as much as possible. Hat, neckties, and color of blouse should match.

Specific pieces are recommended. A dark blue felt hat with a flat wide brim and chin strap. The band can have a monogram. The neckerchief should be pale blue and 40 inches long. Wear it knotted at the throat and at the end until your good turn daily is done. This works well for First Aid, a stretcher, rope, bandage, or signal flag. Shirt blouses should have two pockets and be the company color with a patrol crest sewn on the left front. The skirt is a dark blue or black woolen, over the knee in length. An enameled monogramed brooch or necktie will be the official badge to be worn. Officers do not wear any fancy dress compared to the other scouts.

Lieutenants wear the same as the captain with three white stripe chevrons on the left sleeve. Their enameled monogram brooch badge is brass and worn on the necktie. The patrol leader carries the flag on a staff that has the patrol flower emblem on it. Two white chevrons are on their left sleeve below their monogram brooch badge. The corporal has only one white stripe on the left sleeve. All wear whistles for signaling and calling, which can be used to join the band when marching. Scouts only wear uniforms when the patrol meets.

Grade Tests

There are three levels that all have their own tests.

Tenderfoots must be 10 years of age unless there are special circumstances. After passing the test they can wear the monogram brooch badge. The questions a Tenderfoot test would be asked during their test:

  • Which four knots do you know how to tie? The choices are a reef, sheet-bend, clove hitch, bowline, fisherman’s and sheep-shank knots.
  • What is the name of the State Governor?
  • What is the name of your Mayor?
  • What is the history of the flag?
  • How do you fly a flag correctly?

Second Class Scouts wear the monogram brooch badge on their left arm. They must have at least one month as a Tenderfoot, or Third Class Scout. Only Second Class scouts can work on Proficiency badges. Only headquarters can register and issue Proficiency badges.

  • Have you drawn or constructed a cloth or paper flag of the United States of America?
  • Which simple dish can you cook?
  • Can you set up a fire in a stove?
  • Can you light a fire with only two matches?
  • How do you make your bed?
  • How do you make a bed for an invalid?
  • What are your own measurements?
  • What are the eight compass points?
  • What do you do in case of a fire?
  • How do you treat poison ivy?
  • How do you prevent frostbite?
  • Which of these three things can you do? Make a buttonhole, knit, or crochet?

First Class Scouts wear the monogram brooch badge on the left sleeve above the elbow where round cords can be attached in the future. If they have their Second Class badge they can test for First Class.

  • How do you set a table for breakfast, dinner, and supper?
  • Do you have a shirtwaist or skirt you sewed yourself?
  • Can you give directions to a specific place?
  • Can you walk two miles in an hour?
  • Can you dress and wash a toddler?
  • Do you know basic First Aid for injuries?
  • I will give you two examples of accidents. Can you tell me how you would save the life of the person in the accident if you were there?
  • How do you save someone in a fire?
  • How do you save someone who was rescued from drowning but is no longer breathing?
  • How do you help save a runaway horse?
  • How do you rescue someone from a place filled with gas you cannot breathe?
  • How do you bandage an injured patient?
  • Do you know the basics of Signaling?
  • Which of these do you know? Semaphore code or Morse code.
  • Do you have fifty cents in a savings bank you earned yourself?
  • Who did you train that was able to pass the Tenderfoot Class test? Did you train them by yourself?
  • What three trees can you distinguish between and name?
  • What three flowers can you distinguish between and name?
  • What three animals can you distinguish between and name?
  • What three birds can you distinguish between and name?
  • What is basic sanitation?
  • What are basic health rules?
  • What must everyone know about ventilation?
  • Where is your Red Cross First Aid certificate?
  • When did you swim fifty yards in your clothes?
  • Where is your list of 12 good turns you have done?
  • Show me the points of the compass without a compass?
  • What is the Girl Scout secret password?

Investiture

To invest Tenderfoots (adapted for modern day):

  • Troop Leader: “Fall in.”
    • The troop forms a horseshoe around the two leaders and the American flag. The potential scout and Patrol Leader are opposite of the leaders, just in front of the scouts in the horseshoe.
    • One of the leaders holds the new uniform and the insignia tab of the potential scout.
  • Troop Leader: “Salute”
    • All do the Girl Scout salute to the potential scout.
  • Troop Leader calls the name of the potential scout.
    • Potential scout steps forward to be in front of the Troop Leader.
  • Troop Leader: “Do you know what your honor means?”
    • Potential scout: “Yes. I means that I can be trusted to be truthful and honest.”
  • Troop Leader: “Can I trust you on your honor to serve God and your country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout law?”
    • All scouts, including the potential scout, do a half salute.Potential scout: “I promise on my honor to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout law.”
    • Troop Leader: “I trust you, on your honor, to keep this promise.”
  • Troop Leader: “Invest.
    • Patrol Leader steps out and puts the new uniform on the new scout.
    • New scout then steps forward to the troop leader who pins her insignia tab on.
    • Troop Leader: “This is your Scout’s life. The original scouts could loose their trefoil badge for misbehavior. They would become dead scouts for a time. It may be a day or a week in disgrace before they could be scouts again. Wear your uniform with pride and always be a good example to others when wearing it.”
    • The new scout then faces the troop and salutes and the troop salutes back.
  • Troop Leader or Scout: “We will now show our new scout the Girl Scout sign.”
    • All raise their hands to the Girl Scout sign and the new scout repeats it.
  • Troop Leader or Scout: “We will now show our new scout the Girl Scout handshake.”
    • A chosen scout approaches the new scout and demonstrates the Girl Scout handshake, then returns to the horseshoe.
  • Troop Leader or Scout: “We will now show our new scout the Girl Scout secret password.
    • All scouts: “Prepared, Be.”
  • Troop Leader: “To your patrol, quick march.”
    • The Patrol Leader and new scout return to the horseshoe with the troop in the appropriate place.

In this time, all uniforms and insignia did not belong to the scout, but to the troop. Anyone wearing the uniform without permission could be legally prosecuted. Anyone that misused the uniform could be tried at a Court of Honor by the scout troop to determine the penalty.

A reminder that adult captains could dismiss scouts for misbehavior. The uniform and badges would need to be returned. If the scout paid for the uniform, the money should be refunded.

The scout badge could be worn at anytime, unless they were doing something wrong. At that point they would need to remove the badge or stop the wrongdoing.

All tests for badges could be altered as needed. Som test for Girl Scouts may be more difficult for the same subject that Boy Scouts test, and some for Boy Scouts would not be adapted for Girl Scouts.

The “Thanks” badge was given to anyone you owed gratitude for.

Meritorious Deed Medals

Meritorious Deeds medals would be the ambition for all scouts. They would only be granted by headquarters or by the colony president when the adult captain submitted a special recommendation. It required a full detailed account with written evidence from two witnesses from the local committee if it existed.

Life-Saving Medals:

  • Bronze Cross (Red Ribbon): Highest award for risk of life when saving a life.
  • Silver Cross (Blue Ribbon): Award for considerable risk of life when saving a life.
  • Badge of Merit (Gilt Wreath, White Ribbon): Earned in three possible ways: Saving a live without risk to your own, or for twenty good marks award by the captain, or for exceptional work in recruiting for the Girl Scout movement.

Proficiency Badge Tests

The adult captain recommends any scout that passes the test to the local committee. Only scouts that have Second Class rank may work on proficiency badges. The tests must be passed in front of two qualified and independent witnesses during a Court of Honor. If no local committee exists, the adult captain can apply directly to headquarters.

The Badge Archive’s Note: Some requirements in the original handbook are outdated. Things like using the Schaefer method of resuscitation have been replaced by the modern standards of using CPR.

Annual Attendance

Palm Leaf. No image given. First Class Scouts can get a badge for each year’s attendance.

  • Did you complete a year of scouting?

Ambulance

White Cross. No image given.

  • Demonstrate CPR correctly for two minutes.
  • What do you do in case of a fire?
  • How do you stop a runaway horse properly?
  • Ho do you treat and bandage an injured person?
  • How do you stop bleeding?
  • How do you apply a tourniquet?
  • What is the proper way to treat poison ivy?
  • How do you treat frostbite?
  • How do you remove a cinder from an eye?

Artist

Palette (Image on p. 130).

  • Show one artwork you created yourself from the list:
    • A drawing or painting using oil paint or watercolors from nature.
    • A model in clay, plasticine, or modeling wax.

Arts and Crafts

No description given.

  • Show one craft you created yourself from the list:
    • Wood carving.
    • Metalwork.
    • Cabinet work.

Boatswain

Life Buoy. No image given.

  • Demonstrate how to tie six different kinds of knots.
  • Demonstrate the following in a boat:
    • Row
    • Pole
    • Scull
    • Steer

Child-Nurse

Green Cross (Image on p. 130).

  • Which option did you perform and when? (Child or infant should be presented if possible.)
    • Care for a child for two hours a day for a month.
    • Care for an infant for an hour a day for a month.
  • When did you change the diaper of a toddler or infant by yourself?
  • What are the basic instructions to care for a child?
  • Which three Kindergarten games you know?
  • Describe the treatment of simple illnesses and injuries of children.
    • How do you check their symptoms to tell if it requires an emergency room visit?
    • Ho do you dose a child with acetaminophen? An infant?
  • How do you apply antibiotic ointment and dress a minor abrasion?
  • How do you test the heat of bath water? What is the recommended max temperature to avoid accidental scalding?
  • How do you use a thermometer for a child? On an infant?
  • How do you check a child’s pulse? An infant’s?
  • Demonstrate how to thread a needle and replace a button.
  • Demonstrate how to repair a small tear in a garment.
  • Demonstrate how to apply a patch to a large tear in a garment.

Clerk

Pen and Paper. No image given.

  • Demonstrate legible handwriting.
  • Can you type at a speed of 50 WPM or more?
  • Can you write with proper grammar and spelling without relying on spell checks?
  • Which transcription skill are you proficient in?
    • Library hand: Uniform lettering used for official cataloging.
    • Shorthand: Symbols used to take verbal dictation at a minimum of 20 words per minute.
  • Demonstrate writing a professional letter (or email) when you are only given verbal instructions on what the letter needs to state five minutes before you write and you are not allowed to jot notes down.
  • Demonstrate basic spreadsheet skills by organizing a set of data (at least 20 items) and using software formulas to calculate the sum and average.
  • Create a basic ledger or budget for a troop event with tracked expected income versus expenses.

Cook

Gridiron (Image on p. 131).

  • How do you properly wash and wait on a table?
  • Demonstrate making a cookfire.
  • Demonstrate setting a table for four people.
  • How do you hand dishes correctly to people sitting at a table?
  • Demonstrate cleaning and dressing a fowl.
  • Demonstrate cleaning a fish.
  • How do you make an outdoor cooking area?
  • How do you make tea, coffee, or cocoa?
  • Demonstrate making bread from scratch.
  • Can you approximate the cost to make a list of dishes?
  • Which two kinds of meat do you know how to cook properly? Explain.
  • How do you boil and roast potatoes or rice and one other vegetable?
  • What two salads can you make? Explain.
  • How do you preserve or can berries or fruit?

Invalid Cooking

No description given.

  • How do you make the following?
    • Gruel
    • Barley water
    • Milk toast
    • Oyster or clam soup
    • Beef tea or Chicken jelly
    • Kumyss

Cyclist

Wheel. No image given. The badge must be returned if they no longer own a bicycle.

  • Do you own a bicycle?
  • How do you mend a tire?
  • Will you use your bicycle if the government has need of you to do so?
  • How do you read a map properly?
  • How do you repair a tire?

Dairy Maid

Sickle (Image on p. 131).

  • Explain the purpose of the California Mastitis Test (CMT) and describe what a positive result looks like on the testing paddle.
  • Describe how the CMT is performed cow-side and what physical change in the milk indicates an infection.
  • Identify three factors that can cause fresh milk to develop an off flavor.
  • Demonstrate the correct cow-side pre-milking and post-milking sanitation routine (pre-dip, dry, forestrip, milk, post-dip) and explain why each step is necessary.
  • Explain what a teat sphincter is, how long it stays open after milking.
  • Explain why raw milk equipment must immediately be rinsed with lukewarm water rather than hot water.
  • What is a milk stone?
  • Outline the correct manual cleaning sequence for stainless steel milking equipment.
  • Explain why towel-drying milking equipment is prohibited and describe the correct way to air-dry and store buckets and hoses to prevent bacterial growth.
  • How do you make butter?
  • How do you feed and care for poultry?
  • How do you kill and dress poultry?
  • Explain the basic process of pasteurization.
  • Define what a zoonotic disease is.
  • Explain why dairies rely on routine veterinary care, a strict vaccination schedule, and quarantine protocols for new animals to protect both the herd and the public.

Electrician

Lightning. No image given.

  • How do you safely use, store, and properly recycle batteries.
  • How do you connect and troubleshoot basic home communication devices, such as setting up a Wi-Fi router or wiring a smart doorbell?
  • Build a functional low-voltage circuit utilizing a modern power source, a switch, and an LED.
  • Where is your home’s main electrical panel?
  • Demonstrate how to identify and reset a tripped circuit breaker.
  • What is the purpose of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) and Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) outlets?
  • Demonstrate how to test and reset a GFCI and AFCI outlet.
  • Calculate the load on a standard 15-amp or 20-amp household circuit.
  • How does overloading a circuit happen with modern day appliances?
  • What are the immediate steps to take if a person is experiencing an active electric shock?
  • What is the safety protocols for encountering a downed power line?
  • Show your CPR certification from a course that included the use of AED.
  • What are the properties and applications of modern insulating materials?
  • What are the hazards you look for when conducting a safety inspection of household electronics?
  • What are the specific fire and shock risks associated with defective household electronics?
  • What are double-insulated tools and how do you identify them?

Farmer

No description given.

  • How do you incubate chicken eggs?
  • How do you feed and care for chickens under hens?
  • How do you store eggs properly?
  • Do you have a general knowledge of beekeeping, including the swarming, hiving, and use of artificial combs?
  • How do you care for pigs?
  • How do you cure ham?

Flyer

Aeroplane. Image not given.

  • Pass the air current test.
  • Pass the weather lore test.
  • Have one of the following accomplishments:
    • Make an aeroplane that will fly 25 yards.
    • Have a certificate for driving an aeroplane.
  • What is the basic knowledge for engines?

Health

Dumbbell (Image on p. 132).

  • Do not chew gum.
  • Eat no sweets between meals for three months.
  • Drink nothing but water, tea, coffee, or cocoa for a year.
  • Walk a mile each day for three months.
  • Sleep with an open window.
  • Bathe daily (or towel scrub) for three months.

Horsemanship

Spur (Image on p. 133).

  • Demonstrate a walk, trot, and gallop pace.
  • Show how to saddle and bridle a horse correctly.
  • Demonstrate proper grooming for a horse.
  • How do you harness correctly in a single or double harness?
  • How do you drive a horse?
  • How do you tether and hobble a horse?
  • When do you feed and give a horse a drink?
  •  

Hospital Nurse

White Cross. No image given.

  • Show your Red Cross First Aid certification.
  • How do you make an invalid’s bed?
  • How do you take a patient’s temperature?
  • How do you take a patient’s pulse?

Interpreter

Clasped Hands. No image given.

  • What second language can you hold a simple conversation in?
  • Write a letter in the second language.
  • Read a passage or translate it from the second language you know.

Laundress

Flat Iron (Image on p. 133).

  • How do you wash clothes?
  • How do you use starch properly?
  • How do you hang a blouse properly?
  • How do you press a skirt and coat?
  • How do you soften hard water?
  • How do you dry clothes?

Matron Housekeeper

Two Keys (Image on p. 134).

  • How do you use a vacuum cleaner?
  • How do you stain and polish hardwood floors?
  • How do you clean a window, including the screen?
  • How do you store furs and flannels?
  • How do you clean glass?
  • How do you clean kitchen utensils?
  • How do you clean brass and true silverware?

Marketing

No description given.

  • What are the prices of three different cuts of meat?
  • Name one type of fruit, vegetable, fish, and game for each of the four seasons.
  • How do you correctly purchase flour, sugar, rice, cereal, and vegetables and in what quantity?

Musical

Harp (Image on p. 134).

Choose an instrument or singing option to earn this badge.

  • Instrument:
    • Which musical instrument can you play?
    • Sight read a music sheet. Explain the note signs and terms.
    • Name at least four classical compositions and the composer of each.
  • Singing:
    • Can you sing with a pleasing voice?
    • What voice training have you done?
    • Name at least four Gran Operas and the composer of each.

Naturalist

Flower (Image on p. 134).

  • Collect or draw and correctly name 60 species of wildflowers, ferns, and grasses.
  • Sketch or Photograph 12 examples of different birds or animals.
  • Name and describe 60 wild birds, animals, insects, or reptiles that live in the woods or a zoological garden. Include specifics about their daily lives, habits, or appearance.
  • Know the specific markings of 20 wild birds, animals, insects, or reptiles that live in the woods or a zoological garden.

Needlewoman

Scissors (Image on p. 135).

  • How do you cut and fit a garment?
  • Can you sew by hand or by machine?
  • Which of these three can you do? Knit, Embroider, or Crochet.
  • Show two garments you made and cut yourself.
  • How do you sew on hooks, eyes, and buttons?
  • Make a buttonhole.
  • Show one example of darning and patching you did yourself.

Pathfinder

Hand (Image on p. 135).

  • What is the topography of your city, including all public buildings, schools, and monuments?
  • How do you report a fire?
  • How do you find north with only the stars or the sun?

Pioneer

Axes (Image on p. 135).

  • Demonstrate how to tie six different kinds of knots.
  • Set up a camp kitchen.
  • Build any kind of shelter that can house three people.

Rifle-shot

Rifles. No image given.

  • Demonstrate how to judge 300 and 600-yard distances.
  • Demonstrate miniature rifle shooting in any position for 20 rounds at either 15 or 25 yards with 80 out of 100.

Signaling

Two Flags. No image given.

  • Send and receive a message in Semaphore Code with no fewer than 24 letters a minute.
  • Send and receive a message in Morse Code with no fewer than 24 letters a minute.

Swimmer

Life Buoy (Image on p. 136).

  • Show the written permission from parents or guardian to take the Swimming test.
  • Show the written permission from the family physician to take the Swimming test.
  • Swim 50 yards fully dressed.
  • Demonstrate a proper dive.
  • Demonstrate CPR.
  • Demonstrate flinging a lifeline and lifebuoy to save a drowning person.

Telegraphist

Telegraph. No image given.

  • Do you know the basics of electricity?
  • Read and send a message in Morse Code.

Nursing Sister

Red Cross armlet. No image given. Only First Class Scouts are allowed to earn.

  • Earn the Ambulance badge.
  • Earn the Hospital Nurse badge.
  • Earn the Cook badge.
  • Earn the Matron Housekeeper badge.
  • Earn the Laundress badge.

All-Round-Shoulder Cords

Can be worn only by First Class Scouts.

  • Earn any seven Proficiency Badges.
  • Create a USA Flag yourself.

Silver Fish

Only First Class Scouts are allowed to earn Silver Fish. Earn the following badges:

  • Ambulance
  • Clerk
  • Cook
  • Child-Nurse
  • Dairymaid
  • Florist
  • Fire Brigade
  • First Aid
  • Gymnast
  • Interpreter
  • Laundress
  • Matron
  • Musician
  • Needlewoman
  • Naturalist
  • Sick Nurse
  • Pathfinder
  • Pioneer
  • Signaler
  • Swimmer

The test for Silver Fish should be done by a committee. The captain recommends that all tests were performed and the committee determines if it is valid. The examiners do not get to keep anything produced from the tests (such as food or items made by the scout to demonstrate proficiency).

A Note on the Electrician Badge

The 1913 Electrician badge requirements reflect the state of domestic electrical technology at the time. During the early 1900s, the use of residential electrical equipment grew rapidly. Electricity was newly entering many homes, primarily for lighting and basic communication. The safety standards were rudimentary.

The original requirements listed “battery, fusing, connection of bells and telephones.” For batteries, scouts had to understand how to handle and connect early direct current (DC) power sources. This involved dry cells (early zinc-carbon batteries) or wet cells, such as Leclanché cells, to power low-voltage devices. The Leclanché cell, which used a liquid ammonium chloride electrolyte, was a primary power source for early telephones and electric bells.

From the 1880s to the 1940s, the standard method of home electrical wiring was knob and tube wiring. These systems were protected by bare fuse wires or early screw-in plug fuses. A scout needed to know how a fuse protected a circuit from overloading and how to safely replace a blown fuse without bypassing it. Bypassing a blown fuse by placing a copper coin, such as a penny, behind it was a dangerous but common practice. Because all early Edison-based fuses used the same standard thread size regardless of their amperage, it was easy to improperly insert a coin into the socket. This effectively disabled the circuit’s overcurrent protection, causing overloaded wiring to overheat and start house fires. The correct and safe method was to unscrew the blown Edison-base fuse and replace it with a new fuse of the exact same amperage rating.

Wiring a doorbell was a standard entry-level electrical project. It required setting up a simple low-voltage circuit with a battery, a switch, and a bell. Early home telephones were also local battery systems, meaning they required separate batteries at each location. Scouts needed to know how to wire the local batteries that powered the carbon transmitter microphone and the hand-cranked magneto generator that produced the alternating current (AC) voltage to ring the bell.

Uninsulated wires, exposed knife switches, and poor grounding made electrocution a frequent hazard, particularly for utility workers and in homes lacking safety codes. Knowing how to safely separate a victim from a live wire without becoming a casualty oneself was important. This involved using readily available non-conductors, such as a dry wooden broom handle, dry clothing, or a rope, to pull the person to safety.

Once the victim was removed from the current, the scout was expected to perform artificial respiration. In 1913, this was the Schafer method (also known as the prone pressure method). This technique forced air out of the lungs by applying rhythmic pressure to the prone victim’s back, and it became the standard first-aid technique for drowning and electric shock until the development of modern CPR.

A scout had to memorize which materials conducted electricity and which blocked it. They would be tested on materials used in contemporary electrical work. Early insulators for powerlines and telegraphs were predominantly made from pressed glass or porcelain. Porcelain was heavily used for the ceramic knobs and tubes that routed household wires through exposed joists. Other insulation materials included rubber, mica, and silk or cotton used to wrap and insulate copper wires. Understanding that moisture turns insulators, like wood or cloth, into conductors was critical knowledge for fulfilling the rescue requirement safely.

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

Join the Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Leader Help Facebook Group
(Not an official GSUSA Group)

Join the Girl Scout Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Leader Help Facebook Group
(Not an official GSUSA Group)

See other Recommended Facebook Groups for some Scouting Organizations
(No official Groups)

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Published on September 5, 2026. Author:

Tia Kennard

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Disclaimer: The information published on The Badge Archive is built from the references listed below. These sources demonstrate that our content is grounded in facts and research, not opinion or speculation. Readers may consult them directly when looking for additional material.

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