Happy Anniversary Girl Scouts!

March marks the 109th anniversary of the Girl Scouts.  

In 1912, when U.S. women still did not have the right to vote, Juliet Gordon Low wanted young women to envision all the opportunities available to them. Emphasizing inclusiveness, the outdoors and self reliance, Juliette's girls: 

●  Hiked 

● Camped

● Swam 

● Played basketball 

● Learned to tell time by the stars 

● Studied foreign languages 

● Shared a sense of adventure & belief that they could do anything 

●Offered a helping hand to those in need 

●Made their corner of the world better

Low pinning a badge on a Girl Scout's uniform.
Circa 1912.

Still flourishing today, the Girl Scouts boast over 2.5 million members and over 50 million alums in 92 countries .

 

Girl Scout troops in Medina County are part of a regional group that has undergone many name changes. First they were called the Akron Area Scouts. Then they became the Summit City Council of the Girl Scouts. Then in 1962 they became the Western Reserve Girl Scout Council. Finally, in 2007 five regional Girl Scout Groups combined to become the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio.

Here's some highlights from the last 100 years of Girl Scouts in Medina County with emphasis on the early years of their development.

• 

  Miss Francelia Stuenckle
  German and Normal School Teacher*
  at the Medina High School.

  1917 -The first troop formed in Medina County was at the Medina High School in the fall of 1917. The United States had just entered World War I. Over 20 girls, all members of the junior class, attended the first meeting held at the Garfield Building (then the high school) in October. Miss Francelia Stuenckle was their scout master.
• 1918 - The girls are avid hikers, trekking out to L.H. Randall's cabin and later to the Northern Ohio railway.
• The sell tickets for the Red Cross Pageant, a fundraiser for WWI.
• The Girl Scouts sell over $1600 War Savings Stamps^ That would be $28,000 in today's dollars. They do so well that the Boy Scouts back off from participating in the program.
• The Girls jump into selling Thrift Stamps^
• Miss Stuenckle returns to her hometown of Chicago and Miss Marion Whipple takes over the scouts.
• 1919 - The Girl Scout presence in Medina County grows as Granger High School and Wadsworth form their own troops.
• 19 girls attend camp for 10 days at Camp Mittawanda on Lake Erie. Several sets of parents visit their daughters at the camp.
• In May, the Girl Scouts bring a group of Swiss Bell Ringers to Medina.
• In December, they have a Christmas Party and later distribute Christmas baskets to the needy.
• 1920 - The Girl Scout program expands into China, Syria and Mexico. In the U.S., Native American and Mexican American troops form. The Medina Troop spend 2 weeks at Chippewa Lake.
• 1922 - The Lodi Girl Scouts spend a week at Camp Crag.

Started as a 4-H camp, Camp Crag welcomed many
Scout troops over the years.

• By 1924, The Girl Scouts in the region had grown to over 20 troops with 700 members
• 1925 - Sharon Township and Seville Girl Scout troops form.
• 1930 - Girl Scouts collect food and clothing for those suffering the effects of the Great Depression.
• 1932 - Camp Ledgewood opened up in Peninsula, OH

Camp Ledgewood is still used by Girl Scouts today.

• 1936 - Two troops traveled to Camp Ledgewood.
• The first "colored" troop forms in Medina. They are supervised by Mrs. Will (Sally) Ozier, who is also African American. Her husband supervised the Boy Scout "colored" troop.
• The village of Medina has three troops of Girl Scouts.
• 1937 - Disparities are seen; the "colored" troop were getting badges as "laundress", "housekeeper" and "needlewoman", while the other troops are receiving badges in "scholarship", "observer", "swimmer", "gardener", "child nurse" and "artist".
• All 3 Medina troops attend Camp Crag
• Medina Girls are getting the highest award. "Golden Eglet" status is awarded to Miss Mary Louise Long and Miss Ramona Everhardt.
• In 1938, Troop 3, the "colored" troop is recognized by the Girl Scout National Headquarters.
• 1939 - In the photo below, the girl in the second row, far right is Virginia Wheeler (Martin), who donated the money for the Medina Library Family History and Learning Center that bears her name. 

Oct 24, 1939  Medina Gazette p. 3

Virginia Wheeler's Girl Scout Badges:
Bird Watcher and First Aid
From the collection of Virginia Wheeler Martin.

Girl Scout image from circa 1940.
From the collection of Virginia Wheeler Martin.

Virginia Wheeler's Girl Scout Handbook
for the Intermediate Program, circa 1940
From the Collection of Virginia Wheeler Martin

• 1940's - Nationally, Girl Scouts  supported the war efforts by operating bicycle courier services, running Farm Aide projects, and along with millions of other Americans, collecting fat and scrap metals and growing Victory Gardens. Internment camps in California and Utah saw the emergence of Girl scout troops among the imprisoned Japanese American girls.

February 9, 1940 Medina Gazette Page 4.
An appeal goes out to area agencies to plan for Civilian Defense.

• Locally, Medina Girl Scouts sold movie tickets in support of war relief.
• The decade saw many of the troops selling Girl Scout cookies for the first time.
• 1950's Girl Scouts assembled "Kits for Korea" to distribute items desperately needed by Korean citizens.
• 1953 - Celebrating the 41st Anniversary of Girl Scouts

To celebrate the 41st anniversary of the founding of the 
Girl Scouts, the girls baked a cake and presented it to 
the superintendent of the Pythian Sisters Home.
March 17, 1953 Medina Gazette,  p. 1.

• 1968 - Girl Scouts volunteer at the hospital along side Candy Stripers.
• 1969 - Brunswick Senior Girl Scouts attend a national meeting at Kent State University where the following topics were discussed:
• Learning to communication with other people
• The War in Vietnam
• Civil Rioting in the U.S. 
• The males' view of sex, dating & marriage
• 1969 in October the girls participated in a Dolly Derby, where they dressed the dolls and competed for best dressed. Later the dolls were given to Good Will to be sold in time for Christmas.

Green Leaf Park courtesy of Google Maps

• 1972 - Local Girl Scout troops plant over 600 trees at the Sharon Gravel Pit Park. The park has since been renamed Green Leaf park. Today, you can't tell that it was once a gravel pit.

• 1980's - They created the "Contemporary Issues" series  that addressed serious issues such as drug use, child abuse and teen pregnancy.

• 1989 - Lodi Girl Scouts learn all the tricks of the trade in being a clown.

 February 27,  1989  Review Chronicle Page 10 

• 1996 - The Girl Scout web site debuted and a Technology Badge was introduced.
• 2000's focused on the healthy development of girls.
• 2017 -  Girl Scouts help with the Children's Garden at Heritage Farm in Brunswick. 

  

  Girl Scouts Morgan Kulka and Lydia Miller work
   on the children’s gardens at Heritage Farm
  in Brunswick. (Photo Courtesy of Scott Miller)
  Cleveland.com

  
  

• 

  Natalie Bair
  Fox News
  
  

  2018-2019 - Medina Girl Scouts urge Medina City Council to ban plastic bags.
• 2020 - 12 year old Natalie Bair received the Girl Scout Medal of Honor for saving her baby brother's life when he choked on a cracker while riding in the car.
• 2021 - "Made with Code" program encouraged girls to work in computer science. Girl Scout cookies were sold online with "Digital Cookie"

Girl Scout COOKIES

In 1917, Girl Scouts in Oklahoma were baked the cookies themselves and sold them as a fund raisers. In 1922, a simple sugar recipe was shared in the Chicago Council. For years the girls baked and sold the cookies in simple wax paper wrapping.   The price? 25¢

A box of commercially baked Girl Scout Cookies from the 1930's

During World War II, sugar, flour and butter were rationed and in short supply. In 1944, the girls switched to selling calendars as an alternative.

After the war, cookie sales increased and by 1948, 29 commercial bakers were licensed to bake Girl Scout Cookies.

By 1951, the cookies came in 3 varieties; Sandwich, Shortbread with the famous trefoil imprint and Mints. By the 60's the bakers were wrapping the cookie boxes in aluminum foil or cellophane to preserve the cookies' freshness.

The cookie flavors have continually expanded and they now offer 12 varieties, including Trevoil/Shortbread, Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich and Samoas.

Which is your favorite? And how many did you order this year?

*"Normal School" was a teacher preparation course.

^Both the War Savings Stamps and Thrift Stamps programs were U.S. government projects to help fund the country's participation in World War I.