7Jle GIR_L scour

LEADER_ -VOLUME

VIII NUMBER

1 JANUARY

1931

Winter Plans for Girl Scout Troops Fay Welch

ARE you and your Girl Scout~ on friendly terms with winter? I hope so; for to know the out-of-doors only in summer is like hearing only the string sec­

tion of a symphony. True, not all of winter's moods are friendly. Rather

severe penal ties are sometimes imposed on the foolhardy tenderfoot. Yet the misadventures that befall one, after reasonable precautions have been taken, may later become treasured memories. 1ly own enthusiasm for winter in the Adirondacks was no whit dampened by having treacherous ice three times

as warm headgear, ;;cads and mittens. Tight fitting shoes are dangerous. Your foot gear should accommo­date easily two or three thick pairs of woolen socks. You want to be able to go feet first through a "ix foot bank of feathery snov.-·, with comfort. Tight wrists on both gloves and jacket with clotht>S fitting snugly around the neck are a great help if you chance to go into that same snow bank head first! Finally, if you can achieve that point where your baggage is adequate \Vithout being burdensome, vou are an artist.

- It is almost imperative that trick me into taking an icy bath!

But what outdoor activities can you provide for your troop this wimer? Perhaps your council conducts a winter camp. If so, make use of it. Othenvise why not plan a week-end camping trip of your own? If your Girl Scout lodge is not open for winter camping, surely you can think of some desirable objective: there is that snug log cabin that :\Iary's father built up among the hills, or :.\Irs. Shd­by's comfortable cottage out

r:::: ·::~~~r~-.~~rdn th' ~

Is come all naked! ~~ How shall I dress him who waits at my door? ~

you visit the camp site a week or two in advance, to make sure that the place is really suitable, to find out what equipment is already there, and to gain a background for your program planning. Could you be comfortable there with the mercury at twenty degrees

' In silk or satin? !f In flax-flower linen? If

~ In skin of rabbit? I'll take from my cupboard my finest store!

Watch! I shall clothe him. Each day a garment, Stronger than li!lcn, or fur, or silk I will put on him-

1-f Thoughts warm as ermine, 1! Truth bright as satin. , ~~ Purest of linen-deeds white as milk. .)t ~'"""~..~~.:.~~~

below zero, or with a blizzard raging? If the roadi> should be blocked with snow who among the member$ of your party could fight their way through the d1ifts to the near­est settlement to summon a doctor or to secure supplies?

at Evergreen Lake, or perhaps the Outing Club might loan their headquarters to the Girl Scouts.

Read again your lHinimum Standards For Girl Scout Camps and When You Hike.

Talk over the various possibili·ties with your girls, and let them help you with the plans. Decide just what food, clothing and other equipment you are going to take along. Be sure that enough warm clothing is included, for almost no one dresses warmly enough on ·their first winter camp­ing trip. Even the living and sleeping rooms will prob­ably be much colder than those at home, so do not forget woolly pajamas, warm shirts and heavy sweaters, as well

'Vhat are you going to do, once you reach the camp, other than the routine housekeeping? 'Ve will hope that you are lucky enough to have good skating, or snowshoe­ing, or skiing, or coasting. And there are any number of good tracking games that can be played in the snow. Then -there are those other tracks in the snow, not human, but made by our timid furred and feathered friends. Fol­low them and learn all you can of their makers.

2 THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

This is the season of the year to $tudr tree architec­ture. \Vhat graceful silhouettes they trace again~r the wintry :;Icy I Now is the time to discover what sturdy weeds hold up their heads that they ma} let their •eeds blow far across the crust,· snow. 1'\ow vou can find out which of the birds brave· the e<>ld to feed on these ~ame seeds, or to search out the tree's dormant imect enemie~. But, above all, winter is the time to study the stars. At no other season are there as many brilliant, first magni­tude stars visible. And darkness falls ~o early that even the youngC$t Girl Scout has ample time to ob.;erve them before bedtime.

Even though }OU do not live in the snow country, the graceful outline of the elm or the dark ma"Se~ of the pine, the graceful patterns of the cat tails or the teasels, the cheerful chipper of the chickadees or juncoes. and the charm of Orion or the Pleiades. all may be ju,;t as thrill­ing to you as to your northern cousin.

One or two week-end camping trip::., howc,·er, do not constitute an adequate out-door program for any troop. The week-end trips should be supplemented by da) trips and shorter times spent trampin)! over the l'ountry ~ide. Such a program counts heavilj in favor of ph\'sical health because it has been clearly demonstrated that the falling of the curve of our national health during the winter is largely due to the kind of "hot house" existence we lead at this season. Regular and plentiful exercise in the open without becoming badly chilled or over-heated is one of the best tonics. Therefore, plan now for your winter pro­gram-and next year Jay the foundations for your year­around out-door program in September and October.

Here are some books for you and your Girl Scouts to read:

The Long Laborador Trail. By DiJ!on 'Yallace. Pub­lished by A. C. McClurg of Chicago.

Fo:r Ilunting (1Vinttr Sports in Xn.(J England}. By C. A. Stephens. Published by the Page Co. of Boston.

Tf?inter Camping. Ry 'Varwick S. Carpenter. Pub­llihed by :Macmillan.

Tracks and Tracking. By Josef Brunner. Published by l\!Iacmillan.

Trild dnimah of Xorth dmerica. Published by the >.a­tiona! Geographic Society. (See especially the section on a11imal tracks bJ ,lJ r. Stto11.)

Minin1um Safety Requirements for Vr cek-End Can1ping

The Camp Ad\ isor} Staff is prepared to send rou sug­gesred programs for your week-ends at camp. It advo· cates planning your week-end ahead through your court of honor, program projects as well as menus. \Vritten permission from parents which l>tate health conditions should be required. A girl who has a cold or who has been exposed to contagious disease must forego a hike. The 'vater to be used must te~t pure (send sample to State Health Department). Skating or l'wimming should never be allowed without a life saver in attend­ance. Test ice carefulh before allowing girls on it. Always have two adults "ith your group. Ask your local camp committee or the National Camp Advi~ory Staff to help }OU have a good time and a successful hike.

Week-End Camping at Andree Clark The Lodge at C.tmp .\.· dree, :\ational Gir. cc t

Camp, Briarcliff Manor, :'\. Y .. was opmed for \ 'n·cr camping on December 5th 1:7 .. senior troop of Girl Scout~ from Nt'w Rochelle, '\. 1.

The weather was fine and the air brisk and bracin!!. fhe ;rirls found that besides their patrol dutie there were endles;; numbe~ of oul-door activities that could be cnjo~ed at Camp Andrcr. A.t least one meal a day wa~ cooked out-nf-doors, and what tastes better than steam· ing hot food. cooked on the trail in true pioneer fa:.hion?

The e\·ening' broul!ht the jo} of campfire. 'Vith the Ji;rht,. turneJ low. tht' ;!irb -.at around the blazing fire a~d 1 ccalled the ad venru re' of the dav. There were ... rorie:. and a revival of favot ire songs-to <.ay nothing of corn popping and fudge-makin~.

£\ er} one 'oted the week-end a huge success and plans are nO\\ being made for another in the near future.

Tho•e of you who take your troops winter camping, "ill you write us about your experiences and share with 1rher lt>acler~ the sugge"tion::. Lhat have helped?

Making Fire from Ice Do vou know that a hem hphere of ice acts j u~t like

a len$ ~r burning g]a;.s? Thb means that it will, if four or more inches acros~. actuallr ignite paper when rays of sunlight are brought to incus through it. It 1s im· portant that it be a solid hlock of clear ice without a bubble.

To make an ice len~ , till a round bowl with water. It should be a deep bowl, and the lar:!er the better. The water must be left undisturbed for a period of t\>entr-four hour<> in freezing air. To remove the lens, turn the dish upside do·wn and let warm water run over it. Thio; will cause the under ~urface of the ice to melt ~o that it will drop from the bowl readih-. Care should be taken when handling the len~ not to melt any of the curved surface. To pre\ent thi", use i= onl) in freezing atmosphere, handling with clorh _lo\·es or the bare hands.

:-\ow hold the ice wi~h the fla: !:ide upward. Focus the sunlight on hit5 of paper or ~ha\ing,. laid beneath. In a few seconds thev will bur,;t into Aamec..

Such an ice lens h.;, been the mean- of ;;.a\ ing at least onl' life. A trapper in ~or· hem Canada, finding him­self without matches on a hitter cold da}, used this method to start a fire.

Canoe and Boat School Tunc 17th to 27th will mark the be!!inninz of a real

tr;ining school for canoe and boating co~n,-elors. It will run in conjunction with the American Red Cross Aquatic ln,;titute at Karrow.;burg, :'\ew York.

Single, double, war canoe and white water paddling and a canoe trip; boat instruction and -ail in:!; waterfront in$truction and, of course, life sa\·ing and fir,t aid are all in the curriculum.

The <;taff is to be the best the countn· has to offer. \Yrite Olive 11cCormick, Camp AdYL'OD Staff, if you are intere:;ted. 1\Iake your plans to come to Camp Edith \lacy just before or following the Canoe and Boat School.

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER 3

~TENDERFOOT LADDER PROMISE

~ r= LAWS

MOTTO

ALICE StJ SAN

Section of a chart of tenderfoot ladders climbed by a troop of Girl Scouts in New York City.

TENDERFOOT TRAIL

What Girl Scouting Means at Tamassee

By Floride Greene

(Tamassee is a boarding and day school located in the 1·emote mountains of South Carolina. It is under the supervision of the Daughters of the .dmerican Revolution and covers a district of almost 2,500 square miles in which tlw·e is no other institution of learning.-Ed.)

T HERE are many reasons why Girl Scouting means so much to Tamassee. Probably the greatest rca­son is because Tamassee is located in the heart of

long-ago Indian territory. It is the old home of the Cherokees. :i\ot far from Tamassee a stone has been placed to mark where General Andrew Pickens and his men won a final victory over this warlike tribe. The old Indian .Fort, Oconee Station, is near Tamassee and Gen. Pickens' old horne too is only a short distance away. It is a large old-fashioned house, unpainted and weather­beaten. In the yard arc two cedar stumps which are covered with beautiful evergreen and here between these stumps the much-loved general died, happy because he had made peace between the Indian and the white man. Hikes to these historical places help to make Girl Scout­ing seem very real.

Legends say that many years ago, before the time of the Cherokees, another tribe of Indians lived where Tamassee stands today. The ruler of this tribe was a great fire prophet. Others came from far and near to consult with him and be made wise. He had in his possession a very valuable ruby which he guarded con­stantly.

But at last after many years of prophesying, the time came when he must die and go to the Happy Hunting Ground. A few hours before his death he asked that

the ruby be buried with him. His loyal tribe obeyed his parting injunction and he

MARION £ SM!'IH

went to his last rest with the ruby clasped to his breast. The krwll where the grave lies is called Tamassee which means "the place of the Sunlight of God."

Girl Scouting has been in progress only one year, but no other organization has ever meant so much to Tamassee's student-bodv. Al­ready Girl ScolJting h~s put before these girls a standard of ideals they have never dreamed of possessing.

STARTED THE T[NDfRFOOTTRAfL

Allothcr original progress chart, used by the Girl Scout leaders of Orange, New Jersey. As each new member passes by a signpost, she blocks in a spnce. Perhaps you are doing even more interesting things in your troop work. Won't you tell

DECEMBER !5 /93() . us about them?

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

Singing Games Is there one among us whose early memories do not

include the game of "London Bridge" or who will deny ha1•ing been touched h} the enchantment of the ancient pa,time?

Singing game, ha1 e nlways had their appeal for chil­dren. Their dramatic po<.sibilities appeal to the child's imagination and she enter .. into the make-believe of the g;tme, lo~ing all sen~e of ,tJf-<on~..:iousne,s. For the ,.ing­ing game is a group acti\ it) not requiring an) previous musical training, but dependent for ir:; :-ucce~" on good team work. This team work, involving no competition, encourages the child's desire to concentrate on a common aim and completely discourages any tendenc) tu ~ho\Y off.

It i~ tn1e that singing games haYe a fascinnting back­ground in history, and that they come to u .. through cen­turie::. of singing children as part of the folk\\'m;; of differ­ent peoples. But the:-e tacrs are of interest to the Girl Scout leader rather than to the Girl Scm1t who sings "~Iiss Jenny 0. J one," for the pure jo) of ,.jnging and dancing and pretending.

Here is one singing game that many of us remember playing and which we are sure Y<Jur Girl Scout, will en­joy. It is "Here Come Three Dukes" from Alice E. Gillington's "Old Surrey Singing Games". (The music for this game is the same as for "Here \Ye Go Around the :\lulberry Bush" and "1Iiss Jenny 0. J ones" which can be found in the Girl Scout Song Book, page 36.)

Three players are chosen to represent the "Dukes" and they stand facing the other group of players \\'ho are the "Maidens". Dukes: (singing)

Here come threr Dukes a-riding, a-riding, a-riding;

Here come thrre Dukes a-riding. Sir Ransom, Tansom, Tard) -0.

ll!aidtiiS: (answer)

Dukrs: 11/aidens: Dukts: ,llaidms: Dukts: .Uaidens: Dates.·

Pray. what is your intention, Sirs. intention, Sirs, intention, Sirs?

Pray, what is your intention, Sirs, Sir Ransom, Tansom, Tardr-0? \-Ve have come forth to marry-o, (etc.) Pray, which of us will you have, Sirs, (etc.) You're all as black as charcoal, (etc.) \Ve're ju ... t as dean as you are, Sirs, (etc.) You're all a:; stiff as pokers, (etc.) \ V e can bend ns well as you, (etc.) Down the kitchen and down the hall, Choose the fairest of them all; The fairest one that I can see, ( N arne) , come over to me.

The three children who represent the "Dukes" prance backwards and forwards as they sing "Here come three Dukes a-riding," etc. The other gr-oup repre~cnting the ")!aidens" advance and retire, singing "Prar. what is your intention, sirs," etc. And so on, each side sinf!ing an alternate verse until the last is reached. Then the three Dukes dance in front of the 1\Iaidens, finally chas­ing three, when the game begins over again, the Dukes singing " Here comes six Dukes a-riding," etc. thi~ time. If the group of Maidens is small, the Dukes may choose only one l\laid from among them, thus adding onlv one per~on and so prolonging the game.

This game l!i,·es great ~cope !or dramatic actton, a,. the Dukes can express great ~orn in ~ingjng "You're all as black a" charcoal'' etc., and the l\laiclens can be quite scathing in n·plying ''\ Ve're just as clean as you are," etc.; the Dukes come up 1 cry :;tiffiy in :oinging "You're all as "tiff a, pokers," w.:., and the 1Iaidens bend Hry low in repl}ing, ""-e can bend as \\ell a_, rou," etc.

If J ou nrc intensted in lind in;,: other ,jnging game~. the folio\\ ing book~ m:1y be <Jt help to you: Folk Dance and Si11ginq Games by Ceci' ~h p, published bJ H. "'· Gray, 159 Ea,.t .JSth Street, ::\e'" York City: Esperantes .!.111Jrris Book by )larr ~eal, publi,hed b) J. Cum.·nt Sons, Ltd., London: .l1 u~ic for Fift> Figure out/ Character Doll US

by Belle, published by G. G. Harrap, L-ondon. Either of the two books published in Londun may be obtained through the H. \V. Gray Compan~ in ~e\T" York.

.A. \Vinter Greeting (.-1 little pantomime whtt h one patr~Jl ~niqht gite

lo another).

GIRJ. 5(;0UTS: (dancing in a tire/e.) \ Yinter! \Vi mer! \-Vhat arc you bringing us? The year\ warm days arc ~one. \Ve saw them creep li nder the yellow gra~s. quiet a ... wind-blown mbts. Each one has gone to bed. Ther are asleep.

Tm~ \Yt~o: (racing into the rirrlc.) \Yhir-r-r! '\Vhir-r-r! I bring along The water's rushing, the ~tarling's song, The pine's crisp murmurs, the sound of feet Of people scurrying down the street.

TH£ TRUS: (tea/king silwtly into tlzc: circle.) Bri,k \\ind.,, cold frosts ha\'e made us so; 'l\eath rhe sun's pale light leafless we grow. Gre) lace-like branches st.·yward we fling. Only the pine wears the greenne~s of Spring.

TnE HAIL: (tripping gaily i11to tlu circle.) Tap-tap! Tap-rap! 'Gainst the window pane I scatter my crystals through the bleak rain. Diamond-clear, pearl-smooth, round as a ball From the canopied sky the hail drops fall.

THE SNOW: (danci11g merrily into the circle.) Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! I close the earth in. The ... un beams wow white as I trip it so fn·r. I bury valleys. I heap the mountains, I CO\'er each house top and chimne~ and tree.

( Togtthn- tlu Winter Spirits, making an inner circlt, whirl round and round joJfull}· as they sing):

IT eigh-ho! Heigh-ho! we bring to you Dancing stars in the night's deep blue; Shrill winds calling through sobbing trees: Garden~ of ice where the waters freeze; Icicles, fro~t. and a world of snow. These are the gifts of '\Vinter, you know.

GIRL Scou-rs: (dancing happilJ• in th~ outer circle as the Tf'i11ter Spirits contitwe thrir dana)

\Vinter! \'\yinter! Gladly we welcome you. Blow and whistle and freeze a~ you will. Spring brings violets-Summer, her daisies-Autumn, the goldenrod-But \Vinter! 'Winter I \Ve 5ing your praises­Fair are your frost-Ao"·ers on a snow hill.

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER 5

Desert Treasures Bertha Chapman Cady

WE are now having an unusual opportunity to studr, "ith the most deli:;htful intimacy, many of the strange plant~ of the arid region of our

country. Di,;h gardens haYe certainly captured the ima­gination, anti with them have come the agavas, aloes and, above all, the cacti. Here we may touch hands \Yith our Girl Scout friends of the great Southwest and, with them. mah most intere.:tin~ journeys into the realm of drought - endut-ing plant life.

Let us be sure to make the ac­quaintance of as many different kinds of Cacti as possible. T h is \\ill be eas\ for those fortunate enough to be des­ert Girl Scmtts. Others will make up for this by making visits to

b C Prickly Pear near r a c ~ u ~ Opu•fia garden.-, w h t c h are becoming popular, ro flori,t ~hop~ and nurserie• and b,· watching for articles in the magazines or book, on Cacti.

"\Vhat shall "e find? Surely the prickly penrs will be among the first acquaintances, for there are some sturdy pioneers in this group that have survived the cold winter.; of our .:\orth Atlantic, Canadian, ~nd ~orth Pacific region~ and othen ~hat ha\'e climbed th moun­tains or po~~e.;.:ed the sand, near the ocean coa,t.

Perhap$ rou may e\·en want to make your own Cactus :rarden so here are the name' oi a iew handy forms: Opuntia vulgaris, Opuntia fragili~. Opuntia polracantha f<JT the colder north countrics. Opun-tia borealis for the Pacific near the sea and Opuntia greenii for the Colorado girls. Let us not forget Opuntia ar-borescens that grows tall, more like a tree. as you will ~ues, from it:. name.

There are the so-called cholla.;, pro­nounced as though spelled cho~•as \Yhich are often known as cane-cacti because their woodv frame i$ beauti­fully meshed and often made into cu­rious walkin~ sticks for the touri~t. The flower> of the chollas are heauti­iul and varied in color. Some are lavender, copper, white or yellow and the fruit is also brightly colurecl.

The hedgehog Cacti. Echinocereus fendleri and Echinocereus rigidissimus are heavilr spined and fluted. The rainbow c.1ctu~ with its .. in::de erect stem is particularly gay with its bright­ly tinted spine~. yellow and pink and red, and it, light pink flowers.

succulent column bas often supplied drink to the sufiel­ing traveler and guided him on his way. It leaf~.!> towards the southwest as it grows and for this reason the nati\·es gi\·e it the name of compass cactus. It is being used widelv now in the candv trade, and " ·hen one sees the ruthles:> way it is being torn up and carried off in truck loads for this purpose, it is easy to see how soon the de~ert may be left a barren 'l''aste indeed.

Hut, of all the cacti, the world famous giants, Sagurnsj stand alone and are worth any amount of travel just ro see. Like weird tree,. of another world, ther lift their

great 'arms fifty or sixty feet high and some of them record an age of two hundred to two hundred and fifty years. Their growth is exceed­ingly slow, being but a fen· inches a rear. If \'OU

ar~ c a r e f u i in planning y o u r visit to this won­derland, you may spread your blan­ket.- on the warm

Barrel Cacti Bis•agas

-.and, and ''arch the -tars shine through rhe,;e grotesque brancht, and see their cro\' n of white flower,; spread wide their waxy petals to the moonlight.

\V e must not forget the groups of pin cushion cacti, for we are seeing many of them in the dish ~ardens to­day. They ha>e won the name of Jfammillnrin from the re,emblance of their mam· tubercles to :\Iamilla which mean' a nipple or milk ~iand and this 'arne word, .:\lammal-, j, ~h·en to tho,e animals that nur'e their young.

Everyone should know too the ethereal beautv of the cereus, that wonder-blo!i!;Olll · of the night ahout which so manv tales have been wo1 en and festivals held.

But enou~h of this. ) ou \\ill dis­co>er mam· new beauties tor 1 our­selves. And he--ides the charm of col­or and form vou will be interested in the many w~~s thi~ group of plants has served man and other neatun·s of the arid lands.

The fishhook or barrel cacti, 8ima­gas, is always interesting. Its great

Giant Cactus Sagttra.s

:uanr bird.:; find shelter in their branche~. such as the cactus wren of the cholla. The barred woodpecker and that tinie~t of all the owl famih·, the elf owl that seek.' shelter in the deserted woodpecker's hole, mav be found in the giant Sa.guras. :\la~ bas used thr cactus spine.~ for needles and pins, fishhooks and toothpicks. He has made bowl~ and cups and cane of their wood,· ~tern~: he has eaten their ripe fruit and made from it jams and sweets as well as refreshing drink; he has made protecting fences of the

(Continued on page I l)

6 T H E GIRL SCOUT LEADER

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER PublishM every month by

GIRL SCOUTS, INC. 670 Lexin~ton Avenue, Kew York City

Sent free to all Girl Scout captains, commissioners, and local directors. To uth<m•. 50c per year's subscription.

Edited by the Program Division Chairman - - - - MRS. ARTHUR 0. CHOATE Executivt! Secretary E~IMA H. GUNTHER Editorial Chief - FRANCES YOUTZ

National Pre~lident - - BIRDSALL OTIS EDEY National Director - JoSEPHINE ScHAIN

Vol. Vlll January, 1931 .:\ o.

GREETI~cs TO TH F. LEADERS oF THE GIRL ScouT FA!\III.Y:

lt is "ith enthusiasm that I take up my tasks as :\a­tiona! Director, and as I write I am thinking of you all working with your Girl Scouts, in the citie,, in the villa.!es, and alone in rour troops in the small com­munities. I am grateful for this opportunity to be a part of this great Ad\·enture, as Dean Arnold calls it. Today is an absorbing time to be living. \ Ve are being challenged on all sides to evaluate standards and ideas and to ca:'t aside the non-essentials. It is a tremendous challen~e that Girl Scouting offers to us, and I greet you all eagrrly as a co-worker on this project of bringing the Girl Scout program to more and more girls.

One day while I was waiting at a girls' club hou~e. a :.mall girl stuck her head into the room. and 'P} ing me, she said, ''I'm a Hud of Promise. Is mr club meeting here?" Throughout the countrr today there are hundreds of thousands of "Buds of Promise" waiting only for the right leader, with a program such as the Girl Scouts offer, to embark on this adventure of living, and through it to develop into the splendid \\'omen of tomorrow.

:\ow, as always, is the time to look forward. \Ve must think of the Girl Scout program as an elastic program­broad enough to accept the new and to discard meaning­le~s tradition~, and deep enough to hold to the best the past has given to us. It is a program for the individual girl. She is the one who counts. And you and I, as leaders, must gi\'e her the right to be understood. the chance to build her life in the war that "ill mean the most to her.

Arthur Dean. an educator and newspaper writer, :;peaking before a conference of playg-round and recrea­tional workers -.orne time ago, said, "Those who work with girls have an excellent handle with which to gra$p any situation. It i~ the ideal of herself that f'\"Cf)' girl has within her. Thi' is ~o great a thing to her that usually she is eager to accept any hints that will help her to work it out . . . . And the hest thing about this 'handle' is that with just a little help here and a hint there, each girl uses it herself to raise her own standards and ideals."

'Vith the ideal~ of Girl Scouting, the creative and practical activities, and the spirit of play which I find throughout the program, we have within our reach one of the greatest opportunities for influencing the life of tomorrow. \Vith this "handle" also, ;ve are helping the

girls of today to grm\ in ~ound character and good citi­zenship, and to find that happiness which comes through de,·eloping one's individual characteristics.

.:\ineteen Thirty-one finds u~ at the beginning of our first _ear under the Fi,·e Year De\·elopment Plan. I am happy to announce that at the close of the preparatory year many of the detail;; of expamion and progress in the national organi7.ation are well under way. It is with much plea!>ure that I look forward to meeting all of you in the Field and to workin~ with you toward the accom­plishments outlined for Girl Scouting.

I wish you all a most succes,-ful and joyous New Year. JosEPHINE ScnAIN

Margaret Deland on Girl Scouting 1\largarct Deland, well known as the author of Old

Clzestrr Ta!fs Dr. Laz•nular's People, The Awakening of lldena Richie, 1'he Iron lroman, and many other novek has thi' to say about Girl Scoming:

"The A.e\ note of Girl Scouting is to do by doing. Hence the Girl ~cout captain while conscious of her goal, which is to produce certain physical and moral qualitie,, fixes her attention on the steps by which the goal must he reachtd; and measure;, her success by habits actually formed. The good Girl Scout, known by her smile and enthu~ia~m for healthy exercise, is expected to see a thing through and keep a stiff upper lip. She is exp~ted to think of herself last and <:Omebod,· else first. In other words ~he knows pluck br being: p·lucky-not by hearing about it. The G1• Sc l t cap:ain ha~ the fa><:inating task of helpin..r to ;c.h~"". in howe\er small a degree, the humanity of the future, but she mu~t not forget that the whole scheme is a combination of games and cheery activitie ... The distinctive thing about it is its method. To pro­duce pioneer qualities, pioneer conditions must as far as possible prevail. II ence the Girl Scouts must have the realities of simplicity, a camp life which involves co­operation where the real need is some spur of necessity which arou .. es creatirc or innntin imagination.''

Important It is frequent!} called ro our attention that books of

fiction, and even textbook;, are published. using the "·ord', "Girl Scouts,'' on thf'ir title page. Such boob are in no way authorized by our :\ational organization and are frequently misrepr~entath-e of its ' ' iew.;. ~o book u~ing the words, "Girl Scout<' should be accepted a ... authoriud or approved b: the Kational Girl Scout Organization unle<s it is e'-pr~-.1_ stated on the title page that it i~ so approved by the Gi-l ~cou;:~. Inc., 670 Lex­ington Avenue, '\ew York.

T/11 Bit! 1'mil b a moYing picture which we believe all Girl Scouts will enjoy. It i.; a story of the ~ettling of Oregon ancl depicts the hard,hip,. and courage of the pioneer men and women \\ ho llr-,.t went there to li\·e. Four months were taken to film it and onr 20,000 peo­ple were t"rnployed to produce it.

The New York Tl' or/d said of The Big Trail "It is one of the biggest and most colorful pictures ever-played."

r

i

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER 7

For Book Lovers

M A:t\ Y local groups will be plea~cd to learn that we are working on a Book Lo,·ers badge. Various requirements have been suggested from the Field.

Rea cling lists and library cooperation have already been ,;uccc<-.ful features oi sc,-eral local programs.

La~t year a troop in upper !\lontclair, New Jersey, '' ho.;e captain was very much interested in good reading habir-. for growing girls, undertook such a program. The troop met in ·a school where there was a branch library and the librarian co-operated br reserving two shelves for as many of the books on the Girl Scout list as it was pos­,;ible for her to secure.

To help girls in selecting good literature both 1\.Iont­clair and Toledo Girl Scouts suggested that a well­roundrd program could be followed by reading one book from each of seYeral group~ which they recommended.

the "When," the "How,'' and the " \Vhv" in rhe home is fascinating. Under these general headings, she has in­cluded a fund of anecdotes from her own experiences in dealing with a large family.

Altogether the book is stimulating and amu-.ing and it contains an application of some verr sound principles in mental hygiene in the elimination of worry and of dis­content. Dr. Gilbreth bases her philosophy of living on three things: an objective, a means of attaining it and a method of judging one's own abilities and growth along the road to the rcali?.ation of the obiective. Her book will enable Girl Scout leaders and old~r Girl Scouts to -;ce many homemaking task$ in a new light.

Recon1mended by ''The Guider'' Good Scuuti11g. B~ \'era Barclay. (Sheed and \Yard.

3 s. 6 d.) As usual with any book that

'Vhat's New in the A1nerican Girl

A RHYME OF FIREWOODS

bears :.\Iiss Barclay's name, we have here something exceptionally good. Thought, practic.ll help, ideals. a real understanding of the young, and English that 1s a joy to read: we get all this in GfJod Scouting. Although primarily written for Scouters and those interc.;ted in boys, practkally the whole book is equally applicable to our leaders, who will learn a great deal from its pages, and what is more, will be in manv cases set thinking for them~elves. So much of our Girl Scouting work is apt to become mechanical and superficial. One welcomes a book like this that cannot but stimulate somethinv; deeper and more in line ·with real life.

T lu American Girl for Jan­uar) i~ a real antidote for the :~track of restlessness that in­varian!) de,;cends on young peo­ple after the excitement of Christma~ festivities. Leaders will welcome the hints on how troops can earn money, given on the Scribes' pages this month. And Helen Pern· Curtis' article on huw to make a patchwork quilt w1ll probably suggest an in­teresting di,·ersion that will last the ~irls through the "in-door" months of Fehruan• and March. Leader:- will also ·find excellent storic:- to he read aloud at troop meeting~.

New Light on Home­Making

Oak and ash and birc.h and beech, Larch and $J>CUCe and pine,

All ~'ill make a fire good, All will brightly shine,

Ash and oak are hard and slo•·, Birch and beech a;e ga}',

L.uch, spruce, pine will start your Same In the woodman's way.

Elder, elm and poplar bough> Smoke and smoulder sore,

If you burn them once or twice You'll ne'er bll.Dl them more.

Alder, syc:unore and lime Will not light ~hen green,

Willow wood is never used By a camper keen.

Crisp dead leaves and firecones brown, Those you r "punk" should be,

Birch-bark, bracken, scrubby gorse Faded on the tree.

Oak or at.h or birch or beech, La reb or spru.ce ~r pine,

T.tke you r pick, but ash is best, Green or dry, 'tis fine.

F. M. H. L.

(From The Girl Scout Guide)

E~pecially helpful to leaders arc the sections dealing with Scout activities, the Pa.trol Sys­tem. the making of program~. the forming of public opinion and tradition in a troop, the right atmosphere, difficult individual~.

1'he Home llfaker and Her Job. By Dr. Lillian Gil-breth. (D. Appleton & Co. $1.75.)

. To anyone ·who has ever felt that life die! not hold all the joy that it should, Dr. Lillian Gilbreth's book, Tlze IIome ,l/aker and Her Job, offer~ an open Se-.ame to an ,\rabian "'\Tights' treasure of ''happine•:. minute~." From the first stor~ to the last, the book contain:. a :-toreho~e of information that applie>- concrete!\" to the management oi a home and the care and under~tanding of children. The principles of efficient management that it de,·elops apply equally well to an office or to a l'mall apartment. Various efficiency charts and card~ u.;ed in business offices :tre reproduced.- One mar prc,ume that Dr. Gilbreth made use of the ideal chart from the standpoint of busi­ness management without indicating a specific chart for the home for the reason that she wi.;hed the principles to be thought provocative rather than definitely directive. Her analysis of the "\Vhat," the " \Vho," and "Where,"

and so on, all equallr important to the leader in her troop. The st•ction on the teaching of second class is r~pecially to be commended. \Ye as leaders are al~o only too familiar with the semi-bored way of "getting the girls through" their second class, instead of making each part of it a thing of interest and of jo;• to them. Second class work should, as ~!iss Barela'' says, be made 'scouty." Leader:>. too. will appreciate the ~e~tion on in­ward discipline (character training), and the wa,· in which the whole book is permeated w-ith the Scout ideal5.

Ther are not to be set apart, these two. the practical and the ideal; in real Scouting they inter-blend, so that ·'Good Scouting," as this book shows u~. is just Scouting -;-eminently practical, thorough Scouring, with a big mo­uve behind it all, which gives it the spirit of high adven­ture, even. of vocation.

Florida celel:lratcs Arbor Day this month.

8 THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

The Kingdom of Thrown­A \Vay-Things

Helen Kimberly McElhone

WE are called the most "' asteful nation in the world. Let us begin to1lay to deny that charge! From now on let us ~ave all our boxes, both

wooden and cardboard :-pill boxes and hat boxes, ice­cream canons and oatmeal hoxe:. with lids. small wooden berry boxe;. and large vegetable and fruit crate,, bi~ or little, round or square, long or ~hort,-save them all!

"You're not going to thro" away that box, are you?" I asked a man y6terd<ty. Tt was a gem of a wooden box, clean and new and fragrant of the western woods where it had lived and of the delicious red apples it had brought. It ... rood empty beside his door.

''I ndeed 1 am not. Don't \ 'OU know that wood is ai­m~ worth its weight in gold ·the,;e days?''

Our Government is working on this problem. In the United States Department of Commerce the) have formed a national committee on wood utilization and a sub-committee on uses for second-hand boxes and odd pieces of lumber. Last year thcr published a pamphlet called You Can ~l1ake It. Thil> can be obtained from the r nited States GoYerment Printing Office, \\' ashing­ton, D. C. for tv.enty cents. "'hile there are a few articles, such as the coaster, ne;.ted box toss-target, ring toss-target, counter (to he used with games), the battle­ship, corner shelf, foot~tool and a fe\\ other objects " ·hich could be m:tde br Girl Scout.., the l!reate5-t number ot objcx-t;; described. in this pamphlet "-:ould require ~orne skilled experience with tool<. and a slight knowledge of carpentr). But tell you iather.;. and uncles and big broth­ers about it.

Boxes

And now at the right moment has come from the press of Macmillan the right book, e,pecially appropriate for the handicraft work of Girl Scout~. Iris The Box Book bv Hazel Showalter and it i~ filled from cover to cover '\\:ith clear dircx-tion;; for delightful thin,!s to do with the old bo:xe::. we arc .-aYing. The adequate and numerous illustration~ make the rule.; e;b) to follow. (You can buy this book through the Girl Scout Equipment and Supply Department.)

\Vith the large boxes or barrels and the family tools and a few nails, it i:> possible to furnish your room, or )Our club room. or tent at camp, and Tht· Box Book tells you how to do it. Ti~y boxes can be painted or covered with bright

printed paper::. and used for matches or small piece~ of je·wclry, etc .• and a larger size, decorated simply and filled with home-made candy or cakes or nuts for Christmas, New Years or birthday. The round oatmeal boxes can be made into shades f~r electric light bulbs, by turning them up,ide-down and cutting a hole for the screw of the bulb. and then cutting out large and small spaces in the <;hape of a desitrn and pasting thin paper inside for the light to shine through. The round pint cartons with lids can be painted some clear bright color to go well with your room, and used to hold the ball of cord which is always lost when ·we most need it; a tiny hole is pierced

in the lid for the end of the string. A doll-hou~e made from a "ooden box can be entirelr equipped with furni­ture made from the illlall cardboard boxe~. This would be a la~tin~ ~ource of amusement to children in a ho;.pital, or to children at home.

Wood

If you happen to pa~s a place where carpenters ha\·e been "orkin_g, pick up tiH· little odds and t•nds of nice clean '< ood which ha\ e been ca,.t aside and would other­wise be wa~ted. The ~maller pieces can be made into shapes for -rick printing and from a flat piece, five inches square, and .;ome peg, which can be whittled out of the tinie,t piece~ or cut from the ends oi matche,, a most fascinating game of peg wlitaire can be made. This is a very old game which has been played in many countries, but the idea of mak.in~ it from thro,Yn·a\\ a: things is entirely new. Any one \\ i-.hing to ha'e directions for making thi<-. need only send the request for it to u' at the national office. But. a word to the wise-\\ hilc you are about it, make at lea~t two set,, for the fir:;t time you lend it to a friend (young or old) you will ne\ er <:ucceed in extracting it from her again!

From these odd bits of wood, whittle out utensils for camp use: paper knives, forks, spoons and man\' small tO)~. Animals and vehicle~ can be whittled or cut out with a small jig-saw, using old spool.- or wooden button­mold:.- for \\ heels.

:\ otched wooden stich ha,·e been the mean' of com­munication, the symbolic lanJ!uage of many ~'rimitive peoples. The notched wooden stick would be a !!oud wav to keep camp record< and rallie-. ·

Paper Sa\e your wrapping paper and twine! :\!any things

can be made from manila "rapping paper. J::, en after ir ha~ been u.ot:d there are certain smooth. clean parts with which we can make pattern" and practice paper con­struction. The basis of limitless article:> in papet con­struction i~ the square folded in sixteen squares, a-, done in the kindergarten, and then eut and pasted in different waJ c:. It "ill he a reYelation to one "·ho ha, ne\ er tried it. ~Lake patterns from )OUr manila paper and then cut them from hea\ ier construc:ion paper and an entire doll­hou~ may be tu:-ni;;hed "ith articles made with a ~uare of paper a" the basis. Tn· it our and see what \·our Girl Scouts can do "~irhout a book of instruction. l1; thi:> wav you will get new ideas on the subject, and you will b~ astonished at the ingenuity that will be shown b,· certain girls who ha\ e a natural flair for handicraft; thi, will be especially noticed among younger girls. There are many good boob on paper construction and some that combine other craft,. Thcr 'viii be recommended on reque~t.

It would be of great interest and an enormous help in deciding 'vhat varieties of handicraft are b~t :mited to Girl Scout conditions if some of the leaders with their troops would undertake a project and carry it through to completion. .For example, take this wood and paper project. Send for The Bo.'l: Book. Make as man\· things as po.-sible, and work at the project lon;:: enou~h to proYe that it is workable, intere-;ting, enjoyable, a'Od a means to some worthy end, such as the furni~hing of your troop room or tent at camp or the proYiding of gifts for your friends or families. Keep all the finished products together until the end, and have an exhibition, inviting

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER 9

From Our Mail Bag Savannah, Georgia: Fifteen Savannah troops began

about three years ago an unusual community service which ha:. become nation-wide. \Vorking together these troops made a complete set of flags of all the countries in which there is Girl Scouting. These were made out of sateen and measured to ;,eale. A certain number of flags 'vas assigned to each troop and they looked up their own in­formation in the libraries and checked with the local headquarters to sec that their information was corre-:t. The troops furnished the material and presented the flags to the local council. Since that time, they have been sent to practically C\'CT) state in the country to be used in di:>plays and pageants.

St. Loui>, J1 is so uri: .:Vli:;s Josephine Boylan sends us this signalling game ,..,-hich she has played with her troop both outdoors and indoors.

Each girl sits in a chair in a semicircle or stands on a piece of paper. There is no chair for the leauer. Each girl is given a. letter of the alphabet and if she doc-s not know its code equivalent, she is told it. The leader runs about whistling one letter after another. As each girl hears her letter sounded, she calls out her letter and goes to the end of the line which is follo..,,·ing the leader over, under and around all possible obstacles.

\Vheo every girl has been whistled up, the leader sig­nals S 0 S and joins in the rush for seats. The girl who is left over becomes the leader for the nex1: round. A different letter is given to each girl the next time the game is played.

This game enables the captain to discover the girls who do not know their letters and they can be given an opportunity to learn ·them immediately.

Rochester, New York: Rochester is working out map­making with troops for both deaf and crippled girls. :\lost interesting is this brief report from l\Iiss Alice Owens Little, Local Director:

"We have been teaching different types of handicapped children h@w to overcome their difficulties in map-mak­ing. With deaf mutes, it is merely a question of ex­plaining adequately by diagrams and pantomime our me­thods. With crippled children, each child is a p.roblem in herself. They can determine direction-it is merely lack of ability to pace out the distances. Under such extenuating circumstances we do not demand the large sized maps called for in the requirements. Sometimes it is even necessary that •the interior of a building be used as a territory. A child in a wheel<hair may mark off the circumference of her wheel in feet, and so keep track of the distance she travels. A child on crutches may measure the pace of the crutches. A bed-ridden child does hers entirely by judging, using the standard meth­ods described in the Handbook.

"\Vith the blind, it is not a question of pacing, as most

any one "·ho is interested in the Kingdom of Things­That-Are-Thrown-Away!

A Project of Natural :Materials might be taken up in the same vvay, following the article on that subject in the October LEADI!R. This would not fail to be an important project with international implications, since all the world offers free materials for this work.

blind can easily walk a straight line. It is a question of knowing direction. For this a compass without a crvstal is useu. By feeling the needle with her fingers, a. girl can quite accurately judge direction. \Vith the blind, it is necessary that someone draw the map as described by the child from her notes.

''These maps may not be accurate, but they certainly show the Scouting spirit of a handicappeu girl."

Dayton, 0 lzio: Dayton has introduced dramatics at its district Court of Awards; and 1\Iiss Ann P. Wright, the Local Director, reports that so many troops want to put something on that the problem becomes that of lim­iting the number of budding actresses who may partici­pate in one program. II arrisburg, Pennsylvania: Harrisburg Girl Scouts are

assisting the Community Sewing Center this winter. The girls bring worn garments to troop meetings for mend­ing and cleaning before they go on to the Center for distribution among families known to the citv's welfare workers. -

The older Scouts make new garments, thus linking their work on the Needlewoman's and Dressmaker's Badges with Communitv Service activities.

Philadelphia, Pennsyl~ania: Philadelphia Girl Scouts are growing news-conscious! Under the enthusiastic leadership of Mr. Johnson, of Johnson & Prince, they are meeting twice a month for lectures, discussion and demonstration in the field of journalism. The course is based upon but not limited to the requirements for Scribe and Journalist l\ferit Badges.

A leisurely tour of the Ledger plant was pro­grammed for the second meeting. Those different proc­esses in newspaper make-up which had been previously discussed in class became definite realities to the girls as they, in company with a guide and Mr. Johnson, passed from the wire and city editor's rooms, through the type-setting rooms to the presses.

There is no doubt that the girls are having a good time. They have taken the course with its flexible pro­gram and informal atmosphere, to their hearts.

The work, which includes assignments, is already so advanced that it has been necessary to dose the class to further membership. ·

We wish to correct a mistake in a news item which appeared in the December LEADER. Those who were in Bermuda during Miss Julia \Villiamson's Brownie Training Course were: lHrs. J. J. Storrow, chairman, International Committee Girl Guides and Girl Scouts· l\!Iiss Agnes 1\tlaynard, member of the Headquarter~ Staff, Girl Guides; Miss Edith Sinnett of Boston, who was Camp Chief; Mrs. vV. Hersey Thomas of Philadel· phia, nature instructor; Miss Hazel Adams, instructor in life saving; Miss Constance Conant, instructor in Eng­lish country dancing.

In general, before you begin a project think it over disc~ss it with the troop and listen well to all their sug~ gestwns, and, once you have begun it, let nothing stop you short of its completion. If there comes a moment when you lose hope as to your ability, that is the time to keep on trying. After a discouragement one must work better!

10 THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

Outline Troop ~'Ieetings Edited by Eveline Robertson

Sixth 1~fceting of a Ne·w Troop ( Twelt•e new girl.> hat-e joined, but ur,t all on samt' daJ)

Indoors - - - Church Room 1. Opening:-luformal Patrol Oprning (as they have

been very formal at two preceding meeting.-, which included an Inve5titure). Patrols from their own Corners standing in Patrol formations, sing:

Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello­"'e're ~lad to meet you '\Ye're glad to gyeet you .... etc.

Girl Scout Song Book, p. 83 Formations: Patrols have alread\· named their cor­

ners and worked out special f~rmations for infor­mal occasions. Examples: The Gr(l}' Squirrel named their Patrol Corner

"The Hollow Tree" and thev stand in a U­shaped group with Patrol Le~der in the open­ing.

The Snails ha,·e named their corner "The Snail Shell" and they stand with hands joined, wound up characteristically. When they unwind they turn under the arch made by two girls ho!Jing up joined hands.

The Firt-Flin (ex-Lightnring Bugs) ha,·e named their corner "The Dell" and made it pretty with potted ferns. They have a little glass­enclosed candle lantern which they light on state occasions. They stand scattered about.

2. Patrol Corlrt.:n. Dues, n:port>, etc. The "Treasure Chest" into which dues and regi.,tra­tion fees go is an ornamented cigar box much gilded and bedecked. h is a treat to drop your coin into it.

New Girls practice tying bundles for an exhibit which will take place later. Some of the others are learning two new knots. One of the ''old girls" in each Patrol is helping them. Second Class workers have decided on trees as one of their nature fields. They are outdoors taking notes and ~ketching trees in the church yard. Captain li~tens to pet stories rold· by some of the new girls.

3. Peasant Costuml' Contest and Folk-Dancing: Each Patrol is given a box or bag with three rolls of crepe­paper (the kind in strips) red and green, ) ello\\-, or any gay color' and some white. Also spools of thread, needles, pins and a pair of sci~'ors. Patrob are ~i,·en ten minutes to sec which group can get dressed in most typical gay peasant style. (No particular coun­try designated. l\'1any of the girls are not yet in uni­form, so can paste bands of yellow or scarlet crepe­paper around skirts \ery effectively and make aprons, caps or kerchiefs of the white. In the meantime "The Ladies Aid" or "Guild" which has its meetinj! in the church at the same time as the Girl Scouts, has been invited to come and be "judges"- and enjoy the dance. At whistle, Patrols line up on exhibit, and invited gu~ts choose most peasant-y group. Folk-dancing: Dance which the\' have been practi~ing at previous meeting. "See th~ Red Handkerchiefs Turning Around" ( Bohemian, \CT\' simple). From

Bohemian Singing Gamt'S tlnd Folk Da,tus by Neva Bo} d. "\ ort 1nn:,.tcrn U niver!>ity, Evanston. III inois. (On ~ale at larger mu~ic stores).

4. B undlt Exhibit: 'Vhile the girb "ere dressing the Captain has arranged the "knottv bundles". ~ow patrol leaders award "Blue Ribbon" to the neate-.t and mos-t correctlr tied.

5. Chring Circlt. Captain talks 1hout per,; and telb Lord Baden-Powell's story about his dog.

(See Jfy Ptt-Shawgm below) 6. Court oJ Honor: Jllinutes, reports, tiC.

Plans for next meeting include ~econd dass work, learning to open knife properly, how to whittle fuu-sticks. Pracri~e outdoors to find out what makes good tinder. For tenderfoot work, fini~h· in~ all the knot!' and knot games conducted br one of the "older groups". Singing-Bee practice.

My Pet-Shawgn1! By the Chief Scout

(Reprinted from Tlze Scout)

A fellow who has nc\er had a pet doesn't know some of the real fun of life. The name of my dog is Shawgm and he i~ a real Scout}· kind of dog-always anxious to do his best, eager to learn, as pia) ful as a puppy.

He has discovered a new game for me. I am very fond of salmon fishing and I often take my rod out on the lawn and practice casting. On the end of my line I tie a little feather to show me where my line gets to.

Sba"'!!m came out to ~ee me casting, and it didn't ·ake him Ion~ to see the imitation fir at the end of my line. As this trailed along the grass he was on to it like a knife and seized it in his mouth and rushed away with it till he pulled the line taut. Then he found him­self being gradually reeled in. Still he hung on to it, occasionally getting the better of me and running out more line again. At length I was able to draw him in nearer and nearer until he was "vithin "gaffing'' dis­tance-that is, where I could pat him and tell him to let go. But to me it gave a lot of the feel and jor of hook· ing and playing a salmon; and it evidentlr gave equal joy to Shawgm, for now he goes on and on at the game as long as I like to play it.

\Vell. one evening, ~hortly after he had learnt that game of being a salmon, I took him with me when I ,..-ent trout fishing on our stream near hr. _\t hrst he got rather wildly excited, so I fastened him by- his lead to my belt. Presentl:r I saw a trout ri~e. I crept care­fully up until within casting distance of him. Then gently balancing myself on a tuft of ru~hes overhanging the river, I deftly dro' e mr fiy to go directly to his no~e -and the next moment I found my:.elf splash in the river!

Shawgm had watched me cast, and a' the fir dropped on the water he sprang in to seize it, and in doing so jerked me off my balance and into the ~tream !

So I have now got to teach him that there is a differ­ence between salmon fi~hing and trout fi~hing. Trout fishing is usually carried out by what is called the "dry fly" method, but Shaw~ made it a .. -err wet matter for me.

-

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER 11

Desert Treasures (Continued /rtJTn page 5)

cactus to keep his enemie" out and his stock sak If )OU are truly devoted to your cacti, you will want

to raise some for yourself and your friends, either from cuttings or from seed. You may get much help from Miss Tabor's Leaflet-FL367-published by the fV o­man's H olll( Comparziun, 250 Park Avenue, New York City. "'rite for it and remembrr to o;cnd a 1\\ o cent stamp.

If you would enjoy to the full the makin:t oi a dish

Pin-cushion Cacti Mamilla ria

tures after reading this little hook.

garden, do not fail to make the ac­quaintance of Pat­ten Beard's "Adven­tures in Dish Gar­dening," published bv De La :\1are. It h~s deli,!!htfullr sug­gestive illustrations, many of which are in color. You can­not keep from mak­ing dish garden pic­

You will be interested al-o in learning of the work being done to pre~erve the de-en plants hr the Cactus and Surculent Societ!, in Lo. Angeles, Caliiornia. Other a Hi! able artic!es you may find helpful are: The Desert Jltaga:z:ine, lf-'oman's Home Companion, February, 1929; Ladies' IT ome 1 our­nal, :\p: J, 1930; House Beautiful, ~ovem~r. l 9 3 0; Xature .llagarine, Februan·. 1930.

It is. interesting to note that the name KaKtus has come down to us from the days of Theophrastus in 288 B. C., who gave this name to a prickly plant that no one knows today. Lin­naeas, the g r e a t S we d ish botanist, _,#!'} took this same word and gave it to the c. l

group of plants we Ch<11la call Cacti. ()tm•ti4 fulgida

They were orig-inally found only in the \V c~t Indies and in '\ orth and South America, but they may now be seen growing on the wall~ of Jerusalem and on the jagged Ian slopes of :\lt. Etna, p{oneers in building soil so that other plants mar find a foothold.

These long-.;uffering, heroic plants surely desen·e our admiration and let me add our protection as well, for ·with the growing interest in their varie<l charm in form and color, they arc being ruthlessly uprooted.

A round the Toadstool

J A'\ L AR Y! The \ ery name makes us think of cozy ht"arth fires. of children ga~h;red _to listen to :.tories and seeing in the ember-; tatry p~~:tures of the tale

the) hear. ~o pack but can magic for it~elf. if it wishes, a cheery fire in the bare<;t of meeting places and no Brown Owl (let us hope) but know:. the magic of the told story. Let tho~e Drown Owls who have the mistaken idea that :;ton tellin!! is diffi~.:ult turn to Sant Cone Bryant'& H(J<~' to 'f,•il Storie• to Childre/l. This hook shows how simple the matter can and "hould be and once a Brown Owl has begun she will ne\·er 2i' e up this particular bit at :-.trong magic. For tho-e already keen ;;;tory tellers among Brown Owh; who are always on the lookout for "teltable" tales, the folio\\ tng are recommended:

Stories from the Fc1rrir Quren, Mary .Macleod. A Book of Ballad '\tonrs, }lary ~lacleod Sturil's from C/wura told Ill Children, Janrt Harvey

Kelm'ln Pepper and Salt, Howard Pyle Tire Jrondtrclock, HO\\ ard Pyle Goldrn Fleece rmd the lleroes who lit•ed before

A chilln, Padraic Colum. Also, for the Bro\\ n Owl experienced at adapting,

Orpheus: .1/ytlzs of the ll'orld by Padraic Colum is a new book that should hr full of possibilities.

For the :.tory-wise pack we have this delightful game <ent u;;; b,· :.\!iss Augu-.ta Leishman, a "Scot-." Brown Owl. It is called Hiddm Fair~ Tales (an acting game).

Brown Owl prepares beforehand sets of "lips for each six. On each slip of paper .;;he prints ~ne ~yllable of ~ well known fairy tale or nursery rhyme-e. g. ( 1) Lit (2) tle (3) Red (+) Rid (5) ing (6) Hood.

At the signal. "ixers run up to Brown Owl and re­cei\e a ~t of slip-., well jumhled up. Ther run back to their ... Lx and a;ran!!;e the words. between them, in correct order. As each six discovers its own fairy tale, the sixer whispers it ., er}' quietly to Brown Owl.

After four minutes' preparation they act their tales in turn (maximum time allowed two minutes) and the rest of the pack are audience.

The audience may not ... peak till the sixer come' to the front, bows, and sar' dccorou-.ly, "the play is over''. Then the first Brownie to yell out the name of the fairr tale scores for her :;ix.

At the end the Brownie:; vote as to "hich six acted be~t and why (no Brownie voting for her own six).

Brown Owl and Tawny have the deciding vote, and "-ill probably base their decision on fair di-.tribution of parts, zest, and imagination.

Here is another game from the same pack, which will appeal to all Brownie5 brought up with a proper knowl­edge of dragons and castle-. It is called Knott) Castles (a storv knot game).

The Brownies (all but the sixers) are in their six corners each holding a piece of rope.

Some dreadful dragon;; (the sixers) com(' out of their den and go roaring about the room. seekin~ whom ther rna\· dc\·our.

Brown Owl in her watch tower (standing on a chair or table) looks through her spy ~lass ancl call" in a loud Yoice, "The dragons are abroad.''

All the si'l:rs answer, "Ouooo-oooo."

12 THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

Brown Owl then cries, "Make fast the ramparts with reefs," and Brownies tie their ropes together with reef knots and climb inside their castle (ring of ropes) as fast as they can.

The dragons go roaring about the room till sixes are inside and then make the attack! Castles with reefs are impregnable, but the dragons break through any grann} knots and carry the offenders off with fearful roarings to the Chief Dragon (Ta,vny) who keeps them in her den till they can tic the knot correctly.

Another Girl Scout Little 1--louse Our list of Girl Scout Little Houses is fast growing.

And now :\Iichigan has one which was built for the usc of rhe Girl Scouts by ~Iiss Dorothy McClellan of Otsego, :Michigan. It was recently dedicated at a cere­mony held out-of-doors on the terrace in the rear of the hou~. ~Irs. \V alter Cavanaugh, Chairman of the Great Lakes Region was the principal speaker. At the end of the ceremony, two blue spruce trees were planted outside the door-way-one in memory of the donor of the house and the other in memory of Juliette Low.

The Little House is early American in design and the furnishings are all in keeping with tl1is period. And what fun the Girl Scouts of Otsego will have working and playing in their little house! There is a kitchen with the most compact, built-in equipment for those who are interested in their Cook's Badge and a bedroom where bedmaking will be practiced until just the right corners are achieved. We .prophecy that many Hostess Badges will be won too, for w·ho would not like to serve tea on a lovely terrace if the weather is fine or in the big living room in front of the fireplace if it is not! vVe are sure this "vill be a happy Christmas for the Otsego Girl Scouts when they can dramatize troop plays on their own stage for the first time.

For Exhibits Girl Scout leaders who were at the :\1' ational Con­

vention will remember the replica of the Girl Scout Little House in vVashington which was on exhibition at Indian­apolis. At that time many people expressed the wish that it might be sent to different parts of the country to be displayed. We are glad ·to announce that this has been made possible and that the Little House will be available to the Field, subject to certain conditions which have been made bv the Public Relations Division into whose care the ho~se has been given.

They will be glad to lend the replica to any local Girl Scout organization applying for it, provided it is available on the dates chosen. There have already been so many requests that the Little House is not available until March first.

If you want to exhibit the house at your spring regional conference let us know as soon as possible.

The local organization is to assume full responsibility for the replica and to pay the expressage and insurance both ways.

Find a small running brook and observe first the crys­tals of ice ncar the water, then those in the water be· neath the ice ledge. vVhich are larger and do rou know why?

To Be Prepared You Must Be Equipped

Girl Scout Unifonn Reduced in Price

A cut in prices will, we hope, make it possible for every Girl Scout to own a uniform. The new price is $·UO for all sizes; the hat is $1, formerly $1.50; the web belt, -tO cents ins-tead of 50 cents, and the stockings, 35 cents, formerly 50 cents. Because of comments from the field that the material in the uniform j;. too heavy in weight we also plan to arrange later in the year to make the uniforms of a lighter weight and of finer finish. \Vith the:::e new prices on the ulliform and accessories even Girl Scout not yet fourteen years old saves $1.60 and .older Girl Scouts, .$2.10.

Tn line with the reduced price for the Girl Scout uniform, the Handbook also has been reduced from 80 cents to 50 cents. .Paper, binding and text will remain the same. This is not a new edition.

Just a word from your Equipment and Supply Service on the trite topic-1\: ew Year resolution~. \Vhcn you make vours don't forget to include a few for our benefit.

Frc~}uentlr you fail to receive the articles you want because of oversight <m your part. In order to elim­inate operating expense and the cost of a clerical staff necessar) for carr) ing on a charge business 'the Finance Committee prohibits charge or hold accounts and C.O.D. orders. If vour check doesn't cover the cost of the things you want ,\:e ship only part of your order. We find that serious errors often occur through our Girl Scout cus­tomers sending insufficient money. If you closely follow our last catalog and our advertisements in the American Girl you will he in touch with our latest prices and plans. We count on your cooperation to help us make our ser­vic-e more satisfactory than ever in the new year.

Colored Bird Cards Girl Scout leaders who have been wanting an attrac­

tive set of bird cards for their troops will be delighted in the offer of the Singer Sewing :\.lachine Company to supply Girl Scout troops with just such cards free of charge. The set contains 24 pictures and the bird color­ings itre well reproduced. Write to: l\1r. R. T. \Veller, Singer Sewing Machine Company, Singer .Building, New York City.

Can you find the three kings tn Orion?

At the request of many of you, we have indexed the LEADER for 1929-1930 and we are sending this out with the January number as a New Year's present. As we plan to make an index for 1931 also, we hope you will kotep your nics com· plete throughout the year. Much of the material which you will find useful in your work-troop meetings, nature, stories, etc.--appears only in the Girl Scout LEADER.

We have on hand a few back numbers of the LEADER for 1929-1930. These may be obtained without charge from the national office. In writ· ing, please specify the particular article or arti­cles you wish.