When We Were Little ~ Girl Scouts

Twist me and turn me

and show me the elf.

I looked in the water

and saw 'myself'.

That's the litle oath that each of us took, individually, when I joined Brownies back in....oh, I'd say 1956.  Maybe 1957.  It was Dallas, Texas.  My mother was Troop Leader.

I remember each of us inour little brown uniforms with the little brown felt beanies.  There was a little mirror on the ground that was to represent a pool or brook.  We were each turned around and around to this little oath and when we saw 'myself' in the pool, we were given our brownie pin.  (Or something like that.)  Hey!  We're talking over 50 years ago.  I think remembering that is pretty good.

Anyway.  From Brownies I went to Juniors and Cadettes and from there, on to Seniors.

On my honor, I promise to do my duty to God and my country,

To help other people at all times,

Especially those at home.

(I'm on the left in both these pictures.)

Roughly...... 1964 or 65.

  (You can always tell which one's me because of the birthmark on the top of my right arm)

I think the Girl Scouts were the only thing in my growing up years that made me feel like I was a part of something.  I wasn't athletic.  I wasn't a science whiz.  I wasn't a cheer leader.  Shoot!  I wasn't much of anything.  But the Girl Scouts were always there.

The regular meetings, the group work on badges, the field trips, the camping trips.

I think I remember that I liked being a part of all of it.  I must have because I took a heck of a lot of heckling and abuse from other students when I showed up at school wearing my uniform.

Can you imagine the girls today going to school like this? 

I was doing some research on the Girl Scouts today and what I found at the official website didn't remotely resemble what I remember about the program.  I do know, though, that I'd like one or all of my granddaughters to know the program and be a part.