lean-to's, and
construct fireplaces. They must also know how to make knots of various
sorts to use for bandages, tying parcels, hitching, etc. Among the
productive occupations in which Proficiency Badges are awarded are
cooking, house planning, beekeeping, dairying and general farming,
gardening, millinery, weaving, and needlework.
While production has left the home, consumption is increasingly the
business of the home-keeping woman. There are few purchases, even for
men's own use, which women do not have a hand in selecting. Practically
the entire burden of household buying in all departments falls on the
woman, who is thus in a position to learn how to spend wisely and make
the most of each dollar. In France this has long been recognized, and
the women of the middle classes are the buying partners and bookkeepers
in their husbands' business.
The girl-scout organization encourages thrifty habits and economy in
buying in all of its activities. The scout troops are self-supporting,
and are expected to earn most of their equipment by means of rallies,
pageants, plays, as well as by individual effort. One of the 10 scout
laws is that "A girl scout is thrifty."
_Health._--The girl scout learns that "a cheerful scout, a clean scout,
a helpful scout is a well scout. She is the only scout that really _is
prepared_." So that health, physical and mental, is the keynote to the
scout activities, which are calculated to develop the habit of health,
rather than simply to give information about anatomy or physiology.
Personal health is recognized by the badge of "Health Winner," given to
the girl who for three months follows certain rules of living, such as
eating only wholesome food, drinking plenty of water, going to bed
early, exercising in the open air, and keeping clean, and who shows the
result by improved posture, and by the absence of constipation and
colds. Outdoor sports, swimming, boating, and dancing are other
health-producing activities.
Of all health-promoting activities, camping is the best, and this means
all stages of life in the open, from the day's hike, with one meal out
of doors, to the overnight or week-end hike, and finally the real, big
camp, open all summer. Girl scouts learn how to dress for outdoor
living, how to walk without fatigue, and how to provide themselves with
food, warmth, and shelter, so that "roughing it" does not mean being
uncomfortable.
During 1920, 50 large girl-scout camps were
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