It’s Girl Scout Week!
Traditional Stuff 6 Comments 
blue book, history, j-low, national council
I didn’t get to publish this on March 12th (the GS birthday if you’ve been living under a rock), but I did make it happen during Girl Scout Week! While researching for a different topic, I came across the perfect thing to share via the Girl Scout Collector’s Guide on pages 22 – 24. It’s called a “History of Uniforms, Insignia, Publications, and Memorabilia,” and it is meticulously researched. I’ve got the second edition from 2005.
One section is solely dedicated to Girl Scout Week. Did you know that GS Week was originally held October 25th through November 1st in honor of J-Low’s birthday? It was established in 1919. The next year, Founder’s Day was OFFICIALLY established on October 31st (J-Low’s birthday if you’re still living under that rock) and GS Week was celebrated November 6th to the 15th. Something called a Jingle Poster was created, and each day featured a different jingle as a suggested activity. Here’s the poster:
In 1921, it was declared that GS Week should always include J-Low’s birthday. By 1936, the jingles of the poster were changed to:
- Sunday – Attending religious services
- Monday – Homemaking
- Tuesday – Arts and crafts
- Wednesday – Thrift
- Thursday – Hostess
- Friday – Community service
- Saturday – Health
In 1939, The Seven Service Days of GS Week took the place of the jingles and they were:
- Sunday – Girl Scout Sunday
- Monday – Homemaking Day
- Tuesday – Citizenship Day
- Wednesday – Health and Safety Day
- Thursday – International Friendship Day
- Friday – Arts and Crafts Day
- Saturday – Out-of-Doors Day
These remained in use until 1963 when they were only featured in the Cadette and Senior handbooks. They were no longer used after 1980.
But back to GS Week! The OFFICIAL GS Birthday was established in 1932 as March 12th by the GS Executive Committee (did the Blue Book allow for this? JUST KIDDING). The 1953 National Council recommended that GS Week be combined with the GS Birthday and include March 12th. October 31st would still be recognized as the GS Founder’s Birthday.
And now you know! And knowing is half the battle.
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Enjoyed reading this…guess I don’t need to clean house today! I’ll pick arts and crafts!
I’m amused that on the original Girl Scout Sunday the girl was going to be in the pew, NOT in uniform, with her family.
As opposed to where my troop was, which was in the front 2 pews, IN uniform, having processed in as a troop, sitting with us three troop leaders. (It was very nice. We clean up good!)
Thanks for posting this. ::::sharing:::: My favorite is Out-of-Doors day on the Seven Service Days chart. I found some neat (and fun) Day Charts for Girl Scout week online too, that some councils are doing. I love knowing the history behind Girl Scout Week.
I remember Girl Scout Week always being around March 12th; I became a Girl Scout in 1955! Fun to hear the evolution of when/how to celebrate it! One of the things I always enjoyed as a leader was having so many cool dates to celebrate: Founder’s Day, Thinking Day, Girl Scout Birthday and week. For years and years, when I was teaching, I would wear a different type or era of Girl Scout uniform to work each day during Girl Scout Week. It was always fun to see the different reactions and questions I’d get!
I can remember doing some of those things but I’m not “old” as some of these things. Thanks for sharing.