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How Girls Can Help Their Country (Legacy Edition): The First Original 1913 Handbook For Girl Scouts

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The Original Handbook That Started A Movement In America! Enjoy this unabridged, high-quality Doublebit Legacy reprint of How Girls Can Help Their Country, which was the first version of the Girl Scout Handbook originally printed in 1913. This first version was written by Walter John (W. J.) Hoxie, who assisted Juliette Gordon Low with the founding of the girl scouts in the USA. Borrowing heavily from the work of Agnes Baden-Powell’s “ How Girls Can Help to Build up the Empire ” and her brother, Lord Robert Baden-Powell’s “ Scouting For Boys ” books related to scouting in Britain, this present book by W. J. Hoxie taught countless original girl scouts in America the essential skills for the outdoors and empowered them for everyday life! This Original Girl Scout Handbook provides instruction on girl scout badges and tests from 1913, camping and outdoors skills, first aid, water skills, home life, cooking, citizenship, and patriotism. Historically placed during the pre-World War 1 era, the principles in this book mirror a time when youth service and community development programs were reaching a peak in America. Live up to the Girl Scout Law, just as it was published in 1913! Although the times have changed and some of the material has become outdated since its publication, see how girl scouts were instrumental in early 1900s history and how they pushed forward with determination and great skill. This classic book makes a perfect gift for girl scouts and scout leaders, Gold Award winners, people interested in the history of youth programs in America, as well as anyone who is an enthusiast of classic camping, outdoors skills, nature lore, and woodcraft. A part of the Library of American Outdoors Volume 6 This Doublebit Legacy Edition reprint of How Girls Can Help Their The Original 1913 Handbook For Girl Scouts is professionally restored and presented from the original source with the highest degree of fidelity possible. Readers can enjoy this Legacy Edition for generations to come and learn from its timeless knowledge.
About the Doublebit Press Library of American Outdoors Classics Sometimes we need to remember our history to move forward. Sometimes, remembering our heritage is just fun or inspirational. With technology playing a major role in everyday life, sometimes we need to take a step back in time to find those basic building blocks used for gaining mastery – the things that we have luckily not completely lost and has been recorded in books over the last two centuries. These skills aren’t forgotten, they’ve just been shelved. It’s time to unshelve them once again and reclaim the lost knowledge of self-sufficiency! As a part of the Doublebit Press Library of American Outdoors Classics, this unabridged Legacy Edition volume is reprinted in the exact form as it was presented in the original publication. Both important and minor details have equally both been accounted for by our publishing staff, down to the cover, font, layout, and images. It is the goal of Doublebit Legacy Edition series to preserve outdoors heritage, but also be cherished as collectible pieces, worthy of collection in any outdoorsperson’s library and that can be passed to future generations.

189 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1916

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About the author

Juliette Gordon Low

7 books1 follower
Juliette Gordon Low (born Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon) was an American youth leader and the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle Stimpson.
463 reviews10 followers
December 16, 2015
This was so much fun to read. I can't help but compare the original Girl Scout handbook to the current one. SO much is different, yet SO much is the same.

There are games and badge ideas and ceremony guidelines that as a current Girl Scout leader I plan to use. There is fascinating history here that I look forward to sharing with my current Girl Scouts. My favorite part of the book is when Juliette Gordon Low uses Marie Curie as an example of just how far a girl can go in her career. Low believed in 1916 that girls can achieve anything and her legacy of Girl Scouts is proving it today.

The biggest difference between the 1916 manual and today's is how far science has come in educating us about health and medicine. While much of the first aid and basic medical information is sound, there are some quirky ideas about what girls should and shouldn't be able to do. For example, it is medically advised that girls do not run long distances or jump rope more than 50 times in succession. The over all message, however, is that girls should be physically active and in the out of doors as much as possible. The piece of advice that I really took to heart is that it is absolutely necessary for Girl Scouts to camp out of doors. There is no experience equal. True words, Ms. Low. True words.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
286 reviews26 followers
May 28, 2012
As I recall, I'd been reading other material about Juliette Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, plus I'd been complaining about issues with the current program materials, and Wendy said something about wanting to "go rogue with a handbook from the 1920s." So I pulled up this original handbook on Google Books (it's in the public domain) and read it over. It's DELIGHTFUL, especially because there is much in there that is still in use NOW, and because it really does focus on helping girls to become strong women, in spite of the fact that women didn't even have the vote yet!

You'll also find the requirements for becoming a Tenderfoot, Second-Class, and First-Class scout, all of which I am tempted to have my girls complete at some point. And badges! Did you know that in 1916, girls could earn badges for both Automobiling and Aviation?

This book gets five stars for being innovative, informative, and HIGHLY influential.
Profile Image for Ehab.
27 reviews12 followers
February 20, 2018
I really liked the book. It is more of a scout guide (as expected) than a book with facts and opinions.
I liked how there is a great number of activities that can help girls to grow an be more positive and cooperative.
Some of the activities might be more suitable for the period around 1912 more than the current period of time (2018).
One more point is that I sometimes feel that the book is preparing a girl soldier more than a girl scout.
Profile Image for MsChris.
435 reviews29 followers
June 8, 2018
It's hard to rate a book that was written for an entirely different time. Was an interesting look at what the Girl Scouting program use to be. Still some valuable information in it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews