Proficiency Badges
Whenever I see a Scout coming along I feel at once a friendly interest in her, but when she comes nearer that interest either increases or goes off a bit when I look at her right arm and see on it badges—or no badges.
Every Scout, as soon as she has passed the Second Class tests, can go in for proficiency badges. These badges are not intended for swagger, but to show that you can do things. On the left arm you will wear those badges which mean that you are good at work that is useful to other people, and these are the important badges; while on the right arm the badges show the sort of Scout that you are, that is whether you are efficient or not in different branches of Scout work.
There are a very large number of badges on the list which you can go in for, but it does not mean that you are to try and get them all, but rather that you may look through the list and find out which are most likely to suit you and then to go in for one or two of those. The most important of all the badges are those for nursing. They are important to the Scout herself, because through practising this work she can most easily carry out the Scout law of doing good turns to other people, and these would be good turns which really are useful. Also by knowing how to nurse she can do good work for her country.
The Value of Nursing.—In the great war hundreds and hundreds of women have gone to act as nurses in the hospitals, for the wounded and have done splendid work They will no doubt be thankful all their lives that while they were yet girls they learnt how to nurse and how to do hospital work, so that they were useful when the call came for them. But there are thousands and thousands of others who wanted to do the work when the time came, but they had not like Scouts been Prepared, and they had never learnt how to nurse, and so they were perfectly useless and their services were not required in the different hospitals. So carry out your motto and Be Prepared and learn all you can about hospital and child nursing, sick nursing, and every kind, while you are yet a Scout and have people ready to instruct you and to help you in learning.
Child nursing is also very important, because so many girls are wanted now to help mothers in looking after their children. Such a large number of babies die every year from being nursed by girls who have never taken the trouble to learn what they ought to do with children. Babies are delicate little things, and a very little act of carelessness or want of knowledge of what to do often causes the death of one who might otherwise have grown up to be a valuable citizen for the country. On becoming a Scout you promise to Be Prepared to do your duty in every possible way, and one very important way is that of nursing children as well as grown ups; and therefore I hope that you will learn as quickly as possible how to carry out this duty and so to carry out your work as a Scout in the proper spirit. Therefore I recommend you to take as the most important ones, the Ambulance Badge, the Child Nurse Badge, and the Home Nursing; after which you can look through the list and pick out others for which you feel that you are particularly keen, or for which there are instruction classes for Scouts that you can attend. Set those badges up before you and do your best to win some of them.
Where to wear the Badges.—The First and Second Class Badge is worn on the left arm. It should be placed about half-way between the elbow and the shoulder strap, so as not to be covered by the shoulder knot.
The Ambulance, Home Nurse, and Child Nurse Badges are also worn on the left arm, just below the Second and First Class Badges. All the other Proficiency Badges are worn on the right arm. They are sewn on as they are won, starting at the bottom of the sleeve, just above the cuff, and growing upwards in couples as the Scout becomes more and more proficient.
The War Service Badge is worn above the right-hand breast pocket.
The Attendance Stars are worn in a horizontal row just above the left-hand breast pocket.
The War Service Badge.—Is granted to Scouts who have done special service for their country during the Great War. It is worn above the right breast pocket.
Golden Eaglet
To secure this honor a Girl Scout must win the following badges: Ambulance and First Aid, Clerk, Cook, Child Nurse, Dairymaid, Matron, Musician, Needlewoman, Naturalist, Home Nurse, Pathfinder, Pioneer, Signaler, Swimmer, Athletics, Health or Civics. (In case a swimming badge is impossible two badges not already earned may be substituted.)
Life-Saving Medals
These are worn on the right breast and are awarded as follows:—
Bronze Cross (Red Ribbon).—Presented as the highest possible award for gallantry. It can only be worn where the claimant has shown special heroism or has faced extraordinary risk of life in saving life.
| Bronze and Silver Cross for Saving Life. | Gilt Medal of Merit. |
Silver Cross (Blue Ribbon).—For gallantry, with considerable risk to herself.
Badge of Merit (Gilt Wreath—White Ribbon).—For a Scout who does her duty exceptionally well, though without grave risks to herself.
Thanks Badge.—It is the privilege of any Scout, of whatever rank, to present this Badge of Thanks to any one who does a Scout a good turn. It entitles the wearer to make use of the services of any Scout at any time, but does not constitute membership.
Hockey a Fine Game
I should like to see everything that calls itself a girl playing it. Yet there are thousands and thousands of girls who have never yet even seen it played—much less played it themselves.
I should like all of them to play it, not only once but regularly, and this is why.
Because it gives them health and strength through active exertion in the open air; it gives them a jolly time and lots of excitement, happiness, and laughter; it makes them quick with eye, hand, and foot; it makes them all good pals together; it teaches them to take hard knocks without winking such as at other times would make them faint or swear.
It teaches them to play unselfishly and to pass the ball on. It gives them pluck, it gives them hope, for even when things look bad there is often the possibility of winning by an extra effort. They learn to stick to rules and to obey orders, to play fair and to stop sneaking, underhand play.
In a word, they learn to play the game for their side and not for themselves.
Well, that is just what our soldiers at the front are doing, playing the game nobly for their country at no matter what danger to their own life or limb.
It’s just what we want of all Americans in the future—women as well as men—to think of their country and other people first; to obey the laws and play the game for the good of others bravely and hopefully, without caring what hard knocks they get themselves.
Could not some of you who can afford to play hockey yourselves managed to help some other girls to play it too?
Think what joy it would bring into their lives, what health and brightness you could offer them and what good and friendly citizens you could make them.
A Scout Is a Lady
What is a Lady?—This is what I saw the other day in the Subway. The seats were all crowded when a smart-looking girl got in. A wounded soldier with a bandaged foot and a walking stick stood up rather painfully and offered her his seat. The girl plumped herself down comfortably and she did not give him a look or even a word of thanks. A pale woman then rose and said to him, “I can stand better than you; you got hurt for me,” and made him take her place.
One of these two women was a lady. Can you guess which?
The Frogs in the Cream
Oh, there is one more thing that hockey teaches. Often you lose a game, but you do not therefore lose your temper or lose your happiness for, as a Scout, you at once cheer the winners and forget to be put out by it.
But you don’t lose every game. Very often it will look as if it was going against you and there seems little chance of winning when, just near the end, the other side give out or get careless, and by sheer sticking to it you win a goal or two in the last few minutes and come out victorious in the end.
Perseverance: Frogs in the cream.
Well, it is sticking to it which is so tremendously valuable, not only in the game, but also for getting on as a Scout, and afterwards in getting on in life.
Two frogs, out for a walk one day, came upon a bowl of cream, into which they fell. Thinking it a new kind of water and that it was hopeless trying to swim, one was drowned through having no pluck. The other struggled hard to keep afloat. Just when he felt he must give up a curious thing happened. In his struggles he had churned up the cream so much that he found himself standing safe on a pat of butter!
If you learnt nothing else from Scouting than this little story of the frogs, try, at any rate, to remember that; and when you feel you are failing at your job just think of it; remind yourself of the frogs—and stick to it.
Happy Housemaids Singing Hymns
Someone asked me the other day why it is that housemaids, when they are at work, are always droning most dreary hymn tunes. Well, I couldn’t say exactly why they do it, but I like to hear it, because people who sing at their work evidently don’t find it a drudgery or irksome.
I was at a great aeroplane factory the other day, where the manager had encouraged his men in their spare time to form a band, and he supplied the funds for helping them to get instruments, music, etc.
When they began to get rather good at it they, like all amateur musicians, began to fancy themselves, and said that they would like to get some high-class classical music to play.
But he said: “Not a bit of it, I want you to play all the tunes that you can get, provided that they are jolly ones.”
Then he used to make the men march to their workshops with their band playing, and for the rest of the morning, instead of working sullenly and grudgingly at their machines, the men were whistling and singing the tunes that were running in their heads, and the work consequently was better done and more of it was got through than would otherwise have been possible.
So the wretched Girl Scouts, when they are forced to play these dull games and to do the terrible hard work of Scouting, need something to cheer them up. All they have to do is to learn a few jingles and to sing them, stamp, bang, or whistle them as they go along, and they are sure to feel the better for it.
Patrol Leaders
When you come to be a Patrol Leader you must remember that you are really taking up a very responsible and important position, because you are going to be in charge of a number of girls under you, who will form their characters entirely under your example and guidance, and if you choose to be a slacker they will become slackers, if you choose to be a good Scout they will all become good Scouts, or nearly all of them. That is very much dependent on you yourself. So don’t become a Patrol Leader merely for the swagger of it or the sake of wearing an extra badge or two, but really think whether you are fitted to lead those girls, and take it up with the best of your ability to make good Scouts of them. You have got to command your Patrol; well, you can only command others if you have their confidence, and you can only have their confidence if you have confidence in yourself; you can only have confidence in yourself by knowing your work thoroughly and well. You should therefore study the handbook, learn all about Scouting, what it aims for, and then how you can carry out the instructions given; practise the things yourself that are shown you, know that you can do the different things well; and then you will be able to have confidence in yourself, your Scouts will obey your orders, and so you will be able to carry out the training of them and their discipline perfectly well. You lead entirely by your own personal example, don’t forget that; that is what tells, and that is the easy way to gain success; not only the easy way, but it is the only way.
As a Leader you must be the best at carrying out the Scout Law in your Patrol, the others will follow you in it; you must be the captain also in all the games; you must be the first in every venture; you must be the one to suggest good games, good ideas, good thoughts. If you are the first in every way like this your girls will follow your leads and you will have good discipline among them. Your aim should, of course, be to make your Patrol the best, and if every Patrol tries to be the best in the Troop, you may be sure that that Troop will be a very good one amongst other Troops.
You should take counsel among your Scouts as to what they fancy themselves at, and then challenge another Patrol to have a competition in that particular line, whatever it may be, whether Signalling, or Ambulance Work, or playing a game of Hockey, or baseball, or anything you like; but continually challenge other Patrols to beat you at your own game, and then practise your game well and make yourselves efficient at it, so as you do not get beaten. For every game the whole Patrol should form the team. Don’t have one or two good players and the rest no use at all; and don’t have individual competition, one girl against another, but always try and have your Patrol as a team, then the worst will try and make themselves better in order to play up the average of the lot, and so play for the good of the Patrol and not of themselves. If possible, give each of your Scouts her own job to do in the Patrol. You may find one good at one thing, another good at another; well, urge her to do her particular job, and to do it well for the benefit and honour of the Patrol. You will have one little difficult point that you must keep an eye on; when you are trying to lead the Patrol and at the same time to show them the way, don’t forget that you must not do the work of other girls. Give each one her job and see that she does it, but don’t do it for her, or else she will always be leaning on you and expecting you to do it.
A Patrol can specialise, that is, all members to take one special badge, or a bit of ribbon will do, that a Patrol may be a Despatch Riding Patrol, or a Signalling Patrol, First Aid Patrol, a Home Helping Patrol, or even an Entertaining Patrol. All the members of the Patrol win a certain Proficiency Badge, then that Patrol may be recommended by the Captain to have the honour of wearing that badge on its flag. I have known a great deal of good to come of a Patrol challenging a Patrol in another Troop to some sort of competition, and then going to visit the other Patrol or inviting them to visit themselves at their own headquarters and entertaining them and having their competition and making great friends with them; this leads to very good feeling between different Troops, and is very useful, because you can often pick up ideas from Patrols of another Troop better than you can from one of your own Troops. In camp a Patrol is a very useful unit because a whole Patrol can just pitch into one tent or probably into one room or barn, or wherever it may be, and there the Patrol Leader’s duties are very responsible, because she has to keep order in her own tent and see that it is properly kept clean and tidy.
Example of an English Display
A Scout Hostel.—Scene: Inside a Scout Headquarters, fitted with bed, stretcher table, cooking stove, cupboard, Scout Law, etc.
Patrol at right of stage learning electricity and telegraphy.
Patrol at left of stage bathing, dressing, and feeding model baby.
In centre Brownies learning a dance; all under their Patrol Leaders to demonstrate the method of instruction in the Scouts.
After short demonstration one of the telegraph Scouts stops all work by saying that she has intercepted a wireless message saying “Air raid coming on.”
Patrols immediately fall in under their leaders, one as stretcher party and the other as first-aiders, with haversacks, etc., and march out to render assistance to police, etc.
Brownies, meantime, clear up the place, make bed ready, get out lint and bandages, etc., from cupboards, boil up kettle, put away electrical apparatus, etc.
Re-enter Scout leading a fat old lady, telling her she will be quite safe here. Old lady very flustered and very grateful. Brownies take charge of her, giving her a chair, and make her comfortable. As the Scout goes out the old lady calls after her and tells her she has dropped her handbag somewhere in the street. Doesn’t know where, dare not go out to look for it, but hopes that the Scout will; which she does smilingly.
Wretched woman with baby and crying children brought in next by another Scout, and made comfortable by Brownies. Fussy old gentleman, cantankerous old woman also come hustling in, led by Scouts, some lost children are brought in howling, also any number of other characters can be devised among your actors, including one man who will insist on making speeches against the Government for not stopping these raids.
When the room becomes full of them they all keep talking at once of their various grievances, and the children howling; bombs are heard without (bang of a drum or box full of old tins dropped), at each side of which all shriek, are silent for a moment or two, and then recommence their jabber.
Finally, half the Scouts having returned, they set to work to prepare food and hand it round to the people, which very soon quiets them, except the speech-maker, who seizes the opportunity of the others becoming quiet to make his speech with greater fervor. The Scouts stop him by putting a sack over his head and bundling him into a corner.
Then the stretcher party bring in an injured person, who is bandaged and put to bed. Others have slight wounds bound up and treated, and the Scouts then set to work with rugs and blankets and make beds on the floor for the whole party.
They then all go to bed comfortably on the floor.
Two Scouts remain on duty, the others lying down to sleep also.
(Curtain.)
Hints as to Camp Orders
In going into camp it is essential to have a few “Standing Orders” published, which can be added to from time to time, if necessary. These should be carefully explained to patrol leaders, who should then be held fully responsible for their Scouts carrying them out exactly.
Such orders might point out that each patrol will camp separately from the others, and that there will be a comparison between the respective cleanliness and good order of tents and surrounding ground.
Patrol leaders to report on the good work or otherwise of their Captains, which will be recorded in the Captain’s books of marks.
Bathing under strict supervision to prevent non-swimmers getting into dangerous water. No girl must bathe when not well.>
Bathing picket of two good swimmers will be on duty while bathing is going on, and ready to help any girl in distress. This picket will be in the boat (undressed) with bathing costume and overcoat on. They may only bathe when the general bathing is over and the last of the bathers has left the water.
Orders as to what is to be done in case of fire alarm.
Orders as to boundaries, grounds to be worked over, damages to fences, property, good drinking water, etc.
No Scout allowed out of bounds without leave.
No boy allowed inside bounds without leave.