Girl Scout History Project

Girl Scout history 1930s, Girl Scout History Project
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Girl Scouts Look Back 110 Years: 1930s

The Girl Scouts of the USA turns 110 years old on March 12, 2022. In the 1930s, individual Girl Scout troops began to group together as councils or associations. Adults worried over how to keep older girls engaged, and GSUSA responded with innovative programming. High school girls now had their very own membership pin, whose…

Ann Robertson
1 minute

The Girl Scouts of the USA turns 110 years old on March 12, 2022.

In the 1930s, individual Girl Scout troops began to group together as councils or associations.

Adults worried over how to keep older girls engaged, and GSUSA responded with innovative programming.

High school girls now had their very own membership pin, whose design inspired the Gold Award pin. The successful Mariner program would lead to other challenging programs for Senior Girl Scouts, including wing, horseback, and hospital aide.

The entire organization also began to incorporate civil-defense activities, which would come in handy in the 1940s.

Girl Scout history 1930s, Girl Scout History Project
History by Decade 1930s
Girl Scout history 1930s, Girl Scout History Project
Girls hang a sign at Weston Lodge

6 responses to “Girl Scouts Look Back 110 Years: 1930s”

  1. Barby (Barbara Ward) Pulliam Avatar
    Barby (Barbara Ward) Pulliam

    I’ve been a Girl Scout since 1937 and lived through all this. Thanks for writing it so well. Barby Pulliam – barby@barby.com

    Reply
  2. Shari Sprong Avatar
    Shari Sprong

    Under the Mariner pin it says 1938-1963, but I was in a very active Mariner troop, the M.S.S. Spray from 1967-1970. After that, I was a co-leader for the troop until 1981 and someone else took over for at least another year or two. I don’t know about the rest of the country, but there were active Mariner troops in California long past 1963!

    Reply
    1. Ann Robertson Avatar
      Ann Robertson

      You’re right that the Mariner program continued well into the 1970s. The pin design changed over the years. See them here: https://www.vintagegirlscout.com/girl-scout-mariner-pins

      Reply
    2. Velma (formerly Debbie) Root Avatar
      Velma (formerly Debbie) Root

      I too was in an active Mariner troop, the M.S.S. Simba Troop 213 of the Orange County Council, from 1979-1982. We participated annually in GAM on Newport Back Bay, competing in all the water and other mariner events. I still have my 1979 Mariner pin, as well as 4 GAM patches.

      Reply
      1. Ann Robertson Avatar
        Ann Robertson

        GSUSA stopped supporting Mariners as a national program in 1963, but many councils with active Mariner crews kept them going. It just became harder to find the snazzy blue uniforms. In 2017 GSUSA announced a new version of the Mariner program for today’s girls.

  3. Theresa Cearley Avatar
    Theresa Cearley

    Thank you Ann for posting Looking Back as we celebrate 110 years This is an asset for our upcoming display

    Reply

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