The second handbook for Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. was written by Juliette Gordon Low and a committee. This version is updated to have clearer information on the organization and badge requirements. For the information content, she primarily edited the work that W.J. Hoxie wrote in 1913 and the original Handbook by Agnes Baden-Powell and Sir Robert Baden-Powell. There is also a list of books referenced in the end to contain all the information that would be required to earn the Proficiency Badges as this one handbook did not contain everything.

– Images on eBay
– Available on the Open Library: 1916 – How Girls Can Help Their Country

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 They are used here exclusively for historical reference and identification.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 1916 GSU Handbook Summary

There were five 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
   • Organization History
   • Start Scouting
   • Rules
   • Self-Improvement
2. Organization Details
   • Membership
   • Ranks
   • Reg
   • Badges
     • Merit Badge Requirements
   • Tests
3. Activities
   • Games
   • Camping
   • Scouting
   • Stars
   • Gardening
4. Life Skills
   • Cleanliness
   • Fitness
   • House Skills
5. First Aid
6. Miscellaneous
   • Patriotism
   • Reading List

About Girl Scouting

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

Organization History

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

Start Scouting

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

Rules

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

Self-Improvement

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

Organization Details

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

Membership

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

Ranks

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

Registration

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

Badges

All Meritorious Deed medals must be recommended by the adult captain can only be given by Headquarters or the President. All details of the reason for the award should be submitted with written evidence from two witnesses.

Membership Badge

Drawn image is on p. 29.

A clover leaf with three leaves (a trefoil) to represent the three parts of a Girl Scout promise. She may wear it at any time except when they are doing something wrong. Then they decide if they should take off the badge or stop doing wrong.

Thanks Badge

Drawn image is on p. 29.

These are given to anyone a scout owes gratitude to. All scouts who see someone where a Thanks Badge will recognize a friend. Scouts have a duty to salute the person who wears a Thanks Badge and ask the wearer if she can be of service to them. Approval from National Headquarters must be given before a Thanks Badge can be awarded to anyone.

Life-Saving Medals

Drawn images are on p. 30.

• Bronze Cross (red ribbon) is for saving life at the risk of the scout’s life.
• Silver Cross (blue ribbon) is for saving life at considerable risk to the scout.
• Badge of Merit (gilt wreath, white ribbon) is for three possible actions:
  • Performs a scout’s duty at grave risk to herself.
  • Exceptional work in recruiting on behalf of the Girl Scout organization.
  • Exceptional record at school for one year attendance that is submitted to headquarters at the end of the year.

Golden Eaglet

A scout must earn any 14 of the following badges:

• Ambulance
• Athletics
• Civics
• Clerk
• Cook
• Child-Nurse
• Dairymaid
• First Aid
• Health
• Matron
• Musician
• Needlewoman
• Naturalist
• Sick Nurse
• Pathfinder
• Pioneer
• Signaler
• Swimmer

The test for Golden Eaglet should be done by a committee. The captain recommends that all tests were performed and the committee determines if it is valid.

Merit Badge Requirements

Only Second Class and above can take proficiency tests. Badges are registered at Headquarters and only issued by Headquarters. The tests ensure compliance with the work and interests of the scouts. Earning a badge is not sufficient to qualify to earn a living in that branch of industry.

Ambulance

White Cross (Image on p. 31).

• Demonstrate CPR correctly for two minutes.
• Have you completed one year of regular attendance?
• What do you do in case of a fire?
• Ho do you treat and bandage an injured person?
• 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?
• What is the proper way to treat a snakebite?
• How do you treat frostbite?
• How do you remove a cinder from an eye?

Artist

Palette (Image on p. 32).

• 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.
  • Describe the process of etching, half-tone engraving, color printing, or lithographing
  • Wood carving.
  • Metalwork.
  • Cabinet work.

Athletics

Indian Clubs (Image on p. 32).

• Write a 500-word article on value of Athletics to girls with:
  • Proper methos of dressing
  • Naming beneficial activities
• Are you a registered member of the following choices? Supervised gymnasium class or active team of field work.
• What are the rules of basketball?
• What are the rules of volleyball?
• What are the rules of longball?
• What are the rules of tetherball?
• What are the rules of tennis?
• What are the rules of captain ball?
• Can you float, swim, dive, and undress in water?
• What 20 popular games can you teach?

Annual Attendance

Silver star. No image given.

• Did they regularly attend the full year of scouting?

Automobiling

Wheel (Image on p. 33).

• Show your certification, permit, or license to operate an automobile in your community.
• Demonstrate starting a motor.
• Explain the necessary precautions when starting a motor.
• How do you extinguish an oil or gasoline fire?
• Have you complied with all legal requirements to obtain a driver’s license?

Aviation

Monoplane (Image on p. 33).

• Explain the theory of airplanes, helicopters, ornithopters, spherical balloons, and dirigible balloons.
• Show a working model of any heavier than air machine that flies a minimum of 25 yards.
• Show a box kit you built that will fly.
• What are the types and make of engines used for airplanes?
• What are the best known makes of airplanes?
• What are some of the achievements of famous aviators?
• What are the names and history of some famous airships/dirigibles?
• What is the difference between aviation and aerostation?
• What are the types of apparatus under aviation?
• What are the types of apparatus under aerostation?

Bird Study

Bird (Image on p. 34).

• Show a list of 50 well known U.S.A. birds you know of.
• What are the game bird laws of your state?
• Show a list of 50 wild birds you have personally observed and identified.
• Show a list of 10 wild birds you have sold as cage birds.
• What are 10 birds that kill rats and mice?
• Show a list of 25 birds that help farmers and fruit growers by killing insects that harm their crops and tree?
• What is the name and location of two large bird refuges? Why were they founded and what birds do they protect?
• What is the Audubon Society? Which birds does it conserve and how?
• What is an aigret, how is it obtained, and which bird does it come from?

Boatswain

Anchor (Image on p. 34).

• Demonstrate how to tie six different kinds of knots.
• Demonstrate the following in a boat:
  • Row
  • Pole
  • Scull
  • Steer
• Land a boat quickly.
• How do you find north by sun and stars?
• Demonstrate swimming 50 yards fully dressed.
• Demonstrate how to box a compass.
• Explain tides and their importance in boating.

Child-Nurse

Green Cross (Image on p. 35).

• Which option did you perform and when?
  • Care for a child for two hours a day for a month.
  • Care for an infant for an hour a day for a month.
• How do you bathe and dress an infant? (Infant should be present for demonstration if possible.)
• What are the basic instructions to care for a child?
• Which three Kindergarten games do 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?
  • How 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?
• 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 (Image on p. 35).

• 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 with tracked income and expenses, with personal receipts, for six months.

Civics

Eight-point Star (Image on p. 36).

• Recite the preamble of the constitution.
• What is required to be a registered voter in your state?
• What are the naturalizing laws of the U.S.A.?
• How is a president elected and installed in office?
• What are the terms of office, annual salary, and method of electing a vice-president?
• What are the terms of office, annual salary, and method of electing a state senator?
• What are the terms of office, annual salary, and method of electing a house representative?
• What are the officers of the President’s Cabinet? Who are the current ones?
• How many Justices of the Supreme Court of the U.S.A. are there?
• How are Justices of the Supreme Court appointed and how long is their term of office?
• In your state, who are the current Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Senators, and House Representatives? What are their terms of office?
• How is the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)’s government set up and how are the offices filled?
• Who are the principal officers in your town/city? How were they elected and how long are their terms?
• What departments are in your town/city and what are each of them responsible for?
• What are the names of the public buildings and points of interest in your city/town and where are they located?
• What is the history and purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

Cook

Gridiron (Image on p. 37).

• 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?
• What is the order in which a full course dinner is served?
• Which two kinds of meat do you know how to cook properly? Explain.
• How do you boil or bake two types of vegetables?
• What two salads can you make? Explain.
• How do you preserve or can berries or fruit?

Invalid Cooking

Palm Leaf (Image on p. 37).

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

Cyclist

Wheel (Image on p. 37). 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 make a report if you are sent out scouting on a road?

Dairy Maid

Sickle (Image on p. 38).

• 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, fore strip, 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.
• Perform a CMT on five different cows for ten days each and record the data.

Electrician

Lightning. No image given.

• Demonstrate and experiment that shows the law of electrical attraction and repulsion.
• What is the difference between a direct and an alternating current? Demonstrate uses of each.
• Demonstrate a method that determines which type of current flows in a circuit.
• Show a simple electro-magnet you have made.
• 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?
• How do you splice, solder, and tape rubber-covered wires?
• What are the immediate steps to take if a person is experiencing an active electric shock?
• What are the safety protocols for encountering a downed power line?
• Show your CPR certification from a course that included the use of AED.

Farmer

Sun (Image on p. 39).

• 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?
• Explain swarming, hiving, and use of artificial combs.
• How do you care for pigs?
• How do you cure ham?

Gardening

A Trowel (Image on p. 39). Those in other gardening club organizations can use their work in those clubs for the same requirements in the scout badge.

• Which community garden do you work in?
• Which home garden did you plan, make, and care for? Backyard or window.
• Show the plan of your work in the garden, including which flowers and/or vegetables were planted, the size, the cost, and if any profit was gained from selling them.
• Did you supervise or directly care for your entire home yard? This includes the lawn and flower beds, watering and mowing, keeping it free of trash, and clipping any hedges or shrubbery.

Personal Health

Dumbbell (Image on p. 40).

• 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 sponge bath) for a year.
• Show a written statement from dentist that states your teeth are in good condition due to proper care.
• What effect do you get from a cold bath versus a hot bath?
• What is the consequence of inadequate sleep and improper nourishment on a growing teen?
• How do you care for your feet when on a long march?
• What is a good game for your health? Why is it good for your health?
• What are the dangers of over-training or specializing in a specific athletic field?
• What are the advantages of a well-rounded development in athletics?
• What are five health rules that help keep someone healthy?

Public Health

U.S.A. Flag (Image on p. 40).

• Write an article (500 words or less) campaigning against the housefly due to the diseases it transmits.
• Make a diagram showing how a fly carries diseases such as typhoid, tuberculosis, and malaria.
• How do you clean and purify a house after a contagious disease was there?
• What are the laws in your city/town about reporting contagious diseases?
• How does a city/town protect the milk, meat, and exposed foods from diseases?
• How do you care for and store milk, meat, and exposed foods in your home properly?
• How does your city/town handle waste removal?
• What are the rules to keep your local Girl Scout camps clean and sanitary?

Horsemanship

Spur (Image on p. 41).

• 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? 
• What time range do you need to have a light when riding a horse near dusk and dawn?

Home Nursing

Red Cross, Green Ring (Image on p. 41).

• 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?
• Which six dishes can you prepare that are suitable for an invalid?

Housekeeper

Crossed Keys (Image on p. 42).

• What should be planned to be efficient in housework?
• 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?
• 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?
• How do you choose furniture?
• Make a list of table and kitchen utensils, dining room dishes, and glasses that would be necessary for a family of four people.
• How do you make a solar oven?
• How do you manage a cooler for a four-day off-grid camping trip?
• What is the difference between safe items to chill outdoors versus unsafe perishables?
• Why are snowbanks not reliable compared to a freezer?
• Show a household budget you have prepared that gives a percent of income to be used for food, shelter, clothing, savings, etc.

Interpreter

Clasped Hands (Image on p. 42).

• 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. 43).

• 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?

Marksmanship

Rifles (Image on p. 43).

• 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.
• Demonstrated loading a firearm.
• Demonstrate how to aim, fire, and use the firearm.
• Are you proficient in fencing or archery?

Musical

Harp (Image on p. 43).

Choose an option to earn this badge.

• Instrument:
  • Which musical instrument can you play?
  • Sight read a music sheet. Explain the note signs and terms.
  • Name two master composers and two of their greatest works.
  • Name all the instruments in an orchestra in their proper order.
  • Never play rag time music unless it is for dancing.
• Singing:
  • Can you sing with a pleasing voice?
  • Which two scout songs do you know and can lead a troop in singing?
  • Sight read a music sheet. Explain the note signs and terms.
• Bugling:
  • Demonstrate the correct Bugle calls of the U.S.A. Army.

Naturalist

Flower (Image on p. 44).

• Collect or draw and correctly name 60 species of wildflowers, ferns, and grasses.
• Sketch or Photograph 12 examples of different animal life.

Needlewoman

Scissors (Image on p. 44).

• 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 examples of darning and patching you did yourself.

Pathfinder

Hand (Image on p. 44).

• What is the topography of your city, including all public buildings, schools, and monuments?
• How do you use the fire alarm?
• What are the main roads and streets in your local area that you can use to help most people find their way around when giving directions?
• What is the distance to four neighboring towns? What directions would you give someone to reach them?
• Show a map you have drawn of the neighborhood with roads that lead to different cities/towns.
• How do you find north with only the stars or the sun?

Pioneer

Axes (Image on p. 45).

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

Photography

Camera. No image given.

• How do you use lenses on a professional camera?
• How is a camera constructed?
• What is the effect of light on sensitive films?
• How is film developed?
• What are two or more photo printing processes? Explain them.
• Show 12 photos of scout activities, 6 indoors and 6 outdoors, that were taken and developed yourself.
• Show 3 photos of birds, animals, or fish in their natural habitats you took yourself.
• Show 3 portraits and 3 landscape photos you took yourself.

Scribe

Open Book (Image on p. 45).

• Show your Report Card from a year of school that shows good grades and attendance.
• Write an article (no more than 1000 words) on how a newspaper is made, including different departments, functions of staff members, how local news is gathered, and how world news is learned.
• What is a news item?
• What is an editorial?
• What is a special story?
• How is printer’s ink made?
• How is paper made?
• What was the evolution from handwriting, to typesetting, to machine composition?

Choose the writing option:

• Journalist:
  • Show 12 news articles you have written within one month’s time, 500 words or less each, on events from the viewpoint of a scout that are not widely public news. (i.e. athletic events, scouts’ entertainment, church or school activities, and neighborhood incidents)
  • Write a special story on one kind of scout craft, hike, or camping experience.
• Fictional Work:
  • Show one good poem you wrote.
  • Show one good story you wrote.
  • What are the principal American authors in the past and present century?

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.
• Receive a signal by sound, whistle, bugle, or buzzer.

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.
• What are the steps to take when you see someone that may be drowning?

Telegraphist

Telegraph. No image given.

Choose one option

• Demonstrate:
  • Read and send a message in Morse Code, at 20 letters per minute.
  • Read and send a message in Continental Code, at 20 letters per minute.
• Certification:
  • Show your certification for wireless telegraphy awarded by a government instructor.

Tests

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

Activities

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

Games

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

Camping

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

Scouting

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

Stars

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

Gardening

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

Life Skills

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

Cleanliness

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

Fitness

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

House 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.

Miscellaneous

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

Patriotism

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

Reading List

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

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

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Click Here -> To see information References:

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.

• Gordon Low, Juliette, et al. How Girls Can Help Their Country. M. S. & D. A. Byck co., 1916.

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