When I was in Grade School,
I joined the
Well, actually, I was young enough to be in the junior organization,
the
Bluebirds
In front of my house in my bluebird uniform,
navy skirt, red vest and a blue hat with a bluebird on it
Then, when I was old enough, we were allowed to graduate to
Same leaders, same group of friends
Same blue skirt
But we also got a vest
and the beads that we earned were sewn onto the vest
I'm not sure what any of the beads were for
But perhaps my Campfire Girls Book would tell me
And when we were Campfire Girls, we got to sell
Candy!
Russell Stover Candy
(probably $1 per box)
All the relatives bought a box and I went door to door and sold more
I was never the top salesperson for my group,
But my parents did buy a few boxes so we all got to enjoy the chocolates.
I'm not sure if there were brownie scouts/girl scouts in my school
But it seems that all of the girls belonged to the Blue Birds/Campfire Girls
We would also wear our uniforms to school on meeting days.
It was a badge of honor to belong to the organization
and every day you would see Blue Birds or Campfire girls on the playground
In our little town when Daughter Sarah was small there were not
any Bluebird/Campfire Girls but perhaps that's because they weren't
"Bluebirds" anymore or Campfire "Girls" because it became co-ed
by the time Sarah was eligible to join
However, in our little town, there were Scouts
And so, Sarah joined The Brownies
The scouting group for little girls
(although while Sarah was in Brownies, they also added The Daisies -- for even littler girls)
And then she graduated to a Junior Girl Scout
And Girl Scouts sell cookies
In those days, Moms sold them at work and the girls would take
cookies door to door to sell them.
Sarah sold her share but like her Mom she was not a
Super Salesgirl
I do remember Mom always buying a box or two of
Girl Scout cookies when I was a child
My favorite was the shortbread
And it was not the "original" Girl Scout cookie --
no, it was one of the three new ones added in the 50s
(Thin Mint being another)
Girl Scout Moms probably sell cookies through the workplace
But, alas, door to door sales have all but disappeared.
The table in front of Wal Mart taking it's place
Today, at Wal Mart, there was a troop of girls
And I bought boxes of my favorite
Tea this afternoon was Girl Scout shortbreads
The same flavor that they've always had!
And they really are a perfect tea cookie.
I hope they're back next time I go to Wal Mart
I could use another box or two or three!
3 comments:
I don't think that the Girl Guides sell shortbread cookies here - just the traditional vanilla and chocolate with icing in the middle and the mint cookies. I was a Brownie and a Guide, and then when my daughter was old enough I was a Spark Leader, A Brown Owl and then a Guide Leader. It is a wonderful organisation and I am sorry that it has gone co-ed. I thought it was a wonderful place for the girls to stretch themselves and try new and difficult things without the distraction of boys....or the competition.
My granddaughters sell Girl Scout cookies now, so I bought Samosas and Thin Mints for my son. My grandson is a Boy Scout and I buy popcorn for soldiers overseas when he is selling it. I've been a brownie, a girl scout and a leader for four years, myself. But I always wanted to know more about those Camp Fire Girls. I'd heard of them, but there weren't any troups near us as far as I knew.
Loved seeing your campfire vest because it reminds me of something that happened to me. Since I grew up in rural Kansas, we had 4-H clubs, but not Camp Fire or Girl Scouts, so I didn't know about their traditions. And when I saw a box of pretty beads at a garage sale--I was an adult by then--I happily bought them and used them to make a Christmas necklace, back when those were all the rage. Imagine my embarrassment when an older women grabbed that necklace and told me--or rather scolded me--that I shouldn't be wearing those beads because they were Camp Fire beads. I had no clue, but I never wore that necklace again!!
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