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 Senior Scouts who are eighteen and over. The three age groups seem to be natural ones and each has its own methods and activities. The larger number of Girl Scouts belong to the middle adolescent group.
All Scouts are organized in the same way and all are enrolled with the National Girl Scout organization.
Patrol. Eight girls form a Patrol which is the working unit. The eight select from their own group a Patrol Leader who has charge of the activities for a month or any period of time the Patrol may designate. The Patrol Leader has immediate responsibilities for the activities of the eight. It is desirable to have each girl of a Patrol serve as a leader at some time or other.
Troop. One or more Patrols constitute a Troop which is the administrative unit recognized by the National organization.
Captain. The Troop is under the direction of a Captain who must be at least twenty-one years of age and whose qualification as a leader of young girls is passed upon by National Headquarters before she is commissioned.
Lieutenant. A Captain may have one or more Lieutenants. The Lieutenant must be at least eighteen years of age and her commission is likewise subject to control by National Headquarters.
Captains and Lieutenants may be organized into associations in any given locality.
Scout Classes. There are three classes of Girl Scouts, the youngest being the "Tenderfoot," the name given by frontiersmen to the man from the city who is not hardened to the rough life out of doors. Even the Tenderfoot, however, has to know some things including the Promise, Laws, Slogan and Motto, how to salute, and the respect due to the flag, and making some useful knots.
The "Second Class" Scout has been a Tenderfoot for at least one month, and can pass a test of distinctly greater difficulty, including a good deal about cooking and housekeeping, animals and birds, flowers and trees, some important first aid things, and the laws of health.
The highest is the "First Class" Scout and is to be attained only by a young person of considerable accomplishment. She must be able to find her way about city or country without any of the usual aids, using only the compass and her developed judgment of distance and direction. She must also be able to communicate and receive messages in two ways—by signalling in Semaphore and the General Service Codes which is the code used for telegraphing and wireless, and which can be used in several ways. She must have shown proficiency in Home Nursing, Child Care, and Housekeeping and in addition in either Laundering, Cooking, Needlework or Gardening. She must also be an all round out doors person, familiar with camping, and able to lead in this, or be a good skater or a naturalist, or be able to swim. Not only must she know all these different things but she must also have trained a Tenderfoot, and served her community.