Meet Ruth Colman, the second Washingtonian to receive the Golden Eagle of Merit, the highest award available for Girl Scouts in 1918.
You’ve probably seen Ruth before. She appears in some of the best known photographs from the first decade of Girl Scouts. (Look at the original White Felt badges on her sleeve!) The Girl Scout Collector’s Guide uses this same photo (2nd edition, page 86) to illustrate the Golden Eagle of Merit pin.
But I was surprised to find a folder labeled with Ruth’s name in First Lady Lou Henry Hoover’s personal papers.
The staff at the Hoover Presidential Library provided me with a copy and, oh, my goodness.
It seems that in 1918, national leaders, District of Columbia Girl Scout staff, volunteers, and parents were all up in arms regarding sixteen-year old Ruth and her Golden Eagle of Merit. Mrs. Hoover, then national vice president, had attended an urgent local meeting on the matter. She wrote a 13-page memo to set the record straight.
Golden Eagle of What?
First, let’s get some terminology straight. The Golden Eagle of Merit and its successor, the Golden Eaglet, were both top Girl Scout honors. But the transition from one name to another is not clear cut.
The Golden Eagle of Merit dates to 1916. According to the Girl Scout Collector’s Guide (2nd ed., page 52), “Fewer than 50 Girl Scouts earned this award [Golden Eagle of Merit] before it was redesigned in 1919. No known examples are known to survive today.” The Collector’s Guide has a sketch of the award, largely based on this photo of Ruth, and an earlier photo of Eleanor Putzki, the first District of Columbia Girl Scout to earn the award.
But Mrs. Hoover and contemporary newspaper articles refer to the award as “Golden Eaglet,” although the pin design is clearly different.
A White House Invitation
The District of Columbia Council office was abuzz in April 1918. Local Girl Scout staff had asked if they could hold a Court of Awards Ceremony at the White House. First Lady Edith Wilson, who had just become honorary president of the Girl Scouts, agreed to participate in the ceremony slated for April 8.
Which girls would get to participate in this coveted event? Local troops, leaders, and volunteers tried to guess. The Council director wanted the spotlight to be on a specific girl–Ruth Colman. She, conveniently, had just finished all of the requirements for the golden award as of April 3.
News of the upcoming event ran in Washington DC newspapers on Friday, April 5.
There was no backing out now.
Not So Fast, Says Her Leader
Perhaps no one was as surprised at this impending honor than Ruth’s troop leader (captain), Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter. Mary Rafter was an early leader of the DC statehood movement and helped found the national Parent-Teacher Association. She had led Washington DC’s Troop 1 since 1913, but by 1918 she had become disillusioned by bickering among volunteers.
She immediately contacted the council president, Mrs. Medill McCormack, questioning Ruth’s qualifications.
Mrs. Rafter, the captain of troop 1, made three definite charges, – one, that the [badge] examinations had not been passed if they were “up to the standard,” because “the child is not mentally capable of passing them.” Two, that her school standing was bad, and therefore she was ineligible for the honor. And three, that it is “laid down in the law” that no Scout shall be eligible to the Golden Eagle without the recommendation of her Scout captain, and that as she considered her the poorest one of her troop, and the least a true Scout, she would not under any circumstances recommend her.
Mrs. Rafter threatened to resign as leader and warned that should would use the “occasion to announce in the [news] papers why she was doing so.”
Girl Scout officials feared her statement would be a public relations disaster for the Girl Scout movement, then only six years old.
And, By the Way …..
Did I mention that the council director was Ruth’s mother–Edna?
Mrs. Rafter accused Mrs. Colman of pushing her daughter ahead of other girls more qualified for the eaglet.
Obviously, she alleged, Mrs. Colman had been working with her daughter behind the leader’s back. How did she know? Because Ruth wasn’t smart enough to pass the academic requirement for the highest award.
Mrs. Rafter insisted that requirements for the eaglet were: 1) troop leader recommendation; 2) scholarship; and 3) earning badges. But, as Mrs. Hoover pointed out, the two former requirements are not listed in the Blue Book on governance or in the Leader’s Manual.
Pinning and Unpinning the Golden Eagle Award
Local and national officials spent the Saturday and Sunday before the White House ceremony in a whirlwind of meetings and correspondence. Mrs. Hoover and Edith Macy attended representing the national organization.
They addressed several key questions: Was Ruth qualified? Were badge test standards lax? What was the deal between Edna Colman and Mary Rafter? Mrs. Rafter had herself signed off on some of Ruth’s badges so she obviously believed the girl was capable enough.
Ultimately, Council officials persuaded Mrs. Rafter to keep quiet about the whole matter to avoid public humiliation for Ruth. They also pointed out that if Mrs. Rafter had attended regular leaders’ meetings, this confusion might never had occurred.
As a compromise, Ruth could wear the award pin during the White House ceremony, but then she had to remove it until her grades improved.
News wire services picked up the story of Ruth’s accomplishment, which was reprinted in newspapers coast-to-coast. Many of these article incorrectly stated that Ruth lived in New York; some also say she was only fourteen. At least one paper described how to write to Ruth with questions about Girl Scouts.
Who Is Ruth Colman?
Ruth was even an answer in a Pasadena, Californian, newspaper trivia contest!
Whew. Angry accusations and arguments among staff, volunteers, and parents. That never would happen today.
© 2025 Ann Robertson, writer, editor, Girl Scout historian, but NOT a Girl Scout employee.
Leave a Reply