Uniform.—The uniform is simple, durable, and allows freedom of action. It is of khaki because this has been found to be the best wearing fabric and color. It is not easily torn and does not readily soil. Wearing it gives the girls a sense of belonging to a larger group, such as it is hard to get in any other way. It keeps constantly before them the fact that they represent a community to whose laws they have voluntarily subscribed, and whose honor they uphold. It is well, too, to have an impersonal costume, if for no other reason than to counteract the tendency of girls to concentrate upon their personal appearance. To have a neat, simple, useful garb is a novel experience to many an overdressed doll who has been taught to measure all worth by extravagance of appearance.
ORGANIZATION.
The outstanding feature of the girl-scout organization is its voluntary character. Among some 7,400 officers and leaders of girl scouts throughout the country in the fall of 1920, just 211 were “paid workers.” This is about 3 per cent. The organization is actually a great volunteer school of citizenship in which the women of the country share with their younger sisters the results of their own experience in ideals and practical working knowledge of community living. Scout troops are organized either independently or in connection with public and private schools, churches, settlements, and other associations.
Scouts of different ages.—The original girl-scout program was designed mainly with the needs of the young adolescent in mind, and the age was fixed from 10 to 18 years. But the little girls wanted to come in, and so a separate division was made for them called the Brownies or Junior Scouts. Then the older girls and women wanted to join, and as time went on the original girl scouts grew up but not out of the scout movement, and programs are being made for Citizen Scouts who are 18 and over.
The three age groups seem to be natural ones, and each has its own methods and activities. The Brownies are formed into packs, under the leadership of a “Brown Owl,” and play games and learn self-help and how to “lend a hand” to their families. The Citizen Scouts are expected to be self-directing and to take actual part in the life of the community and, either as wage earners or service givers, to pay their way.
But the large majority of all girl scouts belong to the middle group. More girls register at 13 than at any other age. This is interesting, as it marks the age of susceptibility to social ideas, shown also by the fact that it is the most common age of religious conversion. It is also the age of first crime. The distribution of ages at first registration is shown by the accompanying table.
The organization of the regular girl scouts is as follows:
Ages of Girl Scouts at first registration.
| Ages. | Number. | Per 1,000. |
| 6-9 | 440 | 5 |
| 10 | 6,059 | 73 |
| 11 | 9,130 | 110 |
| 12 | 14,857 | 179 |
| 13 | 16,434 | 198 |
| 14 | 14,276 | 172 |
| 15 | 10,707 | 129 |
| 16 | 5,810 | 70 |
| 17 | 3,486 | 42 |
| Total 10-17 | 80,759 | 978 |
| 18 and over | 1,826 | 22 |
| Grand total | 83,025 | 1,000 |
Patrol.—Eight girls form a Patrol, which is the working unit. One of them is elected patrol leader and has charge of the activities for as long as the patrol wishes. It is desirable to have each girl of a patrol serve as a leader at some time or other.