When the USA entered World War I, Girl Scouting was still a new organization. The Girl Scouts were eager to do their part in the service to the war effort. A special pledge was created by the US Food Administration and the National Girl Scouts organization, where Girl Scouts pledges to go without candy two days a week, and go wheat-less one meal a day. Shown below are some newspaper articles and photos from the time.
Do Your Best - Not Your Bit" was the slogan of the times.
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Girl Scouts Called to War Garden Work By Helen Margaret Tew (Girl Scouts of Washington D.C. Who Won a National Certificate of Merit for the Best Canned Vegetables Grown in Her Own Garden Near the White House) Girl Scouts of the country have a fine opportunity to aid their country by planting war gardens this Spring. You can do no greater service to your country than to help produce food and then follow by helping to save it. I have never enjoyed anything quite so much as the work in food conservation, but of course we much produce food before we can preserve it. Every Girl Scout in the country should write to me in care of the National War Garden Commission, Washington, and ask for a good garden primer. Then you should organize the troop for a garden planning campaign or join some community campaign in body. Our soldiers must have food so let each of us be a Soldier of the Soil and help win the war. (1918) |
Library of Congress image of Girl Scouts working in their war garden. Look close at the standing Girl Scout. The medal on her pocket looks like the Silver Medal of Merit shown on the Awards page. 1918 |
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Library of Congress image of Girl Scouts
selling Liberty Loan War Bonds. 1918 |
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Girl Scouts Make Trench Candles For Soldiers The men in camp find trench candles convenient when they want to warm up a cup of coffee or a bowl of soup, or when they wish to read in an unlighted portion of camp or field. The "Brownie" members of the Girl Scouts of Washington spend a portion of their time each week in making these trench candles, which are handed to the Red Cross for distribution. Trench candles are made by cutting out eight full length column strips from a newspaper. The first strip is rolled as tightly as possible, then the other six strips are rolled carefully around this foundation, one by one, until a compact cylinder is formed. This is tightly tied with thread, then it is boiled for half and hour in paraffin, when it is taken out and cooled. When it has become cold it is treated to another boiling bath in the paraffin for another half hour, and when cooled for the second time it is ready for use. Indiana Evening Gazette 1918 |
| Bridgeport Conn.,
Wednesday August 14,1918 Girl Scouts and the War by Frederic J. Haskin This is just a portion of a long article about Girl Scouts and their war work. Unfortunately, the article is very difficult to read and I wasn't able to transcribe it. |
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