[2]

“Under the Greenwood Tree”

[3]

CAMPWARD HO!

[4]

[5]

[6]

GIRL SCOUTS

Motto
“Be Prepared“

Slogan
“Do A Good Turn Daily“

PROMISE

On My Honor, I Will Try:
To do my duty to God and my Country
To help other people at all times
To obey the Scout Laws

LAWS

I	A Girl Scout’s Honor is to be Trusted
II	A Girl Scout is Loyal
III	A Girl Scout’s Duty is to be Useful and to Help Others
IV	A Girl Scout is a Friend to All, and a Sister to Every Other Girl Scout
V	A Girl Scout is Courteous
VI	A Girl Scout is a Friend to Animals
VII	A Girl Scout Obeys Orders
VIII	A Girl Scout is Cheerful
IX	A Girl Scout is Thrifty
X	A Girl Scout is Clean in Thought, Word and Deed

[7]

FOREWORD

Someone has said, “We camp to live with
Nature.” If living is knowing, let us then while
we camp, learn to know the great out-of-doors,
and at the same time take advantage of being
together, and learn to live as Scouts.

It is hoped that this little book will help to
solve many problems which arise when planning
for and running a camp, particularly a Girl
Scout camp. The material in this manual is supplementary
to that in the official Handbook,
“Scouting for Girls,” and is intended to be used
in conjunction with it.

The information given is the result of experience
gained not only as a camp Director and a
housekeeper, but as a co-worker with hundreds
of Scouts whose needs are very real.

Credit is due Miss Emily McClure for her
article on Activities, and Miss Catherine Wilkeson
for her account of A Deschutes River Fishing
Trip.

We are glad to have permission to reprint
“Water Front Protection for Summer Camps”
by Captain Fred C. Mills of the Red Cross
Life Saving Corps. The Life Saving Corps is
giving the Girl Scouts the most active sort of
cooperation throughout the country.

Sincere appreciation and thanks are given to
Dr. Louise Stevens Bryant, Educational Secretary
of the National Girl Scouts, for making
the charts and editing the manuscript.

[8]

CAMPWARD HO!

[9]

I

Planning for a camp is a matter of hours of thought and
pipe dreaming, every item receiving its due amount of
consideration, first in general terms, then in detail, until
the whole scheme is so well formulated and all needs so
well recognized and provided for that the actual camp
comes into existence quite easily and successfully.

It is much more economical and satisfactory to change
an idea than a building, and it behooves us all to learn
the trick as soon as possible. Start to think in the winter;
the fall is even better. Begin at the beginning and let no
step of the way be slighted.

Shall we have a camp, and where shall it be, are the
first questions that come to mind. Of course have it,
even though it be for a small group only, and very simple
as to equipment. The benefits derived by body, mind and
soul cannot be over-estimated. The joy of finding and
seeing for the first time the things that can only be found
and seen in the open, living away from stilted civilization,
flings open a door which rarely closes again for any
length of time. Most people, and especially children, are
not so far away from nature but that love and appreciation
of it can be easily awakened by its beauty of color,
form and sound, or its prodigality which cannot be rivalled.[10]
Then to realize that all humanity is a part of this
great system is to love all living things, to know they are
good, and that it is fear which calls forth their antagonism,
as has been proved time and time again. If such things
as these can be learned by living in the open, have we not
sufficient reason for providing the means to the end?
Someone has said that “cutting the camp out of the Scout
year is like leaving the yeast out of the bread.”

Between Wood and Field. Arrangement of wall tents with flys, set up with stakes.

A well ordered camp is built and run on the same lines
as a well ordered house, as regards fundamentals. Whether
it is made to accommodate a small group or an army, all
who gather in it must have certain dominant needs provided
for. They must eat, sleep, work, play, keep themselves
and their surroundings clean, and live the group
life. How these needs are met depends on the individual
who makes and executes the plans. One knows how to make
his camp comfortable, practical and hospitable wherever
it is, and regardless of materials used, meeting all of his
daily needs, while another, glorying in simplicity for a
while, does without comforts which could easily be obtained.
Still another casts off all law and order, to say
nothing of many necessities, during his stay in the open.[11]

But when planning a camp for girls who are to receive
the greatest benefits from living out of doors, and living
together, there is no reason why their environment should
not be made pleasing to the eye, of benefit mentally, a
comfort to the body, and in accord with the best known
laws which govern camping.

There are specific responsibilities to be borne by Councils
or Committees who undertake to promote and establish
a Girl Scout camp. The most important of these
are first, to secure the money for the initial cost, and second,
to obtain a Director. The subsequent work of the
Committee will be determined almost entirely by the
character and capacity of the Director chosen.

The prime requirement for a Camp Director is that she
be able to manage a camp and the children. This means
first of all, a strong reliable character, with enthusiasm
and love and understanding for people, and particularly
for young people. She must also have an understanding
of the Scout program, as well as the aims and purposes of
the Scout organization, for the children in these camps are
Scouts. She must have a practical knowledge of the administration
of a large household.

If in addition to these qualities she is capable of organizing
and planning, the Council can feel itself lucky,
because their specific work in regard to the camp is ended,
and they can with assurance turn over to the Director
such questions as choice of location, the camp site, arrangements
for transportation, price of board, determining
and selection of equipment, the type of children, and the
length of the camp year.

They must not forget to give the Director not only the
responsibility but the requisite authority to act, and[12]
perhaps most important, be ready to give her financial
backing.

The Tent “Green.” Conical wall tents accommodating eight cots. Not easy to put up and give little head room.

It must be remembered, however, that many women
who are quite capable of running a camp do not have the
particular kind of organizing ability or business training
needed to establish one in the first place. It may be necessary
therefore, for the Committee to divide the work
among its members, or even to engage a professional
buyer, or business manager. In the rest of this book it
has been assumed that the Director is of the former type,
and will carry the initial responsibility.

The question of transportation is the first thing to be
thought of when considering locations for a Girl Scout
camp. The cost, facilities, accessibility and time required
would all be determining factors which when settled make[13]
it possible to investigate locations within a given radius
without waste of time.

There are many Scouts who would not go to camp if
the cost of transportation equalled the price of one week’s
board, but who would on the other hand spend two weeks
in camp with a smaller transportation cost. The question
of shipping equipment and provisions is also to be considered,
for these things can be bought to better advantage
in large centers and transported by boat or rail to the
camp site, than purchased from stores in a small community.

Travelling and shipping by boat is cheaper than by
rail, and is often more satisfactory. Boat companies will
give reduced rates to an organization sending many members
on its line, while railroads rarely if ever do so.

Suburban trolley lines offer advantages over both boats
and railroads, and often take one quite beyond the crowded
settlements to spots of real beauty. Unless absolutely
necessary do not plan for any transportation that requires
a change of cars or boat. A motor or stage ride, or short
hike is always to be planned for.

Having investigated transportation facilities and charges
various locations would next come to mind.

Waste no time on those which do not afford a lake, a
river, the sea, or a brook of good size, if the camp is to be
for a large group and open for several weeks. The daily
swim is as essential to the happiness of the average Scout
as is her mess, and the adequate water supply for washing
purposes is an essential thing to the housekeeper.

A village or town which has a post office, telegraph office,
a doctor, a store or two, a railroad station or boat landing,
is often the camp Director’s best friend, and such a place[14]
should be within hiking distance of every camp. It is
there that arrangements should be made when possible,
for supplying the camp with fresh milk, fresh vegetables,
bread, and so forth. The risks taken by older people, or
the small group that wish to be indeed far from all civilization,
cannot be taken by the Director of a camp who has
in her care a hundred or more children for every one of
whom she is responsible. It is possible, as has been proved,
to find a camp site so in the heart of the country or woods
that one feels miles away from everything, and still be
within reach of modern facilities.

The finding of the actual site when once the locality is
determined is really quite exciting. So many lovely spots
attract one’s attention, but as natural beauty often deceives
the unknowing, a thorough investigation is the
only safe course to pursue.

The necessity for a road to the camp site is not to be
forgotten. Transportation of people and supplies by row
boat is too difficult.

Follow the river or brook, search the rim of the lake, or
scan the edge of the sea for high ground, a knoll will do,
for well drained ground, for the adequate drinking water
supply (which must be tested), for fuel in abundance, if wood
is to be used, for trees among which tents can be pitched or
cabins built for sleeping quarters, for space for the main
building, for an open space where games and drill can be
enjoyed. Forget not the sun, the prevailing winds, and
the western clearing where at the end of the day all the
beauties of the sunset can be enjoyed, or the safe place
for the campfire where songs and the real Scout Spirit
bring the day to a happy end.

[15]

II

No one doubts for a moment that camping is a good
thing for children as well as for grown people, but like
many so-called “good things” the results accruing from it
depend upon the person or persons in charge.

For a Girl Scout camp the Director is generally engaged
by a council or a committee and is made responsible
for the camp as a whole, including the health, safety and
happiness of the group, the standards established and the
furthering of Scout principles and aims. The Director
may engage as assistants, volunteer or paid counsellors.
They may be Scout Captains or people who know little
about the Scout work, but whoever they are all should
qualify as to character, willingness to cooperate, love for
children, ability to teach or to do well one or more things,
and possess a personality which will make for happiness
and success.

The number of counsellors will depend on the size of the
group and the work to be done. One counsellor for
sixteen girls or for every two patrols is none too many.
There should be a head counsellor who takes the Director’s
place when necessary, and who assists her in many ways;
a nurse who is responsible for the personal health of
the Scouts and who teaches First Aid and Personal
Health; a counsellor to have charge of each subject
listed on the program, a handy-man if the camp is large
and there is much heavy work to be done; a cook and
cook’s helper, and last but not least, someone to do all
that no one else does—keep records of all kinds, write
letters, arrange for the coming and going of campers, supervise
the canteen, and be helpful generally.[16]

Well-built floors keep out ground damp, and make level and steady supports.

It is most desirable when possible to engage Scout
leaders as counsellors, but they should qualify as do all
other counsellors, for the camp specialties.

The Director must think in universal terms and put
personal feelings to one side. She must aim for oneness of
purpose and solve all problems that seem to block the way.
She must be an example always and her imagination, understanding,
resourcefulness, strength, and devotion to
her work are her tools. She should understand the necessary
requirements of the various groups as concerns their
religious training and make provisions for helping the
girls to live up to these requirements. Those who must
go to church every Sunday, observe Feast Days and Fast
Days, should have a counsellor of their own faith to be
responsible for them. For those girls whose belief makes
it necessary to abstain from eating certain foods and being[17]
particular as to the dishes they use, arrangements must
be made to meet their needs.

Because it is not always possible to allow each member
of a large group to attend church on Sunday, especially as
camps as a rule are not near communities, a simple Scout
service should be arranged at which the Scout Promise
and Laws are repeated, purely non-sectarian hymns are
sung and a short talk given on Scout-like subjects. Great
care must be taken to keep this service in accord with the
policy of the Scout organization, which is absolutely non-sectarian.

A Director’s specific duties vary according to the size
and type of the camp and the number and duties of her
assistants. She should, however, in all cases see that the
program adopted is being lived up to, that the camp is in
a sanitary and safe condition in every respect, that the
proper food is being served, that camp regulations are
being obeyed and that any illness is being cared for. She
should improve every opportunity to give the children
something of usefulness and value by calling their attention
to the best and diverting it from all that is not helpful.

She should cultivate the ability to read the temperature
of the group and when necessary to forestall difficult situations,
discuss with it squarely, fairly, openly and truthfully
any misunderstanding or dissatisfactions and do away
with them as soon as possible.

If a Director is responsible for the money spent in running
the camp she should see that there is no waste and
that the greatest possible returns are procured for all expenditures.
These will include such items as food, cartage,
labor, salaries, canteen supplies, materials for occupational
activities, necessary replenishing of household
equipment, and telephone calls.

It is hardly possible to equip and run a camp on the income[18]
from a low rate of board, but the running expenses
should be met and the children will help by cooperating
to this end if encouraged to do so, even to the point of
cheerfully foregoing some of the things they like and want
and are accustomed to having at home.

“A Slack Rag of Canvas ‘Twixt You and the Stars.” Shipshape tents secure from wind, set up with stakes.

The condition of the equipment during and at the end
of the camp season is largely in the hands of the Director.
Careful supervision, and a few rules that are carried out,
make it possible to use the same equipment for many seasons
before it begins to show wear. An occasional accident
may happen but this is unusual. It is well to remember
either when working with an individual or a group
that it is only possible to form habits by constant repetition.
To tell a child to do something and not to see that
it is done, is of little value to the child or anyone else. One
of the chief duties of a Director is to know that the things
are done which have been mapped out as essential to the
welfare of the camper.[19]

Counsellors should meet often, even daily, with the
Director and report on the work being done, make suggestions
for improvements and establish a basis of cooperation.
At such meetings plans for any special occasion
should be made and duties assigned. If the children need
time to themselves and entertainments for relaxation and
to break the routine, it is also true that the Director and
Counsellors must have free time to work out their individual
problems and indulge in some form of play. An
occasional afternoon out of camp or the opportunity to
have a little party by themselves is suggested. In a large
camp near the city, a full day a week should be allowed to
each Counsellor.

The Director’s work is unending from the opening to
the closing of camp, but she has a rare opportunity to
work with girls, to help them in many ways, some of which
are quite personal, and perhaps to be an influence for
great good in their lives. All depends however, on what
she is herself, and what she considers is the purpose of the
camp.

No one is fitted to be a counsellor in a Girl Scout camp
who does not like to work with girls and who does not in
a measure understand children. The desire to be with
them, to learn from them, and to help them, is the only
reason for accepting such a position. In addition one
should be equipped to teach at least one subject and able
to make it of such interest that it opens the mind to a new
world. The ability to cooperate is another essential
quality, for when living with a group, we may interpret
individually, but what we interpret must be of common
understanding. While patience and sympathy are both
needed in group living, sentimentality is to be avoided.[20]

In high and dry Colorado, wall tents without floors, and put up with ground pegs can suffice.

Hours of work have nothing to do with the duties of a
camp counsellor. She is on duty in one sense twenty-four
hours out of every day, but her work need not be arduous.
If she becomes aware of anything which seems to be, or is
likely to become, a detriment to the camp it is her duty
to report the matter to the Director. There is a great
deal of work which can be done by counsellors which cannot
be stipulated, but which rests with them as individuals.

The right word at the right moment always bears fruit.
A suggestion of tidiness to an untidy girl, a suggestion of
kindness to the girl who is quick and impulsive, a suggestion
to use better language, or to lower her voice or to
improve her table manners, or to be more Scout-like, if
made to a child alone, and at an opportune moment, means
much and is appreciated. The best results are obtained
when we can realize that each child holds within herself
the perfect Scout ideal and that because of her limited
ideas, lack of understanding, environment, the negative[21]
suggestions constantly being made to her, she fails to express
it. One work of the camp counsellor is to help her
by example, and by word, to give up these erroneous ideas,
and to stress being a Scout.

Nearly all children have a dramatic instinct and love
to act. Help them to act the part of a Scout. In this
way they are forming a habit that means something.

[22]

III

A Girl Scout camp is the Scout’s own camp, and she
should feel the responsibility of making it and keeping it in
as Scout-like a way as possible. There are two things
for her to work for, the Camp spirit and the maintaining
of Scout standards. It is said that with a group, “morale”
is in importance to work, as three is to one. This theory
has been proved by experts who have experimented with
small and large groups. It is well to make the Scout Laws
the Laws of the camp. They must, however, be understood
and lived up to to be effective and for this reason time
must be taken each day to talk about them, discuss them
and make them of practical value.

Fortunately in every Scout camp a group of girls will
be found who are born leaders. Those in that group who
are awake to the Scout ideals are of the greatest help in all
matters and should be encouraged. They can accomplish
much by way of example and in some cases can handle a
situation as well if not better than a Director. Work delegated
to them should be explained carefully and inspected
for their sake as well as others, and any lack of thoroughness
or judgment pointed out and explained that they may
learn the better way.

This Mess Hall is open to wind and sun, but rolled up canvas walls are ready to be dropped.

Those girls who are negative in thought and action,
should be watched and every effort made to help them to
come into line. They are bound to have followers and this
group causes trouble generally through misunderstanding
and ignorance. There should be but one interest on the
part of each camper and that is to be a Scout, not only in
looks but in thought and deed. This is sometimes hard,
for conditions are not all as they are in one’s home, and[24]
to adjust one’s ways of living, especially in regard to
eating, is not easy.

It might be well for the camper to realize that the
object of a Scout camp is to give the best and as much as
can be paid for by the income from board, and that the
price of board is small in order that all Scouts may share in
the joys of living in the open. With these facts in mind
it is easier to accept conditions that may not be just to our
liking. Wherever we choose to live, indoors or out of doors,
alone or as one of a group, we have to face certain facts
which must be dealt with and not ignored if we would be
healthy and happy and have our surroundings livable.

In dealing with these facts there is certain work to be
done which a good many people call “drudgery,” but if
this work were neglected those very people would be the
first to complain.

We must eat to live, therefore, food must be prepared,
cooked, and served, dishes washed and wiped, tables set,
and kitchen and mess hall kept clean in every respect.

We must sleep to maintain health so beds and bed-clothing
are necessary. These need care as well as the
sleeping room, and all personal belongings in it.

We must be clean to be decent, and try as hard as we
will, trash collects and must be properly disposed of.
Wash houses and latrines are necessary and they must be
kept clean.

Who should be more interested in doing this work and
in doing it well than the Scout herself? She should take
the greatest pride in keeping her camp up to the highest
standard always. It can be done without great effort
on the part of any one Scout if each one tries to remember
a few things, among them:

1. That thoughtfulness reduces the amount of work to
be done and saves time and money.[25]

“By the Shining Big Sea Water.” A Mess Tent for use in clear, dry weather.

2. That unless the work is done conditions will be unbearable
and camp will close.

3. That the work she does benefits herself as well as
others. It is the waste and trash thrown or laid down
where it does not belong, work half done that has to be
done over, thinking of our own desires instead of the Scout
standards, that are at the root of any trouble. Do not
call the camp duties drudgery, call them opportunities
for service.

4. The fact that the Girl Scout pays board does not
absolve her from this work. If the Scouts do all that they
can to be of service, and serve cheerfully, many opportunities
are offered them that otherwise would be prohibitive.

Every girl entering a Scout camp has placed before her
a camp program which if taken advantage of offers her the[26]
best the camp affords. There are always girls who accept
the program and use it in full. They know that in order
to BE PREPARED they must grasp every opportunity
to develop along Scout lines. On the other hand there are
girls who seem too lacking in interest, too blind to the opportunities,
too inert to take advantage of it, and they leave
camp having missed the very things for which they came.

The helpful Scouts who belong to the former group are
real camp helpers, and the Director can always depend
upon them, the Counsellors can depend upon them, and
they are the power which makes or mars the success of
the camp.

It is in camp that girls have the opportunity to express
themselves along lines quite different from those used
during their ordinary daily life. Entertainments are
always hailed with delight, and any Scout who does a
good stunt, takes part in a play, or gives expression through
dancing, reciting, or singing, is contributing to the fun
and joy of all.

Aside from parties and plays and other fun-giving times,
there is Scout work which can be done in camp better
than anywhere else. This work includes the study of
nature lore, woodcraft, certain forms of handicraft, swimming,
and hiking. The advantage of spending a part of
each day on these subjects as well as the Grade Tests and
Merit Badge tests, is found in the fact that the Counsellors
are prepared to give the work in the best possible way and
under the best conditions.

Also there is inspiration in seeing what other girls do
and in trying to do as well if not a little better. Then too,
what is learned in camp is taken back home to the girls
who have not been privileged to go to camp, and they gain
through the camper’s experience. There are a few things
which every Scout should know after living in the open[27]
for a few weeks. One is that we are dependent upon
people, and that people are dependent upon us; therefore,
we must equip ourselves to give; another is that the great
out of doors is full of interesting things which can give us
far greater happiness if we learn to know them and try
for a time for each year to live with them, than the things
to which we turn during the winter for recreation and excitement.

The Camp Living Room

[28]

IV

The kind of shelter which will be suitable and practicable
for your camp depends more or less upon the number
of people to be accommodated, the length of the camp
season, and the camp site. For short time camps, for small
groups, or for older people, or when building is impossible,
tents only can be used. In such cases there would be need
of a tent for a mess and assembly room, a tent for the
kitchen, a small waterproof tent in which to store provisions,
a small tent for covering a latrine and tents for
sleeping quarters.

The main tent for a mess hall and assembly room combined,
should be large, placed with some regard for a view
of the surrounding country, sun, air and general camp
scheme. (p. 25.) It should be furnished with tables,
benches, and so forth, all of which can be moved out of
the way when the room is to be used for recreational purposes.
The kitchen should not be too far away, but back
of the main tent and should be so placed that all of the
air possible may blow through it. There should be a long
cook table with a shelf over it, if possible, hung from the
ridge pole, or supported with uprights fastened to the
table. Also a table which can be used for dish washing.[29]
It would be well to have in addition to the kitchen stove
which is in this tent, cooking fire places outside of the
tent which could be used in pleasant weather. One of the
most practical of these is built of stone, with a back wall
and two sides, with two rods, the ends resting on the side
walls and near enough together to hold the average size
pots and kettles. If stones are not available two large
logs can be placed V shape not quite meeting at the
narrow end, 1½ feet apart at the other end, and the fire
built in between. Cross bars of iron or a grating can be
put over the fire to hold the pots and kettles. While it
is convenient and practical to use out of door fire places
for cooking when the group is very small it is most difficult
to do so when the group is large. The work can be
done, however, with greater ease by the use of the iron
bars already spoken of.

Business End of the Camp Hall

[30]

The storage tent can have portable shelves and a low
platform on which to place barrels, boxes, and so forth.
This tent should be pitched under a large tree where it
will be in the shade all of the time. A good store closet
can be made by digging into the side of a hill, boarding the
inside or facing it with stone and putting in shelves, and
having a very thick, well fitted door.

A more simple storage room, but not advisable except
for a small camp, is to dig a hole in the ground, line it
with stone, place boards over the top, leave a small opening
for a lid or a hinged trap door and cover the boards
with earth, leaving the door free. If ice is available a piece
put into a pail can be set in this compartment.

In all of these out of door store places great care must
be taken that no animals, insects or flies get at the provisions.
Covered tins, or dishes and bags can be used for
safety. When the camp is to be opened only for a short
period it is quite possible to put provisions into pails
tightly covered and set in running water in the shade.

Whenever tents are to be used in a camp, they should
be purchased with care and pitched properly. There are
on the market several different types of tents: the army
wall tent (p. 10.) which should always be pitched with a
fly and be opened at both ends, the conical and the pyramidal
tents. The two latter are not recommended for
general use. They are erected with one center pole, which
is always in the way, and have to be pegged to the ground,
thus making guy ropes a nuisance rather than a convenience.
These tents are, however, picturesque in effect.
(p. 12.)

When ordering tents always stipulate the size and the
weight and width of the material to be used. Army[31]
duck, 10 oz. double fill for the tent and 8 oz. double fill
for the fly, width 29 inches, will give the best satisfaction.

The Wash House for Personal and Laundry use. Faucets hang from above. Inclined trough between two shelves, the whole, zinc covered, runs length of house. Two soapstone tubs for extra hard scrubbing at right. Special compartment at left for officers.

The size of the tents for sleeping will depend somewhat
on the character of the site. Where the ground is very
sloping, trees close, space limited, small tents will have to
be used; either 7 x 9 or 9 x 9’s. These tents which will
accommodate two people, should always be used to house
counsellors, but are not recommended for children as a
general thing. The larger tents, 14 x 14 or 14 x 16 will
accommodate eight cots and give ample space for personal
equipment.

For short trips there are small lightweight, waterproof
tents which can be rolled so that they take up very little
space in transportation. They are pitched over ground
cloths, with one pointed rod and metal spikes for pegging
the tent to the ground. These tents hold two people.
(pp. 78, 80, 82.)[32]

Tents should always be pitched over wooden floors
which are raised well from the ground. (p. 16.) They
should be built with square corners and braced on the
under side. The dimensions of each floor should be the
same as the length and width of the tent to be pitched
over it. They should only be put into place after considering
the direction of the sun, the prevailing winds,
their relation to each other and the general camp
plan.

Large floors should be raised several inches from the
ground and supported with posts or flat stones at each
corner, at the center of each side and at intervals under
the center of the floor to keep them from sagging. When
putting up a wall tent instead of using pegs, build a frame
work running parallel to the sides of the tent to which the
guy ropes can be fastened. (p. 18) This frame is made
by driving into the ground opposite the two sides of the
tent floor, and 3 feet from it, three posts, each 3 or 4
inches in diameter, and long enough to extend when set,
above the tent floor a distance equal to the height of the
tent wall, plus five inches. One post should be placed
opposite the center of each side, the others on a line with it
and opposite the corners of the floor. Nail securely to
the outside of the posts and two or three inches from the
tops a strip which will extend beyond the end posts 6 or
8 inches. Unless the ground is rocky the posts need not
be braced. If care is taken to measure and place the posts
correctly the frame will be evenly made and look trim.
Small tree trunks can be used for posts and strips, where
wood is plentiful; otherwise 2 x 4’s can be used.

Where tent floors are found to be prohibitive, tents
must be pitched over dry, well drained ground. In addition[33]
a ground cloth should be used and a ditch dug on
either side of the tent to carry off rain water.

Camp for a single Scout Troop. Three tents and simple accessories enough for week-end trip.

Tents without floors are of course used when hiking
or camping for a short time only, or in exceptional climates.
(p. 20.) Specific directions for pitching tents are
given in a later section.

A small group of girls wishing to build their own camp
could make two or three lean-tos, using trees five or six
inches in diameter, saplings, boughs and vines, the latter
for binding the thatch roof to the beams. The lean-tos
should be faced so the sun will shine into them some part
of the day, turned away from the prevailing winds and
each one should have in front of it a fireplace to be used
for cooking as well as for keeping the lean-to dry and
warm. (pp. 105, 110, 112.)

A group of girls could also build a slab house with a good
floor, a wooden roof covered with tar paper, windows, door
and even build a fireplace, the completed building giving
them permanent camp quarters. (pp. 96, 118, 122.)[34]

Whenever possible it is most desirable to erect for the
main camp building a house, rustic in design if built in
the woods, (p. 23.) which includes a large room for mess
hall and recreational purposes, kitchen, store closet, ice
room. (Cut A.) The types and floor plans of such houses
vary greatly, but certain things are essential in all. They
should afford protection in bad weather, some warmth in
cold weather, ample space for serving mess, room for
entertainments, meetings and so forth; a conveniently
arranged kitchen, and proper facilities for the care of
food. Some of these houses are built with the main room
simply roofed over and railed in. As delightful as these
open mess halls are in pleasant weather, they are not altogether
practicable in all climates, and under all weather
conditions.

Some protection is gained by enclosing the room to a
height of 3½ or 4 feet and having the eaves overhang for
3 feet, or by having canvas curtains which can be raised
or lowered in bad weather. If the room is enclosed entirely
it should have many large windows, and wide outside
doors.

The main feature in the room should be the fireplace.
(p. 27.) The larger it is the better so long as it is in keeping
with its surroundings. The benches and tables should
be made and arranged so they can be easily moved out of
the way when extra floor space is needed.

There should be a door leading into the kitchen and a
serving window near the door, with a broad shelf on either
side of it. The kitchen needs many windows and a back
door conveniently placed. (p. 29.)

A. Floor Plan for Mess Hall for Camp of 150 to 200 Girls

The kitchen should be equipped with a good stove
having ovens and hot water tank and be large enough[36]
to admit of holding big boilers and kettles. If there is no
hot water tank a large boiler can be kept on top of the
stove in which to heat water. Better still, when possible,
use a Standard Oil oil heater and boiler, and have hot water
pipe connections. This of course is only possible when
there is a tank and power of some kind to pump up the
water. There should be in the kitchen ample table space,
convenient places for keeping all pots and kettles, hanging
spoons and other small articles, a generous wood box that
there may always be dry wood at hand, and if there is
running water a sink conveniently placed.

The store closet should open out of the kitchen and be
on the north side of the house. It should have a raised
platform 18 or 20 inches wide, against the wall on one
side of the room, on which should be placed all barrels,
large boxes, etc. holding food. There should be ample
shelf space, a broad table, plenty of ventilation, and all
windows should be covered with netting.

If possible to have an ice box it can stand in this room.
Better than a portable ice box is an ice room which is built
into one corner of the store room, the walls, floor and
ceiling of which are double, lined with tar paper and the
space of four inches between them filled with sawdust or
cork. The door into the store room should be very heavy,
made double and fitted closely. The small ice door can be on
the outside of the building, made like the large door,
fitted closely and opening into the ice compartment. The
ice compartment should be lined with zinc and a slatted
door should open into it from the ice room. The bottom
of the ice compartment should tip slightly to one corner
from which an overflow pipe should be run to the outside
of the building. A slat bottom made in sections and placed
in the compartment protects the zinc and helps to preserve
the ice. The ice compartment can be high enough from[37]
the floor to admit of large milk cans, tubs of butter, etc.,
being stored under it. Shelves can be placed along the
sides of the walls. The ice room should be ventilated by
means of a vent pipe up through the roof to the open.

Such a building as described makes housekeeping for a
family of one hundred and fifty or two hundred possible,
with only one cook and a squad of Scouts.

In place of tents for sleeping quarters small cabins made
of wood and screening, or wood, canvas and screening, can
be used. They add greatly to the expense of building the
camp, but being permanent do away with the expense and
labor of taking down and storing.

It is sometimes possible to find an old house or a barn
which can be utilized for camp quarters, and with a little
ingenuity made most attractive and practical.

There is a great deal to be learned by living in a well-planned,
well-ordered house or camp, much of which is of
lasting value. For this reason no opportunity should be
lost to give these advantages to the Scouts.

A wash house for general use is most desirable. Where
there is no running water a long table covered with zinc
and placed under a tent fly, a board walk either side of the
table, and three or four large pitchers for water is a good
arrangement. This equipment should be placed in an
open, sunny spot where the drainage is good, and away
from the tents if the waste water is to be thrown out on
the ground.

Where a group is small every six or eight girls may have
a shelf placed between two trees, which would serve as a
wash stand. Pitchers must be provided for each stand
and a system for keeping them filled worked out.

A type of wash house which is most satisfactory[38]
where there is plumbing, is made as follows. (p. 31.)
Build an oblong platform and over it a roof supported by
posts and covered with tar paper. Through the center of
the house build a trough, with inclined bottom, and a
shelf slightly tipped toward the trough, either side of it.
Cover the inside of the trough and the shelves with zinc.
At the lower end of the trough have a waste pipe which
runs into a cesspool. Over the trough supported from the
roof run a water pipe from which depend at intervals, pipes
with automatic faucets. At the low end of the trough two
wash tubs can be placed at right angles to the wash table
both of which should connect with the trough drain pipe.
Enclose the other end of the house and make two small private
wash rooms, the partition between them being over
and under the center of the trough, a faucet in each. These
rooms are to be used by counsellors, or by children when
given special permission.

B. Tag for Scouts arriving in Camp. Should be 5″ by 3″ and filed for use in camp record.

[39]

[40]

V

After the site is obtained, necessary buildings finished,
grounds cleaned, stove in place, water tested and connections
made if there is to be plumbing, the equipment and
provisions should be sent in to camp. A week is none too
long a time to allow, even if there are many hands to unpack,
put the camp in running order, make out the program,
camp regulations, etc., and select sites for classes.

If possible have the counsellors spend this week in camp
with the Director and help in doing this work. Being
together for work and some play will prepare them to take
up the duties of the summer and if any of them are not
Scouts then is the time to tell them of the Scout work, its
aims and so forth. Without this information it is difficult
to have true cooperation.

When opening a large camp be sure, when the campers
arrive, to have it in the condition in which it is to be kept.
First impressions are deep impressions as a rule, even
though unfair many times.

Perhaps the most difficult work to be done, especially
for one who knows little about it is the pitching of the
tents, yet when simple rules are followed the task is not
beyond a group of young women even when the tents are
large. Remember that the beauty of a tent lies in its
trimness. It should look smart. The canvas must have
no wrinkles, poles must be straight, ropes taut and properly
fastened.

First of all see that the tent floors and frame work are
as they should be, or lacking a frame work, that pegs are[41]
at hand. Examine poles and make sure they are of the
right height and length for the tent. If a wall tent is to
be pitched lay it on floor, inside down, the fly on top of
it. Run the ridge pole under the center of the tent from
end to end curved side next to the canvas; at either end
of the tent at right angles to the ridge pole and parallel
to each other place a tent pole which is the right length
for the height of the tent. Put the spindle in the end
of each pole through the holes in the ridge pole, and the
eyelets in the tent and tent fly ridge.

Serving Table

Two people, one at each pole, on signal, raise the tent
into position by lifting the poles and carrying them into
place. They should stand opposite each other, at the
center of either end of the tent floor. While the poles are
held in place, two other people should fasten temporarily
the corner ropes of the tent and fly. Tie the flaps into
position, fasten the corner rope loops in the bottom edge
of the tent to nails in the edge of the floor, and proceed
to adjust the guy ropes. Do not pull the tent out of line[42]
or have one rope tighter than another. Use a clove hitch
for tying the ropes to the strips. The ropes of the tent
should go under the strip for the first turn, the fly ropes
over. By so doing the roof of the tent and the fly will be
kept apart, a most important point; in fact they should
never touch except at the ridge.

Fasten the tent to the floor by putting the rope loops in
the bottom of the tent over long nails driven into the edge
of the tent floor at the proper places. When all ropes are
fastened and the tent looks as it should, loosen the bottom
at each end, untie the flaps, and hold them back by fastening
one of the ropes in the bottom of the flap into the loop
at the top corner of the tent wall.

Put the tent number on each pole. Cots can now be
opened and placed, blankets shaken, sunned, folded and
put on the foot of the cots with a pillow inside of each
blanket. Basins go under the cots toward the head.

While four or five people are attending to the sleeping
quarters others should be washing, wiping and putting
away all table ware, and the cook arranging the kitchen,
store room and ice house. All small equipment must be
put in place; a tent or room provided for the nurse’s
quarters and First Aid supplies unpacked, an office
equipped with all necessities, counsellors’ tents put in
order, firewood stacked, lanterns cleaned and filled, wash
houses, latrines, bath house, boats in readiness, program
and camp regulations posted, in short, everything in order,
for when one hundred or more Scouts descend upon a camp,
everyone is kept busy helping them and there is no time
to be given to equipment.

Special mention must be made of two things: first, the
precautionary need of fire extinguishers to be hung in the
kitchen, mess hall, and other wooden buildings, (buckets
of water not being advised unless chemical extinguishers[43]
are not obtainable); second, the importance of the Director’s
office being equipped with record books, files, stationery,
and a money box; all very simple, but there.

Sorting the Vegetables

A small group of Scouts can make ready their own camp
in many cases, but it does not seem feasible for a large
group to do so.

Because in camp we live in the open, and away from the
conventional surroundings of city life, is no reason why
we should feel that anything is good enough, as concerns
the table and the serving of meals. The way the table is
set, the food brought to it, served, dishes removed, washed
and wiped, does make a difference to everyone of us
whether we are conscious of it or not. Certain work has
to be done and it is far better to do it in an efficient way
and in a way which will help us, than it is to do it in an[44]
easy way, and perhaps get into very bad habits. It makes
no difference of what material dishes are made, or what
the tablecloth is, there is no excuse for not having everything
clean and orderly and attractive in its very simplicity.
The camp table should be as well set and according
to the same rules, in as far as possible, as those a Second
Class Scout follows in her test. Those who act as waitresses
should do so with as much care and understanding of
the right way to do the work as do those Scouts who work
for the Hostess Badge.

Team Work in Potato Paring

Dishes should be washed and wiped and dish towels
washed according to the rules laid down by the best
authorities. (p. 61.)

A good housewife throws away nothing that can be
utilized. Therefore, what is left in the serving dishes after
a meal is over should be taken to the kitchen, all of one kind[45]
put into a dish and kept for future use. If quantities are
well gauged and each Scout eats all that she takes on her
plates, there should be very little waste from the table.

There are two ways of clearing a table, washing the
dishes, and so forth, which are used in camps. One is
considered easier than the other because it divides the
work among the entire group, but there is a question as to
whether it is as sanitary a way as the other, or as helpful
to the Scout. It is the method of having eight campers
scrape their dishes, stack them, fall in line, dishes in hand,
and in succession wash, rinse and wipe them in pans and
with towels common to that one group. As can readily be
seen this methods breaks the rules being taught to Scouts
as to the proper way of washing dishes: namely, to wash
glass, first, silver next, change the water and wash saucers,
cups, plates and so forth. No mother would think of
having each member of the family stack her dishes, take
them to the sink, wash and wipe them and put them
away. This method would be considered most inefficient
and confusing.

A better way is to have two girls from every table
of sixteen, responsible for the dining room work, this work
to be done under supervision and according to the most
approved standards. Of course, this work is relayed so
that each girl has a chance to learn it.

There are many young women with homes of their
own whose houses are badly run because they have no
idea how the daily housework should be done. They
cannot do it themselves and they cannot direct another.
The camp is the one place where the Scout can learn what
to do and how to do it, and use for the benefit of a large
group the training which she receives. There is not a
mother who is not anxious to have her child know how to
do these homely tasks in the right way.[46]

The Town Pump

With a counsellor presiding at each table to help in
serving and maintaining order, there is no reason why each
girl should not learn if she has not already done so, the
simple table manners which add so much to her attractiveness.
People are not born with good table manners; they
acquire them by being taught and by watching others,
and sometimes a good appetite and being hungry makes
them unmindful of others and of what they do, even if
they have been taught. There is no desire on the part of
any Director to make of her camp a finishing school, but
she should be filled with a keen desire to make the most of
every opportunity to give what will be of help to the girls
as Scouts and as women. The time spent at the table can be
most profitably filled by guiding the conversation into
interesting channels and by being merry, while eating.

The Mess Hall should always be kept swept, either a
fire burning, or a fire laid on the hearth if there is one,[47]
fresh flowers on the tables. If the room is used also as a
recreation room it may be possible to have a writing table
with writing materials on it for the benefit of all campers.

As the camp days begin to draw to a close prepare for
that last day when every bit of equipment must be packed
away, every nook and corner left clean and the last camper
silently steals away.

Use what provisions are on hand, buy only what is
needed from day to day. Begin to pack and clear out
wherever possible, but do not let this work interfere with
the program which should be continued to within a day or
two of closing, or the giving of a last grand party, a fancy
dress or masquerade affair with “eats,” as campers would
say.

The Scouts can be most helpful after their personal
equipment is packed and out of the tents. They can assemble
blankets, pillows and basins, sweep tent floors, collect
and burn all trash, leaving the grounds clean. When
all is ready for their departure let Assembly sound and
with every Scout in line on the field, have the colors
lowered. Then come goodbyes and general leave-takings.

It is well for the Director personally to inspect the
Scouts before they leave camp, that she may know in a
general way their condition. This can be done after they
assemble and before the flag is lowered.

If arrangements are made with the counsellors to remain
for a few days after the Scouts leave, all working
part of the time and playing some of the time, camp can be
closed without much difficulty.

Tents must be taken down, folded and numbered to
correspond with tent pole and ridge pole numbers. No[48]
tent should be folded till dry, as it is sure to mildew if
put away damp.

Scrubbing Up Before Meals

Blankets must be carefully inspected, shaken, brushed
and allowed to hang in the sun all day before folding evenly,
counting and packing for the winter. If there are any
signs of soil they should be cleansed before storing. If
boxed or laid on shelves or benches and covered snugly
they can be kept in perfect condition.

Pillows should be treated in the same way as blankets
as regards care and storage.

Lanterns should be emptied and cleaned. All dishes
should be washed, wiped, counted, packed in barrels.
All kitchen ware should be treated in the same way.

Any provisions left—there should be practically none—can[49]
be disposed of by selling or giving away. Amount and
kind will determine that question.

The kitchen stove must be cleaned and if it is to remain
in camp should be covered with grease and boarded up
unless it is to be used during the winter by campers.
Store all equipment in a dry, light room and do not fail
to have it insured.

The Director should be the last one to leave camp.
She should make a round of inspection and be sure all
is well before closing the camp doors for the long winter
months.

[50]

VI

Not only is the keeping of camp records a necessity, but
certain records are of great value in planning future camps.
Also personal records are of value during the winter to
Local Councils and Directors, and in some cases to the
National Headquarters.

Every Scout entering camp should have a record tag
similar to the one shown in Cut B, which when filled out
is kept on file during her stay in camp, and transferred to
another file the day she leaves camp. Her height and
weight should be taken in camp the day of or the day after
her arrival, and if possible when she is in her bathing suit.
Similar measurements should be taken the day she leaves
camp. A personal record of all tests passed may be kept on
the back of the card. It would be of interest to parents and
of value to the Director when making out a camp report.

A tent record in convenient form is absolutely necessary.
Scouts entering camp in large groups on a given date must
be placed with as little delay as possible. Those approximately
of one age should be in the same tents. Also
friends like to be together. To know at a glance what
cots are Vacant in any one tent is of help. Also at a glance
the length of time a child has been in camp can be told,
the date of coming and going being recorded. The accompanying
Cut C shows a system which has served its
good uses in more than one camp. Perhaps it will be of service
to others. A sheet of fairly heavy paper for each tent
record can be used, and all sheets put in a cover and held
in place by clips. The dates of the month when groups can
enter camp are placed at the left. Every square means a[51]
week. Ditto marks mean “remaining in camp,” and X
means leaving camp and signifies an empty cot. At a
glance three cots are seen to be vacant on August 6th,
and when new Scouts arrive, as they should after the outgoing
group has gone, it is not difficult for the Director
to place them.

C. Tent Chart for assigning reservations

[52]

Another record of great importance and interest is the
Health Certificate shown on page 52, which should be kept
on file in camp and later in the office of the Local Council
for a period of three months, and then forwarded to the
National Headquarters, Girl Scouts, Education Department,
for use in compiling a Scout Health record. If
during a Scout’s stay in camp she is ill, meets with an[53]
accident or needs the attention of a nurse in any way, the
date, a note stating the trouble, and what was done for
the child, as well as her height and weight at entrance
and leaving, can be entered on the back of the certificate.
The form shown was made by the Education Department
of National Headquarters of Girl Scouts, and it is expected
that it will be on sale and available for use by all
Local Councils.

The petty cash record is an important department of
record keeping. A day book, balanced each day, should
be carefully kept noting all income and expenditures, and
if much money passes through the cash box the Director
should have a petty cash bank account in order properly to
care for it.

The canteen record is perhaps the most difficult as it is
a combination of a wholesale and a retail transaction and
more or less involved in the general house expenses. Not
only should a record be kept of all goods purchased at
wholesale, as to quantity and price and when bill is paid,
but a record of daily sales is absolutely necessary. Canteen
cash at the end of each day should be handed over
to the Director and entered in the petty cash book.

The accompanying Cut D is a suggested form for keeping
the canteen accounts.

A very careful record must be kept of all provisions
ordered, and when the goods are delivered the lists should
be checked. No bills for food should be paid that have[55]
not been viséed by the Director. A record of all equipment
and notes as to the condition it is in should be made
at the close of each camp season.

Where there are materials furnished for any camp activities
such as raffia and reed for basketry there should be a
separate record kept for this department. Many times
the Scouts who make baskets are anxious to buy them and
by charging a small price beyond cost the department
can pay for itself and possibly show a small profit.

A general day book, sometimes called the Camp Log, is
not only of interest at the end of the season, but if a few
comments are added to facts the book may be of real value
another year. It is always a good plan to make a note of
any occasion which particularly pleases, or is of special
benefit, for these notes are of service particularly when
circumstances do not seem the brightest. Many times a
suggestion is all that is necessary to turn the tide of the
whole day. Such a book is of help in writing a report.

It is sometimes interesting for the children to keep a
record of the different kinds of wild flowers found and the
birds seen in the vicinity of the camp.

Field day programs and records are also of interest.

Another record is of hikes taken by campers during
the summer. The route, the time of starting, the hour of
returning, the number of girls who took the hike and any
special point of interest noticed on the way, may be recorded.

E. Application Form

The keeping of the Scout’s application, deposit, board
and transportation record plus the responsibility of so
planning that there is never a vacant cot in camp is a matter
which takes a great deal of time at best, but which can[57]
be more easily done if a good system is used. The records
are generally kept in the office of the Local Council under
whose direction the camp is opened and run. Application
blanks, (Cut E) should be filed according to date
of entering camp and kept on file under the heading “In
Camp,” as long as the Scout is there, then transferred to
the “Left Camp” file and kept for reference.

Ten days prior to the date of entering camp a follow-up
notice should be sent to each Scout who should report to
the local office, pay for transportation, receive tickets for
same, pay for first week’s board and receive a receipt for
same.

The identification tag which must be taken to camp and
given to the Director upon arrival should be filled in and
given to the Scout, when she leaves.

In addition to the individual account card (Cut F.)
record, all money received for deposits, transportation or
board should be entered in a camp day book and deposited
under camp account.

Any donations received for camp may also be entered
in this book and deposited as “Donations.”

The Local Office should notify the camp Director at[58]
least two days before sending Scouts into camp, as to the
number and the names of Scouts who will report to her,
and thus give the Director time, if space allows, to arrange
for any girl or girls who may desire to remain in camp for
an additional week.

The Bread Line

The Director in turn must send to the Local Office a list
of all Scouts leaving camp that any unexpected vacancies
may be filled from the waiting list and accounts adjusted.

Every camp should be run on a budget; that is, according
to a plan of expenditure made on the best information
available. Even if circumstances alter the original
plan, as they are apt to do, each dollar whose expenditure
is planned for will be found to bring in considerably more
return than the casually disbursed one.

The following items to be considered in any camp
budget are given in order of their numerical importance:

[59]

G. Camp Budget

[60]

[61]

Race Between Washer and Dryer

The actual cost of a large camp near New York is computed
in Cut G, all figures being given in round numbers
and based on three years’ successful running. Absolute
numbers mean little when considering conditions throughout
the country, particularly in this age of rapidly shifting
and climbing prices. Therefore, the figures are also expressed
in terms of the distribution of one thousand
dollars, during the first and also the following years.

It will be noted that food is always the most expensive[62]
item. It is also the common basis for comparison. Equipment
which is second in cost the first year, drops to fifth
place in the following years. With reasonable care equipment
should last seven years, upkeep and renewal taking
one-seventh each year. With exceptional care the life of
equipment may of course be extended and one of the important
things to be learned at camp is thrift and consideration
for the common property.

Girl Scout camps should aim at becoming self-supporting
or even sources of revenue as soon as possible. It is
good policy to charge a rate of board that will cover all
costs, and then to raise money by Scout rallies and entertainments
to provide for individuals unable to meet the full
rate. Councils might well offer “scholarships” in the form
of two weeks’ camping expenses. Money for original
equipment should be borrowed and paid back at interest
in yearly sums.

In the camp whose budget is shown a board rate of $6.00
would more than cover expenses after the first year as with
134 Scouts paying for ten weeks it would yield an income
of $8,040. At this rate the initial expense could only be
paid off in about five years.

A board rate of $7.00 would not only cover current
expenses, but would serve to pay off original cost of equipment
in two years’ time. Thus, 134 Scouts paying $7.00
a week for 10 weeks would make an income of $9,380 a
season. This would leave a deficit the first year of $620.
The second year with the current expenses $7,600 plus
the deficit of $620 the total would be $8,220. The income
of $9,380 would therefore give a balance of $1,160 at the
end of the second year.

This does not include any of the income to be legitimately
expected from the canteen, telephone charges, or special
rates charged to guests, or from funds raised by entertainments.[63]
Taking these things into consideration the board
rate might be considerably reduced.

The balance that should accrue at the end of the second
year might be used for reducing rates or extending time to
individuals, or for paying instructors for extra service, or
perhaps best of all to start new camps.

The Sunday Dinner. A serious and weighty undertaking. Sixty pounds of beef ready for the pot.

[64]

VII

In organizing a permanent camp the following things
must be supplied: beds, bed coverings, pillows, pillow
cases, wash basins, lanterns, trash boxes, tables, benches,
scales, dishes for mess hall and kitchen, table flatware,
kitchen utensils, stove, household implements, camp
implements, game equipment, incinerator, boats, a flag,
and ropes for halyards.

A bed of some description is necessary to every camper.
It is foolish not to have it dry, warm and comfortable.
The most durable and economical are the canvas and wood
cots which can be folded and packed into a small space
during the winter. One is the government standard folding
army cot, the other the telescope cot. Still another is the
camp made cot fashioned of posts and strips of wood, with
rope interlaced between the strips, and a sack filled with
clean dry hay for a mattress. Spring cots and mattresses
can be used but require a great deal of storage space during
the winter and for many other reasons are not practical.
An old sheet, a piece of heavy cotton cloth or bed ticking
made into a bag and filled with hay can be used as a mattress
on top of a canvas cot and makes a very warm comfortable
bed, especially for cold nights.

Woolen blankets are the only covering to be considered
for camp use, as they absorb less moisture than any other
material, and even if damp are warm. They should be[65]
long enough to cover the cot and turn under at the bottom,
and wide enough when doubled to fall over the edge of
the cot for a few inches. Those measuring 66 x 84 inches,
weighing from 4 to 5 pounds, and being 70 to 90 per
cent wool, are recommended. If only one blanket for
each cot is provided in the general equipment each
child should bring to camp either a sleeping bag, one
heavy and one lightweight blanket, or one blanket and a
heavy bath robe.

Cleaning Squad

Great care should be taken that the blankets are kept
clean. This can be done if the rule permitting no eatables,
water or ink in the tents is adhered to. When making the
camp bed whatever the method, care should be taken
that blankets do not touch the floor. One way is to fold
the camp blanket lengthwise, lay it on top of the cot, the
top nine inches from the head of the cot. Open the blanket
and lay into it the camper’s folded blanket, the top of
which comes to the head of the cot. Draw the camp
blanket over it, fold both under at the foot, and turn in the[66]
open side half of the length of the cot. If a pillow is used
place it between the folds of the inner blanket. A bed
made in this way will keep the camp blanket clean and it
will be in proper condition either to use another summer or
to use the same summer by another child.

Another way is to fold the camp blanket lengthwise and
place it on the cot and fold the camper’s blanket lengthwise
placing the two openings in opposite directions, one
blanket inside of the other.

Still another way is to fold the blanket lengthwise in
thirds and lay it on the cot, turn it under at the foot and
get into it as into a sleeping bag.

Quilts are not advised for camp use. All blankets
should be shaken every day and thoroughly shaken and
sunned at least two or three times a week. For this purpose
it is recommended that long bars be erected in a sunny
spot on the camp grounds where blankets can be thrown
over them during a part of the day. If the camp is divided
into sections a few blankets could be done at one time, and
done regularly. The tent posts can be used if care is taken
that the ropes are not loosened. Low brush or an available
fence will also serve the purpose.

It is well to remember that it is more essential to have
plenty of clothing under the body than over it if one would
sleep comfortably. A wrapper worn over the night gown
will keep the body warmer on a cold night than an
extra blanket on top.

The camp blankets should never be used next to the
body. The personal blanket should be used for that purpose.
During the day the camp blanket can be folded
lengthwise once, crosswise once, laid on to the foot of the
cot, the fold toward the bottom, the personal blankets,
night clothes, bath wrapper and pillow neatly folded, laid
on the blanket and the border ends drawn over and[67]
tucked under, thus making a neat roll. The foot of the cot
is toward the center of the tent.

The Wise Virgins. They clean and fill their lamps outdoors.

The best pillows for camp use are those filled with kapok
which is impervious to germs, light, and possesses a cork-like
quality which in case of necessity can be utilized by
making a life preserver of the pillow.

Every child should be provided with a small agate or
enamel hand basin in which she can keep her toilet articles
when not in use. The basin can be kept under the head
of the cot and is one of the things to be thoroughly inspected
each day.

Each camper should have a dinner plate, a bowl, a cup
and saucer of either white enamel ware, which is the best,[68]
crockery, which is not recommended, aluminum, or if
these are too expensive, tin. There should be serving
dishes such as one platter and three serving bowls for each
table, extra plates for bread, sugar bowl, butter dishes,
large and small pitchers, salt cellars; and do not forget the
vase for flowers.

The table flat ware should consist of a fork, knife, a
large and small spoon for each child, knives for butter,
serving spoons and extra serving forks. Nickel, re-tinned,
or tin-plated steel gives excellent service.

In so far as is possible use no tin in the kitchen. Use
agate, aluminum, porcelain or iron. When necessary to
have very large boilers buy those made of re-tinned steel
with copper bottoms. For a camp of fifty or more the
following equipment is necessary: two large boilers,
two feet high and from twelve to fourteen inches in diameter,
with handles and with closely fitted covers; one large
open boiler with a bail; three agate boilers with bails,
holding from twelve to fifteen quarts; two smaller boilers
and one sauce pan holding three quarts; four, three
quart pails with covers; one large and one small tea
kettle; one colander, two sieves (one with a handle and
one large one without a handle); three or four iron pans,
the largest size that will fit into the oven; one quart
measure, one pint measure, one measuring cup; three
large mixing bowls, four milk pans, four milk bowls, and
dishes in which left-overs can be kept; one bread board,
rolling pin, toaster, two iron pot rests, two frying pans,
a tea pot, a long-handled dipper, a long-handled skimmer,
six spoons with handles of different lengths, a bread knife,
a meat knife, a cleaver, a dozen vegetable knives, two can
openers, one large serving tray for each table, three dish[69]
pans, a bread cutter, a flour sieve, a sugar scoop, an apple
corer, scales, a meat grinder, and an ice cream freezer.

The Swimming Crib

General camp implements are needed as follows:
two flat irons, brooms for the mess hall and kitchen,
and small brooms for tent use, dust pan and brush, stove
brush, four galvanized pails, a garbage pail not too large,
a hammer, hatchet, axe, a wheel barrow, saw, fork, spade,
shovel, rakes, trowel, screw driver, a pair of pliers and
nails and screws.

The kitchen will have to have a good stove large enough
to hold two or three large boilers at one time. If there is
plumbing and a hot water boiler, either the stove can be[70]
furnished with a hot water back, which is not desirable, for
the fire need not be kept all day when wood is used, but hot
water is needed at all times, or a Standard Oil kerosene
heater can be installed. Without plumbing, a stove with
a hot water tank is desirable. If this is impossible a large
boiler must be kept filled with water on the top of the
stove.

An army range, set on a concrete base, gives the greatest
satisfaction in a large camp. The ovens are large, an important
point, and the top of the stove large enough to care
for all necessary pots and kettles. When buying a stove
for camp use make sure that it is made for the kind of fuel
which will be used in it.

The kitchen sink should be conveniently placed and
large enough to hold a large dish pan. Again if there is
no plumbing a long table for dish pans, draining pans, etc.,
should be provided.

Other tables, benches, shelves and a wood box are
necessary.

Tables and benches are necessary in every camp. The
more simple they are the better. Tables made of pine
boards, and tops covered with white oil cloth are very
serviceable, or better, tables with planed tops can be used.
Table tops and rests are feasible also. Benches can be
made in various ways but should be firm and of the right
height. Chairs are not really a camp necessity and on the
whole could well be left out of the list of camp furniture.

Every camp, large or small, needs lanterns. Lamps are
not advised as a general rule. There should be enough
to have sufficient light in the mess hall, in the kitchen, at
least one in the wash house, one at each latrine, and for
stormy and very dark nights one for every two tents, or[71]
group of tents. The tent lanterns can be hung on the
tent posts outside of the tents which method will prevent
mosquitoes from being attracted inside. Latrine lights
should burn all night and it is advisable to leave one
burning by the mess hall in case of emergency. Never
allow children to bring candles into camp. Flash lights
are a convenience and harmless.

Land Drill

A lantern which is not clean and shining and ready for
use is a disgrace to any camp. Every morning chimneys
should be washed and wiped, lanterns filled, wiped clean,
wicks wiped off with a piece of newspaper and turned
down. They do not need to be trimmed every day. Have
a place for the lanterns to hang or stand during the day.
The lamp cloths should be washed, dried in the sun and
hung where they will not be caught up and used for other
purposes.[72]

A very good double boiler can be made by using a large
outer boiler in the bottom of which is placed a pot rest and
a small amount of water. Stand on the rest either one
kettle well covered, or if necessary, two kettles, one on top
of the other, both tightly covered and the outer boiler
tightly covered. This arrangement forms a kind of fire-less
cooker which is exceedingly satisfactory, especially
for cooking cereals.

Each tent or group of tents should have a conveniently
placed trash box. These can be made of wooden frames
covered with screening, can be small half-barrels or kegs,
painted, or small portable incinerators. These boxes
should be emptied every twenty-four hours and the contents
burned.

Another piece of furniture is a pair of personal scales, for
the weight of each child entering and leaving camp is of
interest and value. Do not use form with springs.

The game equipment must not be forgotten. Basket
balls, volley balls, water polo balls, baseballs and bats,
quoits, bows and arrows, and tennis sets are all valuable.

If in the general equipment pillows are provided it is
well to have a few pillow cases other than those which the
child brings to camp. There should be sheets and pillow
cases for use in the bed making test. Three sets of dish
towels and a set of dish cloths, holders, stove cloths and[73]
kitchen hand towels. Cheese cloth is of great value in
camp in the kitchen and out of it.

The Diving Lesson

Do not throw away any clean whole newspapers; they
are of too great value. Wet shoes stuffed with pieces of
newspaper and stood not too near a fire, will dry in good
shape and be soft. The newspapers help to absorb the
moisture out of the leather and keep the shoes in shape.

Newspapers can be used to sit upon if benches or ground
are damp.

Nothing is better for cleaning the top of a stove after
each meal, than a newspaper crunched into a wad.

Folded pieces of newspaper make an excellent holder for
lifting pots and kettles. Several thicknesses placed on the
end of the kitchen table on which to set pots and cans, will[74]
keep the table clean. Hot water pipes or a boiler can be
covered with several thicknesses of newspapers held in
place by twine, thereby conserving heat. Cover the ice
cream freezer with newspapers after the dasher is removed
and while the cream is getting stiff. They help to keep in
the cold. Newspapers laid on a cot under the blankets
help very materially to keep one warm on a cold night.
After sweeping a floor put the dust and dirt from a dust
pan in a newspaper, roll it carefully and burn in the incinerator.
The wind cannot then blow the dirt about.

When picking flowers do not pull the plants up by the
root. Do not pick a blossom with too many buds on the
stem. Do not pick what you are not going to use either as
a decoration or to press for nature study work. Do not
pick short stems, and do not crowd too many flowers into
one vase. Be sure that the vase is clean and the water
fresh. All dead flowers and leaves should be burned and
not thrown out to disfigure the looks of the camp grounds.

The True Inwardness of Rowing

If you do not know poison ivy when you see it get someone
to point it out to you and then keep away from it. It
is more apt to poison when the leaves are wet.

There have been objections made to the camp canteen
or store, but there seem to be no very good reasons
against it. By buying large quantities and at wholesale[77]
and selling at the market price in small quantities there
can be a perfectly legitimate profit on a camp canteen.
This helps to pay camp expenses. It is also possible to
make an arrangement with local stores to supply merchandise,
fruit and candy to be sold at the store price,
and receive from the store a ten per cent discount
which is clear profit to the camp. A greater profit,
however, can be obtained if the camp purchases these
things for itself from wholesale dealers.

The price of board in the average Scout camp is so
low that it is impossible to supply campers with many
of the things which they want and which they may
have. Fresh fruit in some localities is very expensive
and quite beyond the possibility of serving. But most
parents make no objection to their children purchasing
the fruit, one or two pieces at a time, at the canteen
counter. The same is true of simple candy such as sweet
chocolate, Hershey Bars, Neccos, etc. One piece a day
is not only perfectly harmless; it is, in fact, beneficial.

Other things that can be sold in the canteen are stationery,
stamps, plain postal cards, picture postal cards,
hair pins, pins, shoe laces, needles and thread, kodak
films, bathing caps, soap, and pencils.

The best time for having the canteen open is determined
by the rule that Scouts do not eat between meals.
For this reason it is better to sell fruit and candy either
directly after dinner or directly after supper. For many
reasons it is much more convenient and fully as well for
the child to have the canteen open after supper, especially
when that meal is served at half-past five.

The question as to whether Scouts should be allowed
to receive packages of food from home is one which
every camp Director has to decide. Probably nothing
causes more unhappiness than the fact that some girls[78]
receive no packages while others have many. The most
serious phase is that boxes often contain food which is
not best for the girl. Then, too, packages have been
sent by parcel post so badly wrapped and packed that
when received at the local post office the authorities
have complained to the camp Director. The condition
of fruit or other food was such as to be a menace.

Making Camp on an Overnight Hike. Tents and other equipment come by trek cart.

The problem of caring for the boxes of food which are
sent to campers is sometimes a serious question. If
labelled and put into the storeroom they take up valuable
space; also much time is spent taking them out at
canteen hour and in putting them away. If a child is
allowed to keep food of any kind in her tent, it is quite
impossible to have the blankets, cots, or pillows in absolutely
perfect condition.[79]

All things considered, it seems best not to allow food
including fruit or candy to be sent or brought into camp.

The average child who enters camp does not know how
to swim and knows less about boating. What is more, it
is probably the only place for many to learn to do these
things. Taking a dip for the sake of having a good time,
splashing in the water, and so forth, is one thing, but to
really learn to swim, to dive, to throw a life line, to rescue,
to resuscitate, is quite a different matter. These things
must be learned, for as a matter of fact, human beings do
none of them naturally.

When possible a crib for beginners is a very desirable
thing to have. (p. 69.) Unless there is a safe beach or
shallow water and a good bottom there is more or less
danger attending the teaching of swimming to a group
of children even though the group be small. With the
crib, for use especially in deep lakes and ponds, this danger
is practically overcome, and in consequence much anxiety
on the part of those in charge of the camp eliminated. The
child seems to fear less, therefore learns to swim sooner.
A crib 20 x 85 feet is large enough for a group of twenty
children (Cut H.) It is built partially on land by the
water’s edge, is made of logs and planks and pulled into
the water over logs used as rollers. A floor is made of 6
inch planks placed half an inch apart and nailed on to a
rectangular frame work of logs with lengthwise supports
under the planks. Uprights of logs are placed at intervals
along the sides and ends and at the corners. Two and
a half feet from either end a second row of uprights is
placed. The sides and inner ends are built up to a height
of 5 feet, the outer ends to 3 feet. The crib is pulled into
the water and towed to its position by a pier or wharf.[80]
It is sunk with stones between the double ends until the
floor is 3½ feet below the surface of the water at the pier
end, and 4 feet below the surface at the other end. It is
held in position by being fastened to piles placed at intervals
around the edge. Steps lead down into the crib
either from the end of a pier, or from a wharf. As soon as
a child can swim three times around the crib without touching
her foot to the bottom of the crib or her hands to the
sides, and can demonstrate three strokes, she should be
allowed to go into deep water, but should be carefully
watched for a while.

“Eats“

Land drill preceding the swimming lesson is very helpful.
An expert person should be made responsible for not
more than twenty girls at one time unless the girls are
competent swimmers, and no one should be allowed to
interfere with the rules and regulations laid down by the
person in charge. Absolute obedience to all signals, rules[81]
and regulations must be observed. An assistant counsellor
should always be in attendance at swimming lessons.

H. Swimming Crib as it would appear out of water. The crib is 35′ by 20′, outside dimensions, with end pockets for stones, 2½’ each, leaving a swimming space of 30′ by 20′. The idea for this was planned and executed by the Engineers of the Park Commission of the N.Y. and N.J. Interstate Park, for use in the camps in the Palisades Park.

Deep water swimmers should be able to pass the following
requirements: demonstrate three different strokes,
breast, overarm and back stroke. Swim under water.
Demonstrate resuscitation. Throw a life-line twenty-five
feet for accuracy. Demonstrate diving, shallow, deep and
fancy diving. Rescue a drowning person twenty-five feet
away from a raft. Swim 50 yards with clothes on.

It is always advisable during a swimming period to have
a boat well manned near at hand. Bathing in fresh water,
especially in spring-fed lakes is not as exhilarating as salt
water bathing, and twenty minutes is considered the[82]
longest time a girl should stay in fresh water. Great care
should be taken that no child is allowed to get chilled.
At the first sign of pinchedness, shivering, or blue lips the
child should be called out of the water, and instructed
to rub herself briskly and dress at once.

The Morning After

Bathers should always be counted immediately before
going into the water, and immediately after being called
out. It is well to have assembly and roll call for this.

A word as to bathing suits may not be amiss. Care
should be taken that the shoulder straps are tight enough
and the under arm seam sewed up high enough to keep the
top part of the suit in place. It is recommended that camps
adopt a uniform style of bathing suit and that all classified
groups wear bathing caps of the same color, as for instance,[83]
first class swimmers wear white caps, second class
blue caps, third class green caps, and fourth class, red caps.

Probably there is more fun experienced by the Scouts
who are privileged to use a raft or float, than by all the
other campers put together. To get out of the crib group
and go for the first time to the float is a thrilling experience
and one that is much discussed and enjoyed. Water
sports without a float cannot be imagined, neither can a
camp really be called a Girl Scout camp unless it possesses
this important piece of floating property, which may be
large or small, but must be properly built to be safe. For
a camp of 150 or more, a float 20 x 40 feet is none too large.
It should be equipped with spring board, diving tower
and life lines, and moored in deep water, not too long a
swim from shore.

Bath houses are not always considered necessary to
campers but the use of them does much toward keeping
tents and tent equipment in good condition. Wet floors,
cots, blankets and so forth are always a detriment and
should not be allowed. If bath houses are impossible,
erect a large tent with a clothes line running from pole to
pole and low benches under it to serve as racks for clothing.
Have pails at hand for holding rinsing water. This kind
of bath house is easily arranged.

Where possible it is an excellent idea for girls to be able
to take a quick dip before dressing for breakfast, but in a
large camp this is not always possible, and other arrangements
have to be made for the morning ablutions, as have
been suggested in another part of this book.

Only first class swimmers should be allowed the use
when alone, of boats of any kind. The flat bottomed[84]
boats are the safest and it is almost impossible to tip them
over. They are, however, much heavier and harder to
manage than the round bottomed boats. Care should be
taken that not too many girls go in one boat at one time
and that whoever is put in charge of the group must be
obeyed. Girls should be taught to row, how to enter a
boat and leave it, how to tie it, how to seat passengers so
that the boat will be well balanced, how to row alone, and
how to keep stroke with another.

A list of firms handling approved equipment for camps
will be furnished upon request to National Headquarters
Girl Scouts, Inc.

Setting Out for the water Hike

[85]

Water Front Protection for Summer Camps

Every camp that is situated on water or has a near-by
bathing place, should organize its water front protection
system before the camp opens.

The swimming place should be so chosen as to combine,
if possible, deep water swimming for the experienced
swimmers and a shallow bathing place for beginners.
The non-swimmers’ pool should never be over
four and one-half feet deep at its deepest point.

For Beginners. The non-swimmers’ pool should be
enclosed on three sides by life lines, (1″ to 1½” manila
rope, depending on weather conditions), buoyed up
every fifteen feet by cork floats or balsa wood buoys,
painted white and made fast at the corners to piles
driven into the sand, or to buoys moored with rocks or
cement moorings. No beginners should be allowed to
go beyond these lines.

For Swimmers. The area to be used by Swimmers
should then be plainly marked off with white floats
moored to the bottom, with a flag placed at top. No
swimmer, no matter how expert, should be allowed to
go beyond these floats, unless permission is obtained
from the Master of Aquatics.

Great care should be taken that all diving platforms[86]
and spring boards are safely situated and that the water
surrounding these diving arrangements is clear of all
rocks, stumpage, etc., to the depth of at least 10 feet.
Ladders should be placed at the float to allow swimmers
to climb from the water easily.

Laying the Fire

Tower. A small tower, eight to twelve feet high,
should be erected on the shore so as to overlook the
bathing place. A warning signal, such as a bell or gong,
should be placed in the tower.

Life Boats. Two or more boats, depending on the size
of the camp, should be set aside for life-saving patrol.
These should be equipped with life lines looped around
the outside of the gunwhale, ring rowlocks, and an air
tank placed under the bow and stern seats. A hole
should be cut in the top of the stern board for sculling.

Life boats should be chosen that are light and easy[87]
to handle, and care should be used in picking boats that
are sea-worthy and have good beam.

One life boat should always be at the dock, ready for
instant use, while the other boat or boats are on patrol.

Under no circumstances should these boats be used for
anything but life-saving duty.

Ring Buoys. Ring buoys should be placed on every dock.
These should not be over nineteen inches in diameter,
and should be equipped with sixty feet of ¼” line with a
float or “lemon” on end. Ring buoys are valueless unless
ready at all times for use, so should be mounted on a rack
the shape of a cross, painted red, having a peg, 5″ long,
on the end of each arm, for the rope to be loosely coiled
around. The top loop of the buoy hangs on the top peg.
By this arrangement, the buoy is always ready for use.

Water glasses, first aid equipment, grappling irons,
and extra boat equipment, such as oars, rowlocks, and
boat hooks, should be kept on hand ready for instant
use.

Row Boats and Canoes. All row boats should be placed
in first class condition and tested out to find their
safety capacity. The way to determine this is to fill the
boat full of water and find out how many it will support
in the water holding on to sides; this then is the safe
number to carry in the boat when free from water. If
boats are equipped with a small air-tight compartment
of metal in bow and stern, it will increase their buoyancy
to a great extent. Every boat should be plainly marked:
THE CAPACITY OF THIS BOAT IS…, with white
paint on both sides.

Choosing the Crew. Every camp should build up
around its Master of Aquatics a Life Saving Corps from[88]
among the campers. Choosing the personnel of the
Corps is a very important matter. The applicants
should understand that it is an honor to be a member
of this unit.

The Goodnight Story

It will be found that if the members of the Corps are
allowed to have separate sleeping quarters, near the
water, over which they fly the Red Cross Life Saving
Corps flag, mess together and be relieved of K. P. duty,
that they will develop an esprit de corps which will
make for efficiency in their work and be of great value
to the general morale of the camp.

Everyone trying for membership should first have a[89]
medical examination to prove that he is physically
able to stand the very difficult work which he may
have to perform at any time. The group of applicants
should then be tested out as to their swimming ability,
especially being required to swim on back without
hands, and on side with one arm only.

Training. After your applicants have been culled out,
the ones that you decide to use should be given a
thorough course of training, first being obliged to pass
the Red Cross life saving test. They must be instructed
in boat handling and the methods of taking another
person into the boat, in the proper method of throwing
the life buoy, using a 60-foot line and a 19-inch buoy.
They should be capable of tying knots needed in their
work, such as a square knot, clove hitch, two half
hitches, bowline, short splice and eye splice. Much emphasis
should be placed on instruction in resuscitation
by the Schaefer method, and no attempt should be
made to instruct them in the use of any mechanical
respiratory devices as they are practically useless.

During the camp season, if possible, members should
have thorough instruction in first aid, especially as it
applies to water accidents, the most common of which
are abrasions, sun burn, seasickness, broken arms from
backfire of gasoline engines, sickness from gasoline
fumes of motor boat engines, and submersion.

Duties of Crew. The Life Saving Corps should be
familiar with the water at all points and should buoy
any especially dangerous spots, such as submerged tree
stumps or very deep holes. This can be done with a line,
anchor, and float painted red.

The Life Saving Corps should be in charge of Mates
under the command of the Master of Aquatics who is
the Captain. A log of each day’s work should be kept,[90]
recording such events as concern the Corps, such as
weather report, officer in charge of day’s watch, number
of swimmers, name of day’s swimming instructor, number
taught to swim, etc. Watches should be so arranged
that members of crew are not on duty more than two
days out of three.

“Good Morrow, Lord Sun!“

During the bathing periods, which should be at least
two hours after meals, the Corps members will be in
charge of the protection and discipline of bathers, the
instruction of swimming, and supervision of diving.

The following is suggested as a good distribution.
Two in each life boat, oarsman and coxswain, one person
on the dock, two lookouts and messenger in the tower,
one at diving board and one or two instructing swimming
(change instructors every third day).

The Swimming Test. After every camper has had a
medical examination he should have a test in swimming
and be graded in one of three classes: Non-Swimmer,[91]
red knot on right shoulder; Beginner—the ones that
will still bear watching—white knot on right shoulder;
Swimmer, American Red Cross Junior Life Saving Corps
emblem.

Check your list up every once in a while to see that
everybody is in the right class. Hold frequent tests to
re-classify two lower grades. The graded Red Cross
tests are recommended and arrangements can be made
for Red Cross awards.

A Non-Swimmer should never be allowed to take out
a boat unless accompanied by a swimmer. The Beginners
should be limited in the distance they can go and
only the Swimmers should be allowed to go where they
please. At least two-thirds of every boat load should
be able to swim and take care of those who cannot swim.

Under no circumstances allow more than one boat to
be towed behind a motor or sail boat, and then only if
boat being towed is in hands of an expert coxswain.

No boating should be allowed during bathing periods.

Detail one of the crew to give instructions in boat
handling if necessary.

Have all boats in by “Mess gear” unless special permission
is given.

No boating after dark without special permission.

Every camper should know how to tie up a boat, if
he wishes to use them. See that he does it.

A simple set of rules may be drawn up and posted in
prominent places so that every camper will know exactly
what the bathing regulations are. The following are a
few suggestions. No one is allowed to swim for at least
two hours after meals. No swimming allowed in the
heat of the day. No one is allowed to swim if he has[92]
any stomach disorder. A limit set on number allowed in
boats. No boats loaded with campers allowed to be
towed behind motor boats. Absolutely no swimming to
be permitted unless life boat is on hand for protection
of bathers.

Of course these rules may be modified to suit each
camp’s local problems, but if these suggestions are adhered
to in the main, it will be almost impossible for any
accidents to happen.

One accidental drowning case may ruin the reputation
of a camp. Build up the confidence of your campers
and their families by making your safety system as near
foolproof as possible.

Send every camper home a swimmer; and, if possible,
able to swim for two.

For information about life saving, write American Red
Cross Life Saving Corps, 44 East 23rd St., New York City.

Monarchs of all they Survey

[93]

VIII.

The program is one of the most important factors in
the well-organized camp and must be given much
thought. It is the thing which gives continuity to the
summer’s work and holds the entire group together.
Without it there would be disorder and confusion.

While including as many activities as possible without
causing any feeling of hurry, rush or forcing, it must
be planned so that repetition will not prove monotonous.
It should provide for periods of work and play, rest and
leisure; it must afford ample opportunity for self-expression
and development. Parts of the program
must necessarily be obligatory for all, others optional,
still others optional as to time only.

The fact that the group is composed of Scouts and is
living out of doors should bring to the fore, subjects for
study which are particularly in keeping with the Scout
program, such as nature lore, simple astronomy, woodcraft,
campcraft, carpentry, gardening, hiking, map-making,
swimming and boating; Scout grade test requirements,
and some of the Merit Badge work. Specific
directions for teaching these subjects are not given
here, as they are covered in the Handbook, “Scouting
for Girls,” and other publications.

Periods for play may include games, group singing,
rowing, hikes, entertainments, and so forth. Leisure
moments are for the individual. She should be allowed
to follow her own inclination so long as she does not
infringe upon the rights of others or break the necessary
camp rules which protect the safety and health of the
group. Hours of rest which all observe at stated periods
are, of course, most essential. While a daily program is[94]
absolutely necessary as a basis of work, it should occasionally
be put one side to allow the entire group to
take advantage of particularly propitious weather conditions
for walking and hiking, or for an entertainment
or field day. The daily program in every Girl Scout
camp should always include the formal ceremony of
raising and lowering the flag, inspection, a period of
rest directly after dinner, a period for the discussion of
the Scout Promise and Laws, and a short period for Setting-up
Exercises, preferably the first thing in the morning.
On Sundays a simple Scout service should be held.

A Sun Clock never runs down. Stake five feet high driven firmly in ground in open space. Peg is stuck in at end of shadow every hour during the day. From article in “Scouting”, Dec. 15, 1917

A feature of the day’s routine is the coming on duty
of the housekeeping squad which for a period of twenty-four
hours keeps the camp clean, orderly and safe, and[96]
performs most if not all of the necessary household
duties which must be done in every home or camp.
The squad should be under the leadership of a counsellor
who is particularly fitted to direct and instruct
the squad and be responsible for the work it does.

Going on duty in the middle of the afternoon gives
the members an opportunity to have a swim earlier in
the day, and after going off duty the next day, which
is a privilege not to be despised. The work which this
squad does is for the benefit of the entire group and
raises or lowers the camp standard each day.

The general program should be posted on the bulletin
board and explained to each new group that enters
camp. It should be given in detail as to hours, activities
and requirements. Whether the program is planned for
the group divided into two or three units or for the group
as one unit, depends upon the size of the camp. No
counsellor can do justice to her work if she has too
large a group, and on the other hand, the group if too
large will lose interest in the subject. The accompanying
program has been tried and may be of value as a
suggestion.

Fireplace in the House the Scouts Built

[97]

[98]

IX.

Every girl who goes to a camp in the summer is interested
in some form of sport. But perhaps swimming and
boating head the list for popularity.

There are many interesting ways in which to run your
swimming program so that it is taught systematically
and leads to real progress and efficiency.

One method that has been tried successfully in a very
large camp, but which would apply equally well in any
camp, is the arrangement of the entire camp into groups
designated as “Swimming Classes” and indicated by a[100]
special color bathing cap for each group or class so that
they may be easily distinguished in the water.

The Top of the Morning

Class Number 4, Red Cap.—All who have not passed
the canoe test which is explained under the heading
“Class Number 3.”

Class Number 3, Green Cap.—Pass the canoe test
which consists of swimming, floating or otherwise staying
above depth for fifteen minutes, and swimming in
from an overturned canoe 20 yards from shore.

Class Number 2, Blue Cap.

Class Number 1, White Cap.

Another method is to record the swimming achievements
on a chart under the following headings:

Form swimming, ornamental swimming, speed swimming,
canoe tests, life saving and dives.

Did you ever work to become a member of the Women’s
Life Saving Corps of the American Red Cross? The purpose
of this organization is to train women in all coast
cities, and cities bordering on lakes and rivers, to be able
to meet emergencies in the water and save lives.

There are six tests which have to be passed before a
girl is considered worthy of a W. L. S. C. certificate.

Boating, of which we shall first consider rowing, may
also be worked out according to classes, such as:

[103]

Before the Camp Fire is Lighted

[104]

In your own camp when grouping sports for classification
although you may get good suggestions from
other methods, it is best to work out a way which
meets your own particular need.

Remember that the swimming and boating should be
in charge of competent and responsible people or instructors
and that every precaution should be taken
against accident.

Remember it is better to emphasize good form rather
than speed or long distance swimming and the ability to
meet emergencies in the water rather than stunts.

Honors or recognition should be given for skill, form
and improvement rather than for endurance.

The interest in Water Sports is further stimulated by
weekly contests or a day set apart at the end of the
season called the Water Sports Day.

In weekly contests enough competition takes place to
keep the girls’ interest in improvement constantly keen.

For Water Sports Day here is a typical and comprehensive
program:

[105]

Wood Cutters

If you do not wish to have too strenuous a time for
Water Sports Day a carnival is suggested which is more
festive and makes for a very gay and picturesque time.
The carnival can be worked out in a variety of ways,
but the main feature is the decking of boats and costuming
of the participants, prizes being given for originality.
A short program of water sports can be added.

If there is adequate equipment Basket-ball, Baseball
and Tennis become the outstanding or major games in
a camp. These games should never be indulged in for
the idea of winning at all costs, but for the fun that one
gets out of them.

Of course there will be competitive games with qualified
teams and high standards of playing, but there will[106]
also be the impromptu and unexpected challenge games
played in fantastic costumes, accompanied by many antics
and songs composed on the inspiration of the
moment, games apt to be remembered long after the
other kind of competition has been forgotten.

Baseball for girls or children who cannot get used to
the paraphernalia of hard balls, bats and mitts, can be
played with a softer ball such as a playground ball, a
light bat and if necessary the simpler rules of Indoor
Baseball can be adopted for out-door playing. In most
camps, however, enthusiasm for real Baseball generally
outweighs every handicap.

Tennis does not take in the same number of players
at one time as does Baseball or Basket-ball, therefore
in order that everyone may get a try at it a schedule
may be made out so that the courts will not be monopolized
by one set of players to the exclusion of beginners
or other enthusiasts.

Ladder tournaments, both for singles and doubles,
solve this problem somewhat and create interest, especially
when the final try-outs are on.

There are any number of group games, Volley Ball,
Captain Ball, Relay Races and Ball Games, which are
played in camps when there is adequate equipment for
Basket-ball and Tennis, but more especially where there
is a lack of it.

Individual games, such as Archery, and Quoits make
the time pass pleasantly and profitably for a few who
like to go off by themselves.

Dancing is an interesting pastime for camp and fills
in many gaps.

It is a help in entertainments and if you are to have
an end of the season pageant, it is well to hold dancing[107]
classes regularly so that there will not be endless rehearsing
for the last days.

There are three types of dancing which can be presented.
The Aesthetic or Classic, the Folk Dancing and
the Social Dancing. For the most part, the Folk Dancing
is freer, easy to learn and more suited to the community
as a whole than the Aesthetic work.

It is better not to attempt much dancing in your
schedule if you have no piano or stringed pieces, for
although there are phonograph records to be had,
the supply is too limited to be entirely satisfactory.

A collection of English Country Dances by Cecil
Sharpe are dances that everyone can do and enjoy.

The joy of horseback riding does not find its way into
every camp, mainly because of the expense and responsibility
entailed, but if it does there are many facts to
know and master in horsemanship. For instance, one
should know how to take care of a horse, which means
feeding, watering, saddling, grooming, shoeing, tying
and general care necessary under different conditions.

The requirements for riding are to know:

The requirements for driving are:

[108]

But sports are not the only side to the camper’s program.
Another very large and absorbing part is the
Crafts, inclusive of Handcrafts, Woodcraft, Campcraft,
and the distinct Scout occupations, such as First Aid,
Home Nursing, Gardening, Signalling, and Homemaking,
treated in the Girl Scout Handbook.

The handcrafts are more numerous than your fingers
and can be defined as anything that is done with the
hands. It is possible to have almost any branch of the
Fine Arts and the Applied Arts as dyeing, batik, stenciling,
woodblock printing, pottery. Then there is basketry,
weaving, rug-making, leather work, and metal
work in copper, or jewelry in silver, woodcarving and
carpentry. The first problem is: “Who will teach it?”
The choice of what handcrafts you will have then,
depends somewhat on whom you can secure to present
them properly.

But closely allied is your second problem, “What can
we afford?” Jewelry, metal work and leather are the
most expensive. Pottery is fascinating, but you must
have a kiln to finish the product.

Try to choose the crafts which will suit the capacities.
It is better not to attempt jewelry at the outset.

Relating your craft work to the camp makes it doubly
interesting. So much can be done in this way with carpentry
which produces anything from docks and canoe
paddles to furniture and toothbrush holders.

Delightful problems in the interior decoration of a
camp living room can be worked out by combining the
efforts of all the craft workers. The carpenters build the[109]
furniture; the weavers make rugs and materials; the
dyers dip the materials and carry out the color scheme
and other workers supply the accessories.

It is well to have an exhibition to look forward to
for the end of the season when appointed judges decide
upon the merit of the work.

Woodcraft in the beginning was the first science of
man. As applied to camping we most frequently think
of it as anything which pertains to the woods or forests
and as a turning away from the more artificial side of
camping, and as in pioneer times learning to do everything[110]
ourselves, which is after all the keynote of real joy
in camping.

The Lean-To Going Up

To acquaint ourselves with the woods we can begin
with our immediate surroundings. Short walks to search
for flowers or ferns and to know the different varieties of
trees, or early morning trips to a bit of swamp land
where we can study the coloring and habits of birds or
sit quietly while patiently listening to distinguish them
by their songs.

We can lie out on the grass when the stars have come
out, and study the heavens or take trips at night with
an experienced woodsman, who perhaps shows us that
Nature by night is very often different from Nature by
day, or of how we can find a trail through a dense wood
by the light of a star—the North Star.

Woodcraft includes what we may merely for convenience[111]
classify as campcraft, which is to know all there is
to know about camping in the open.

For most purposes a good knowledge of how to make
out-door fires; (both from the standpoint of heat and
the kind of food to be cooked) cooking; trailing; and how
to make and break a camp, are sufficient.

Beginners in this lore would do well to get a thorough
knowledge of campcraft by going about it one step at
a time. For instance, it is advisable to confine oneself
to short trips at first and learn about the sensing
of directions, trail cutting and blazing, cooking, pitching
tents or building lean-tos; thus taking the various
branches which are preparatory to the actual experience
and real adventure of a camping-out party, and it is
then and there that our real knowledge is tested.

The topics to be considered either when learning about
campcraft or when actually doing it, are briefly:

[112]

The complete lean-to, showing fire place, wood pile and table to right. Cache is in back.

The basis for quite a comprehensive knowledge of
woodcraft in all its branches, camping and Nature
Study, is to be found in the Girl Scout Handbook,
“Scouting for Girls.”

Entertainments or shows of which there are an overwhelming
variety are a great aid in keeping everyone
in a cheerful frame of mind.

In the dramatic line we have the play, pantomime,[113]
vaudeville, minstrel, “take offs,” charades, the circus
and dramatization of stories.

With musical talent in a camp it adds much zest to
form an orchestra and then there is the possibility of
musical evenings and concerts. Added to these are the
Stunt Parties, Dances and Masquerades, Marshmallow
and Corn Roasts, and if it is a seashore camp, the
clam bake.

The play requires an amount of preparation and time
not always to be spared in a camp unless the season is
long. The most enjoyable shows are bound to be the
more spontaneous expressions in the form of impromptu
affairs.

There are celebrations which take place on particular
days such as the Fourth of July or any other event
which you wish to commemorate, just as the pageant
can be presented to display your camping or community
activities.

One of the finest things to cultivate if you are in close
proximity to other camps is an inter-camp relationship,
either in the forms of inter-camp contests or frolics, or
any demonstration which you think betokens friendship.
This may even go so far as the building of inter-camp
shacks and the making of inter-camp trails.

It is not only illuminating to come into contact with
another camp besides your own—it is a source of great
diversion and enjoyment, if there is plenty of fun and
friendship, and an absence of group jealousy.

Singing is a great and important part of camp life,
for it reflects every phase and meets all the situations of
that life.[114]

Songs are generally composed by the individual or by
groups, being the expression of their feelings, or results
of their experience in camp. The songs are quickly
adopted by the camp as a whole because people like to
sing their own songs, especially songs about fresh, actual
happenings.

Some of the songs which reflect universal experience
live on through the years and become traditional, while
others drop out and are never heard of again. The
following are Girl Scout Songs that have weathered
more or less satisfactorily.

[115]

[116]

[118]

The Builders. House built entirely by Girl Scouts

[119]

[121]

[122]

Nearly Finished

[123]

[125]

“Be Prepared.” The Signalling Class

Whether you receive prizes or honors, points or merit
badges for the attainment of a definite achievement in
your camp work, it is more systematic to keep some sort
of record of each individual’s progress and accomplishment.

A very simple way is a book record, but a far more
interesting and successful method is to make a chart
placing it on a conspicuous wall space where all may
study it. On the chart will be found the names of all
the campers together, with the names of all the activities.
In a space under these activity headings and
opposite the girl’s name, a space will be reserved for
recording her points.

Take for example a proposed section of a chart such
as the accompanying one.

For every girl who has received a point on such a[126]
chart it means that she has satisfactorily complied with
the standards imposed. For example, in Nature Study
we may say that Scout Jane identified perfectly 20
flowers and 15 birds.

I. Section of a Chart for recording achievements of Scouts. In a large camp, a permanent backer with headings can be made, and strips for each Scout pinned on and removed when she leaves camp.

Girl Scouts would work out such a chart in relation to
and on the basis of the winning of merit badges in the
fifty-seven-odd Scout subjects.

Recording is not the only means of recognition given
to a girl who has made a definite achievement along
some given line. But awards and honors are often given
at the end of the season in many camps. However,
only the merit badges will be discussed here, as this is
primarily a Manual for Girl Scout camps.

It is to be remembered that the chart does not record
everything about a girl. When reviewing the chart or
record book before deciding who deserves the final
honors, or merit badges, there are other things to be
taken into account, for instance, the effort and the
progress or improvement and the kind of spirit that
went with the material achievement.

[127]

X

The daytime hike gives the camper an opportunity to
see something of the surrounding country, and to have
the experience of following paths and trails, of climbing
and coming into touch with the deep woods, and all of
their beauties. Also the necessary routine and rules of an
organized camp would prove unbearable to the all-summer
hiker if she did not get away from them once
in a while. The very purpose of the camp would be
thwarted. All children are not so constituted or trained
that they can go off and sleep in the woods even for
one night, but they should be encouraged to take hikes
varying in length from five to twenty miles according
to the child’s ability to endure.

The daytime hikers should leave camp by ten o’clock,
each one properly shod and clothed and for convenience
carrying her own luncheon either in a knapsack or in a
little, well-wrapped parcel. She should have her individual
drinking cup, and if the hike is to include a
swim in some far-off lake, a bathing suit and bath towel
should be taken. There should be an objective for these
daytime hikes and the paths and roads should be well
known by some member of the party. Two hours is
none too long a time for the noon rest and luncheon
and the return trip should be planned to bring the
campers into camp before supper. It is never wise to
start out with a group of girls who cannot keep about
the same pace. Nothing is more fatiguing than exerting
oneself to keep up to a pace or on the other hand to[128]
slacken one’s pace for the accommodation of the lagger.
There should always be one person in charge of the
entire group and she should have as many assistants as
the size of the group requires. One counsellor to every
ten girls is none too many for a daytime hike. Under no
circumstances, even though there were but six girls,
should one counsellor assume the entire responsibility for
a week-end or overnight hike. There should always be
at least two older people. The great opportunity for
studying Nature should be taken advantage of and if
possible a nature study teacher should accompany the
girls. All hikers on return to camp should be examined,
and any blisters, bruises, cuts or strains should be reported
and properly attended to. There have been cases
where from neglect, a blister on the foot has become
infected, causing serious trouble.

Girl Scouts when hiking along highways should walk
in single file on the left hand side of the way, thus
giving them an opportunity to see approaching vehicles.

There are many interesting signs that can be made by
Scouts when hiking, to mark the trail or note conditions
observed. These signs and their uses are given in the
Girl Scout Handbook and should be learned and put
into practice. The use of them develops the powers of
observation and makes for alertness.

No child should be permitted to start out on a week-end
hike unless her physical condition is such as to
withstand any unexpected weather conditions which
might arise or prolonged exposure in the open. Also
she should be properly clothed; preferably in thin woolen
clothes, wearing as little as possible, yet being comfortable.
Her shoes should be stout, low-heeled and[129]
round-toed. She should take with her a sweater, extra
underwear, stockings, nightclothes, toilet articles, and
blankets.

Only sufficient food should be taken to last during
the time planned for. This food should be packed
in small bags, preferably waterproof. Two and a quarter
pounds for one day’s rations is sufficient. Cereal in some
form, many prefer flour in order to make bread, a fat—such
as bacon or butter—rice, for bulk, something to
drink, cocoa or tea, a sweet, preferably chocolate, a
small amount of sugar and raisins are suggested. Eggs
can be added to the above; also salt, baking powder,
evaporated milk and dried egg.

Never start for a week-end hike late in the afternoon.
Plan to make camp not later in the day than five o’clock.
At once build the campfire and start to prepare the
supper. Select suitable places on the ground for sleeping.
Make sure that the ground is dry, and if possible
spread a poncho under the blankets. A hole dug so that
the body will fit into it and touch the ground at every
point makes sleeping more comfortable. Keep the campfire
burning all night, different members of the party,
two at a time, being on guard. Do not have the fire too
large. One of the signs of a tenderfoot woodsman is a
big fire for cooking or the night watch. Not only are
they dangerous, but when using them for cooking the
cook as well as the food is apt to be burned. Before
building the fire, scrape all leaves and dried grass from
the ground, leaving a foundation of bare earth. Make
sure that every vestige of fire is out upon breaking camp.
Also that no evidences of a camp save the matted grass
are left behind.

In carrying a pack, place the load high on the back and
move the body forward to keep the center of gravity.[130]

The overnight hike is more of a lark than the week-end
hike. Its principal features are sleeping in the open and
cooking one’s food in the most primitive manner. The
same requirements as for week-end hikes should obtain
as to the number of counsellors and the child’s physical
condition. Also she should be properly clothed for the
trip as to shoes, stockings, underclothes, and so forth.
The necessary equipment for an overnight hike such as
nightclothes, toilet articles, etc., can be neatly laid in a
blanket and the blanket rolled from end to end. It
should be tied in the center, about four inches from
either end and between the ends and the center with
a stout string. Bring the ends together side by side
and tie tightly. Throw the blanket over the head, the
ends under one arm, the center of the blanket on the
opposite shoulder.

The hiker can take more food than is strictly necessary,
for as a general thing she walks only a short
distance and can thus carry a quite heavy pack. The
trip should be so planned that the hikers reach their
destination by five o’clock in the afternoon. The following
day can be spent in exploring the surrounding country,
finding as many points of interest as possible, studying
the trees, the flowers, the birds, and following up any
trails, paths or streams which look interesting. The day
should be so planned that the return to the main camp
will be accomplished in the late afternoon or early
evening.[131]

First Aides. Several Kinds of Bandages

There are various kinds of camp fires that can be
made and experimented with while off on a hike. The
log cabin fire, in which two sticks are laid parallel to
each other about nine inches apart, two more laid in
the opposite direction on top of the ends of the first two
sticks, the square made about three sticks high. In the
center of this is laid a small fire of dried leaves and
small dried twigs. When the fire is well started larger
twigs should be slowly added until there is a bed of
coals on which can be put short sticks of wood. The
cooking utensils can be stood on the log cabin foundation
if it has been made of wood sufficiently large to withstand
the heat of the fire, or they can stand on a grating
placed over the fire. Never cook over a blaze. Wait until
there is a bed of coals.[132]

Another way of building a campfire is to select two
large green logs; place them near together at one end,
the other ends 18 inches or more apart and facing the
wind. Build the fire in between the logs. Smooth off
the top of the logs with an axe to form a support for the
cooking utensils.

Where large stones are available make a fireplace by
putting two stones about ten or twelve inches apart at
right angles to a large back stone, or place three stones
to form a hollow square, building the fire in the center.
Cooking utensils can be stood on a stone placed over the
top of the fireplace or on a grating placed across the
top, or rested on two iron bars laid on top of the fireplace.

Another fire can be built by placing three medium
sized sticks in the shape of an Indian tepee or wigwam.
The sticks must be of about the same size and placed so
carefully that they will not fall into the fire which is
built underneath them. When the dried leaves and
twigs have started to burn well, add a little wood of a
larger size, thus gradually building up the fire. Over the
fire three larger sticks can be placed—those which are
three or four feet in length—brought to a point, fastened
with rope and a kettle hung over the fire from the center.

One of the best woods to use is scrub oak which is
distributed quite widely over the United States. It
burns slowly and gives out an even heat.

Another fire, especially useful in the case of high wind,
is built in a trench, one end of which is deeper than the
other, also wider. Start the fire with dried leaves, twigs,
etc., gradually adding larger wood, finally using logs
placed lengthwise in the trench. This type can be used
very effectively for burning garbage, particularly if the
garbage is placed in the trench and the fire built on top
of it.[133]

To “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” Keep the Wood Pile High

Another type of fire which can be used for warmth
even better than for cooking is built in front of three
large logs placed one on top of another in slightly slanting
formation. The logs serve to reflect the heat.

A few suggestions may be helpful to the young
camper. Before lighting your fire have at hand all of
the necessary material, dried leaves, tiny dry twigs,
twigs of a larger size, small sticks, and finally your heavy
fuel. Do not smother the fire by starting with too much
material and do not put it out by putting on too much
wood at one time. The object is to have a bed of hot
coals over which you can do the necessary cooking
without either smoking the cooking utensils, burning
the food, or burning oneself, or being choked with smoke.

There are various cooking utensils and appliances
made especially for campers which are both interesting
to use and most serviceable. One is the grate with folding[134]
legs which can be stuck into the ground, the grate
placed over the fire. Another is the reflector oven made
of tin with a shelf holding a pan, the whole to be set in
front of the fire, and can be used for baking bread, apple
cake, etc.

The greatest test for the camper is the building of a
fire in rainy weather when leaves and twigs and wood
are far from dry. It can be done and the greatest joy
derived in the doing. Choose an old log which is not
water-soaked. Split it with an axe; split one-half of it
again. With a sharp knife make a little pile of shavings
whittled from the heart of the log. Put them in the center
of the log cabin formation. Light them from underneath
(which is the way all fires should be lighted), and
coax the blaze by adding dry shavings as required until
there is sufficient blaze to light the small wood which
has been collected. This fire takes patience and perseverance.

It is sometimes possible in very wet weather to pick
up small wood that has been protected from the rain;
also to break off the dead wood of trees or the small
twigs on the ends of the limbs to start a fire.

Under no circumstances should a camper use artificial
tinder of any kind. No paper, excelsior or oil should
be used in building a campfire, and a Scout should need
only one match.

Always build a fire where the wind will blow the
smoke away from the camp, and never fail to build it
on the bare ground where there will be no possibility of
its creeping through the grass or underbrush into the
woods.

After a meal when necessary to burn garbage, do not
throw a quantity right on top of the fire to smoulder
and cause a disagreeable odor. Rather sprinkle it[135]
around the edges that it may dry before being shoveled
onto the coals. When necessary to burn papers, be careful
that a burning paper does not blow into nearby
brush or woods.

The questions of fires and provisions for hiking are
treated at length in the Girl Scout Handbook.

There were ten of us—our chaperones, a man and his
wife; a good all-round camp man, capable of instructing
in camp life, fishing and wood knowledge of all kinds;
our Captain and four Girl Scouts.

We left Tacoma at seven A. M. by automobile, driving
three hours to the foot of Huckleberry Mountain
from which point we were to hike to camp. Here we
were met by a native of the parts who was to carry a
pack, as we had not enough men to manage supplies.
Pack ponies are out of the question, for the trail leads
for six miles over fallen trees and through dense growth.
After half an hour, our packs and bed rolls adjusted, we
started off at a good even pace for the river.

For one mile hiking was comparatively easy. Then we
had to cross the river over a fallen tree. The girls could
not do this and carry their packs, so the men made several
trips after which we all crossed. The time taken in[136]
crossing the river was equivalent to, a good rest, so as
soon as the last member of our party was over, we readjusted
our packs and started on our way.

The trail now led through a dense fir forest with its
scattering spruce and hemlock. For a mile it led along
the high bank of the Deschutes River where we could
look far down into myriads of jade-colored pools; then
for a mile into the very heart of the woods among masses
of glassy, dark-green ferns, and clumps of feathery, tossing
maiden-hair; through Oregon grape, bright arsenic
green and brilliant red. Here and there we came to a
fairy-like dell, carpeted with red and green moss, starred
with hundreds of flat five-petalled white blossoms. At
the far corner of this nook, more unprotected where the
sun shone, was a clump of the blue and white butterfly
blossoms of the Mountain Lupine. In one of these dells
we stopped for our luncheon. It was just past that
silent hour of the woods and we could hear twigs snapping
under the feet of moving animals. Birds were singing
and it was the one time of day when there is a
perfume in the dense woods such as we were in; a drugged
perfume of sweet clover, the flowered mosses and scattered
Lupine. Before leaving we each ate an orange we
had been told to bring, as mountain water taken on a
hike winds one too quickly. During the hike we could
chew dried prunes at any time, but absolutely no water
could we have until we reached camp.

The trail then led back to the river bank and along it
over fallen logs and among trees deeply laden with hanging
silver grey moss. This lasted for two miles, until
the river split, forming a small island easily reached by
stepping stones, where camp was made.

The very first thing done was to teach the girls how
to make beds, which we did, while the men cut hemlock[137]
boughs; our extra man remaining long enough for that.
The second thing was to pick out places for our beds
and as soon as there were enough boughs we placed our
bags, already made, upon them. The men then gathered
enough wood for that night and the following morning.
Pitch torches were made and stacked where we could
get them. While they were busy with this heavy work
that had to be accomplished before night the girls gathered
rocks for the oven, and dug a hole for the cache.
This hole was lined with one of the small tarpaulins, all
food placed in it, tarpaulin drawn over, and slabs of
bark then placed over the hole. This protected food,
both from weather and animals. A shelf was made on
the side of one of the trees on which the baking powder
tins were placed with salt, sugar, part of flour, such
things as coffee, jam, milk, etc., that were already in
tins were also kept on this shelf.

Around the Campfire

This work was completed by five-thirty, the cook oven[138]
constructed and second fire made around which the beds
were placed. Dinner over, we turned in early, being
exhausted, in spite of the good condition we were all
supposed to be in for the trip. We slept in our clothes
with cap and bed socks for extra warmth and comfort.
The two men did not sit up all night, but took turns
keeping up the fire as it needed attention. The only
animals are deer and cougar, the former harmless, while
the latter seldom come near camp except when it
is deserted. They cause little trouble in the woods, as
we never go alone, but always in couples. They will
track a single person, but never two.

Morning routine commenced with a dip in the river
and change of clothes. As we wear our breeches when
out fishing and our skirts in camp, no extra heavy wearing
apparel need be carried. Immediately after breakfast
the beds are always taken apart, blankets folded
and placed on second small tarpaulin in lean-to which
had been constructed from large slabs of bark against
a tree. This lean-to kept bedding protected from the
atmosphere and animals, as well as serving a second
purpose of camp orderliness and neatness. A second
lean-to was made for wood, bark and pitch torches. The
first morning it was necessary to complete camp construction
before the fun commenced. Shelves were made
on the river bank for toilet articles, nails placed for
towels, etc., and saplings formed as a screen for fear of
a chance fisherman or game protector passing by. On
the other side of the island a place was made for washing
dishes.

Camp made, we were free to go fishing. So taking a
can of unsalted salmon eggs in our pockets, our rods,
and a v-shaped twig to carry our fish on, we were off
until lunch.[139]

We all assist in making and cleaning up after this
meal. Then an hour of rest is followed by fishing, learning
woodcraft methods of various kinds, or anything
that we may choose to do. Dinner was prepared while
there was still daylight, and then the best part of camp
life began—telling stories around the fire, studying the
stars and singing to the accompaniment of mandolin
and ukulele, always carried on a trip of this kind.

The large tarpaulins brought are for emergency only,
in case of a thunderstorm. Such occurring we gather
all our beds together into one row and the tarpaulin is
placed over them, under which we lie until the storm is
over. By crawling out carefully we can gather up tarpaulin
and shake it out away from our bedding and
thus we can keep dry without the shelter of cabin, tent
or lean-to.

This is a general routine of a short roughing trip in
the deep mountain forests of North Western Washington.

The only addition necessary for the ordinary Girl
Scout equipment for a week-end hike is fishing rods and
tackle.

Girl Scout “Hayseeds” and the Stack They Made

[140]

XI.

Too great stress cannot be laid upon the question of
sanitation. Make the camp safe if you would have a
healthful, happy camp, and keep it orderly if you would
keep it safe. The time to make the camp safe is before
and during the process of building and prior to each
camp season if an old camp is used. Certain known things
are fore-runners of trouble and should be avoided or
safeguarded against from the start. Among these are
low, damp ground, impure water, an insufficient supply
of water, unsafe bathing conditions, such as deep water
only, a very swift current, undertow, shallow water and
a quick drop, holes, and so forth; proximity to pest
breeding places such as pools of stagnant water, marshes
where mosquitoes breed, uncared-for out houses, barns,
and dumps; inadequate latrine facilities, and so forth.

The keeping of the camp safe is a daily matter which
includes the disposal of all waste, the cleaning of the
camp grounds and all buildings, the inspection of the
water supply, provisions, equipment, the latter in a
general way, the guarding against pests of any kind and
the personal health of the campers.

Every morning all trash should be collected and properly
disposed of. Burning is the only method unless[141]
arrangements have been made to have all dry waste
carted away. For burning light trash use a small incinerator
two feet high and eighteen inches in diameter,
made of iron, and with a cover circular in shape and
perforated closely with holes half an inch in diameter.
When in use the incinerator should stand in an open
place away from all tents and buildings. The heavier
trash, such as old shoes, paste-board boxes, discarded
clothing, should be burned in a heap away from all
buildings, care being taken that no bits of hot paper
cause grass fires, or blow into the woods.

“Over the Top“

Wooden boxes in which provisions are shipped can be
split up for kindling wood, or if the boxes are large and
well made, kept for packing equipment for storage.
Some of the well-made boxes are very serviceable to use
as seats, and one could be placed in the kitchen to hold
wood. Butter tubs, if washed and dried, can be used to
hold vegetables or other provisions. Barrels should never
be thrown away if in good condition. They are invaluable
when packing dishes or kitchen ware and during the[142]
summer will hold sacks of provisions such as cereal, rice,
hominy, beans, and so forth.

All tin cans should be rinsed out as soon as emptied,
burned on the trash heap and when cold thrown into a
covered pit, or into covered barrels to be carted away at
the end of the season.

There are three ways of disposing of garbage when in
camp. Burn it, bury it, give it away. Sometimes all
three ways are necessary in one camp. If the group is
small and there is little garbage it can be thrown around
the edge of a hot fire and when dried out, raked onto
the hot coals.

In larger camps a portable incinerator can be used.
One form has a basin over the fire pot, into which garbage
is placed to be dried out and then turned into the fire.

In camps of 100 or more people where burning is
difficult, pits for burying garbage have been found satisfactory
if properly cared for and dug not near the camp
buildings or source of water supply. They should be
deep, oblong in shape, and the earth should be thrown
up at one side to be used in covering the garbage as soon
as it is thrown into the pit.

In a camp where there is no plumbing, liquid waste
as well as garbage, can be disposed of in the following
way. Dig a trench four feet long, two feet deep and
thirty inches wide at one end; eight inches wide and
level with the ground at the other end; line with stone,
or if this is impossible, use tin, sheet iron, or brick. Put
the garbage into the trench, build a fire on top of it,
when the fire is very hot pour the liquid waste into the
trench at the small end. If there is a great deal of garbage
some of it will have to be put on top of the fire[143]
which should be made of heavy logs of hard wood. Tin
cans can be burnt in this fire and then treated as stated
before.

The disposing of camp garbage is not a difficult matter
if some system and care are used. It is necessary to have
a covered pail near the kitchen door for use during the
day. The contents of this pail should be burned or buried
every night after supper and if necessary once during
the day, preferably after dinner. If this pail is lined with
two or three thicknesses of newspaper each time after
emptying, it will be kept in good condition.

If garbage is to be carted out of camp, have proper
receptacles for transporting it and do not let too much
accumulate at any one time.

Under no circumstances allow waste food to be strewn
on the ground anywhere within camp limits, or the
ground around the garbage pail, pit or incinerator to be
untidy.

One of the best disinfectants for latrines and garbage
pits is smouldering tar paper. Break the paper into
small pieces, throw into the latrine or pit, light and let
smoulder.

At least twice a week camp grounds should be thoroughly
inspected to make sure that there are no pest
breeding places such as pools of stagnant water, old tin
cans in which water will collect, trash heaps, and so
forth. It is much easier to keep flies and mosquitoes
away by doing away with such places, than it is to
exterminate them after they have come in large numbers.
If camp grounds and buildings are cleaned every day
and all waste properly disposed of, there is little danger
of trouble from pests.[144]

In localities where mosquitoes and flies are very
troublesome other precautions should be taken. It
might be necessary to have mosquito netting over the
cots at night and fly paper in the kitchen and store
closet. A piece of absorbent cotton saturated in citronella
and hung on the tent poles at either end of the tent
will sometimes keep mosquitoes away as they dislike
intensely any strong odor.

If ants get into the kitchen or store closets borax
sprinkled on the shelves will often send them away, or
if they are very troublesome dishes of food can be stood
in pans of water.

An adequate water supply is most essential for any
camp, and should be one of the first things to be considered
in selecting a site. Springs and wells generally
supply the camper with drinking water; lakes and
streams with wash water. Few springs or wells can
supply enough water for all purposes when a camp is
large.

Whatever the source of supply the drinking water
should be tested by the Health authorities before
camp opens, and at any time there is any question concerning
it. Springs and wells should be cleaned out and
the former protected with boards or screening if necessary.

Too much thought cannot be given to the question of
the water, as to its purity and quantity. Children drink
a great deal in hot weather and much has to be used for
cooking and washing. If there is any danger of the drinking
supply giving out, to prevent waste, allow only one
or two people to draw water and then only when necessary.[145]

Keep covered tanks or coolers of drinking water in
shady places, convenient for the campers. Caution all
as to wastefulness and if in case of an emergency there
is only a very little, place a counsellor in charge of it
and deal it out by the cupful, seeing that all have an
equal share. Of course, only individual cups should be
used.

Should there be any doubt as to the purity of the
water, boil it for twenty minutes, place in earthenware
or agate vessels, cool, cover and lower the vessels down
the well, or put them in the ice box, or some cool place
for the water to get cold.

Water for cooking can be taken from a lake or stream.
It is generally boiled.

If the only source of supply is a brook or stream, water
for drinking should be taken above camp. All vessels in
which it is carried or kept should be thoroughly washed
each day.

No camp should remain open if the water supply is
not what it ought to be.

If a camp is supplied with running water and plumbing
has been installed the location and covering of the
tank and the cesspool are important things to consider.

The drain pipes connected with sinks or tubs should
be flushed occasionally with disinfectants, the sink
drain cleaned daily with boiling water and washing soda.

Marsh land near a camp site which is otherwise desirable,
if treated with crude oil or the water drained off by
ditches, will not prove a menace.

Every camp must be provided with adequate latrine
service. One unit for every eight or ten people is considered
necessary. The type of latrine to be used will[146]
depend on existing conditions at the camp site, but
whatever it is the greatest care must be taken to keep
them clean. Seats and covers should be scrubbed every
day, houses swept and toilet paper provided. Covers
should not remain open, and it should be considered a
misdemeanor to throw cloths of any kind into a latrine.
As a place must be provided for them it is suggested
that a small portable incinerator be kept in a closed
box stood in one corner of the latrine house, and that
the incinerator be removed every day to a near-by open
place and the contents burned.

Volley Ball

Latrines should be cleaned out before camp opens and
the ground around them left perfectly clean. As a precaution
make sure that no part of the contents is deposited
anywhere near camp. If the ordinary out-of-door
closet is used, see that chloride of lime is sprinkled
in the pit daily.

If a small group is to be provided for in a temporary
camp and a latrine must be built, the earthen closet will[147]
probably give the best satisfaction. This is made by
digging a trench 2 ft. wide, 3 ft. deep and in length
2 ft. for each unit. Over the trench place a box seat
17 inches high, with holes having hinged covers. Bank
earth around the bottom of the box and in front of it
place a board walk. Protect the seat by pitching a
tent over it or encircling it with a strip of canvas 5 ft.
high, fastened to posts, the ends of which pass each
other forming a protected doorway. A box of earth and
a small shovel should be kept in the tent and every time
the closet is used earth should be thrown into it. Lime
should be used daily. When necessary to dig a new
trench make sure that the old one is properly filled in.
A latrine of this kind must not be placed near any
water supply.

A type of latrine which is being built on permanent
camp sites in the Palisades Interstate Park and which
has been developed by the engineers of the Park Commission,
is giving such satisfaction that an outline of its
construction is herewith given.

Dig a pit in which is built a concrete tank 3 ft. wide,
3 ft. deep at one end, and 3 ft. 8 inches at the other,
and 17 ft. in length for eight units, the concrete 6 inches
thick.

Build over it a house 6 or 7 ft. wide, the rear and one
side wall of which rest on the rear and lower end wall of
the pit. The deep end of the pit for 18 inches is left
outside of the house. This opening, which must have
an adjustable cover, is used when cleaning the pit.

Floor the building to within 20 inches of the rear
wall. Cover the opening in the floor with a box seat
17 inches high leaving in it properly made toilet seats,
2 ft. apart from center to center, with covers.

Make four agitators, one for every two units, by fastening[148]
a wooden paddle 5 x 7 inches onto one end of a
5-ft. length of 2-inch iron pipe. Put the pipes through
a slot in the seat between the two openings, the paddle
at right angles to the length of the seat, and clearing
the bottom of the pit by three inches. The agitators
are held in place by clamps attached to the bottom of
he seat which allows the pipe handle to be moved
from side to side. Vent pipes 4 inches in diameter extend
from the pit up through the seat back of each
cover, and through the roof for 18 inches.

Charge the pit with 175 gallons of water and 240
pounds of Kaustine, a patented chemical compound.
By moving the agitator handles from side to side whenever
the latrine is used all solid matter is brought in
contact with the Kaustine solution and decomposed.

As with all other latrines, the house must be kept
clean and the seats scrubbed each day. It is not
necessary to use any disinfectants in this type of house,
but it should have two doors and windows.

First Aid supplies are a necessity in camp and should
always be provided. Some one person must be responsible
for them and when possible this person should be
either a trained nurse or a practical nurse.

The nurse should have a tent or a corner in some
building where a table and shelf covered with oil cloth
and a bed can be placed and all supplies properly cared
for. No one should be allowed to take any of the supplies
without her permission.

It is advisable to have in every camp, pails of water
standing in the mess hall, in the kitchen, or in other
accessible places, or small chemical fire apparatus to be
used in case of necessity. A fire drill is also an essential
provision.

Place the indoor camp stove on a concrete base with
zinc back of it.

In building the mess hall chimney, be sure that two
flues are built, in case one needs to be used for the
kitchen stove pipe, as one flue cannot be used for two
fires.

Before any child is admitted to a Girl Scout camp
she should have been thoroughly examined by a competent
physician. These examinations should be arranged
for by the Local Councils. With very slight effort
it is possible to enlist the interest of physicians, particularly
women physicians, in making these examinations.

The accompanying certificate (p. 52) is particularly
recommended as preferable to an informal statement.
This certificate, properly filled out, should be of great[150]
assistance to the Camp Director in safeguarding the
health of the Scouts in camp. It must be remembered
that young girls are ambitious to do all that their
fellows do, and very seldom are willing to admit any
physical disability. The responsibility should not be on
their shoulders. Camp life subjects each person to quite
unusual physical exertion which in some cases may
amount to a strain. The things to be especially guarded
against are heart disturbances, either functional or organic;
painful or too profuse menstruation; flat foot,
weak backs and prolapsed intestine. Under-nutrition
and anemia will usually be automatically corrected by
life in the open and the consequent increased appetite.
No child who is markedly undernourished, however,
should be allowed to take extraordinary exercise until
she has begun to gain.

Before the Scouts start for camp they should be assembled
and inspected in a group by a nurse, or some
other person competent to detect body and head lice.
No Scout should be allowed to come to camp infested
with vermin, and yet this happens repeatedly unless
definite precautions are taken. As a rule this cannot be
left to the examining physician. If this examination is
made as early as a week ahead of the time to start for
camp the children’s heads can be cleansed.

To cleanse the head from lice, rub the scalp and saturate
the hair with kerosene. Tie the head up in a
thick, clean cloth held in place with safety pins. Leave
the bandage on over night. After removing the bandage
it should be plunged at once into hot soap suds, and
thoroughly washed. Wash the scalp and hair with castile
or ivory soap, rinsing thoroughly. Dry with clean towels.
Combs and brushes should be thoroughly cleansed before
using. It may be necessary to repeat this process once.[151]

The ideal should be held before each Scout of having
her health record while in camp a perfect one. Should
any unforeseen trouble arise, however, she must report
at once to the nurse or Director.

Whenever possible, sleep with tent sides and flaps up;
never with the tent closed except in case of a severe
storm.

Indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, bruises,
blisters, strains and sprains, insect bites, sunburn and
ivy poisoning are some of the common camp ailments
that have to be dealt with.

Observing the Scout Health requirements as discussed
in the Handbook, “Scouting for Girls,” helps very much
in establishing a healthy Scout camp and keeping out of
it conditions which are often due to carelessness.

The First Aid House

[152]

XII

To buy in large quantities at wholesale and pay for
the order within ten days is economy. To ship by
boat and not by rail, when possible, also saves money.
To have a dry, well ventilated store room and an ice
room is to save still more. It is possible and feasible to
order before camp opens, the necessary dry groceries
and canned goods to be used in a camp of 150 during a
period of four to five weeks, and to care for same in a
comparatively small space.

The amounts needed can be computed from the
amounts necessary for a family of four or six. In fact,
the knowledge necessary to provide properly for a family
under ordinary circumstances is of the greatest help in
providing for a camp be it large or small. There are
many good cook books which specify quantities for given
numbers of people; knowing these, the numbers of
campers to be fed per day, the amounts in which various
kinds of dry provisions are sold at wholesale, gives one
the key to the situation. By making out roughly a
week’s menus, a close estimate can be made.

Cereals, flours and meals can be bought by the sack
and range in weight from 50 to 100 pounds. Sugar can
be bought by the bag or barrel, the latter being better
because it is cleaner. Navvy beans, to be used for baking,
are sold in bags, 150 or 160 pounds in a bag. Baking
powder is bought in 5-lb. tins. Cocoa is bought in 25-lb.
drums. Macaroni comes in 22-lb. boxes. Peanut butter
in 10-lb. pails. Crisco comes in 6-lb. cans; molasses in
No. 10 tins, 6 tins in a case; tomatoes in No. 10 tins,[153]
6 in a case; apple butter in 30-lb. pails; cod fish in 20-lb.
boxes; soap, 1 case of 100 bars; butter in 63-lb. tubs;
eggs in a case of 30 dozen; prunes, apricots, peaches in
25-lb. boxes; raisins in 25-lb. boxes; cheese, 30 lbs.
(whole cheese); split peas in 60-lb. bag; vanilla in pint
or quart bottles; salt, 25-lb. bag; corn starch, 1 package
of 2 dozen boxes; soda, cinnamon, nut meg, ginger,
pepper and mustard to be bought in small quantities as
needed.

Fresh milk, if obtained from a dairy, is delivered in
40-qt. cans. A quart and a cup per person per day is a
good allowance for drinking and cooking purposes. If
fresh milk is not obtainable, or can be had only in small
quantities, a good brand of evaporated milk should be
kept on hand.

Fresh vegetables are bought either by the pound,
bunch, quart, peck or bushel. In so far as is possible
they should be cooked the day they are delivered. If,
however, it is necessary to buy vegetables at one time
for two or three days’ supply, use first such things as
spinach, peas, beans and corn, for cabbages, carrots,
beets, tomatoes and squash are more easily kept and
are not so impaired in flavor by keeping.

If fresh meat or chicken is to be served it should
be cooked the day it is delivered, or kept on ice
until such time as it will be needed. Fresh fish should
be handled with great care and not allowed to remain
off the ice for any length of time. There are so many
wholesome substitutes for meat that it seems entirely
unnecessary for campers to have meat more than once
or at most twice a week. In the summer time, it is very
heating, and also the meat which is obtainable in small
communities is very often not the best quality, to say
nothing of being very expensive. An occasional pot[154]
roast of the top of the round, or a roast of lamb, or a
piece of corned beef can be used. Fresh fish when obtainable
and well cooked is always most acceptable.

The Weavers

Canned meat and canned fish are not recommended.

All bags of cereal, meals or flour should be placed in
covered barrels, boxes or tubs stood on a platform
raised from the floor. Boxes of dried foods such as fruit,
cod fish and so forth should be stacked, each kind in a
pile and placed on the platform. All tinned goods should
be taken out of their cases and laid on shelves. Butter,
crisco, eggs, peanut butter, apple butter, and so forth,
should be kept in the ice house. Cheese should be
wrapped in cheese cloth wrung out in vinegar and kept
in a box on a shelf in the store room, not in the ice box.

The handling of fresh milk is something which should
be done with great care. After opening a large can, the
milk should be stirred with a long ladle which reaches
to the bottom of the can. The quantity of milk needed
should be taken out and put in a pitcher. For dipping
out the milk use a dipper which has been sterilized by[155]
placing it in boiling water and cooled by allowing cold
water to run over it. This dipper should not be used for
any other purpose than taking milk from the large can
and when not in use can hang in the ice room. Milk
cans should always be kept covered and no milk which
has once been taken out of a can should ever be poured
back into it. What is left from the table should be put
in a pitcher and stood in the ice house to be used for
cooking. Milk which is handled in this way and which
comes from a first class dairy will keep sweet for three
days. It is not essential to keep fresh vegetables in an
ice house. If the tops are cut off, vegetables can be kept
in baskets in the store room. Under no circumstances
should anything hot or even warm be put into the ice
box, as the steam which arises from the combination of
cold and heat will decompose food very quickly, or cause
it to sour. Anything that is hot and needs to be cooled
before placing in the ice box should be covered with
cheese cloth kept for the purpose and stood on the store
room shelves.

Bread, if bought from a bakery, can be kept in a barrel
or on shelves and covered with cheese cloth. The sandwich
loaves are recommended as they cut to better advantage
in the bread cutter, and are more economical in
the long run. These loaves weigh about three pounds
apiece and cut into from 40 to 45 slices.

Ice cream salt should not be kept in the store room,
but in a half-barrel or tub outside of the kitchen door.
Salt causes dampness, which is not desirable. The bag of
table salt should stand in a tub or box of some kind.
Fruit, especially tomatoes and peaches, should be
watched closely as little flies are apt to collect on them.

It is most essential that the store room be swept, the
shelves brushed, and everything not of use removed from[156]
it every morning. This is true with the care of an ice
box or room. Not a day should pass that it is not thoroughly
inspected and all that is not usable removed
from it, and the room left in a perfectly clean, wholesome
condition. The ice compartment should be washed
out two or three times a week before the fresh ice is put
into the box.

Do not buy more perishable food than can be properly
taken care of and used within a day or two. Watch it
closely, pick it over each day and throw out any part
which shows signs of decay.

Do not neglect to replenish the larder before supplies
are out, as transportation is slow. Do not forget that
large quantities take much more time to cook than
small quantities. Many times meals are not served on
time for this reason.

Make a point of weighing, measuring and apportioning.
It is economy to do so.

Nail a card in the kitchen on which is given the
quantities of those things which are used constantly
and the number of people each quantity will supply:
sugar, butter, bread, cereal, cocoa, dried fruit.

Buy only what is needed and can be properly stored.
The second grade of many foods is as good as the first
in taste, and as nourishing. It costs less, and many times
simply because it is not perfect in size or uniformity.

To buy in bulk is less expensive than to purchase
boxed or tinned goods. This rule for campers pertains
particularly to cereals, crackers, meals, flours, sugar,
cocoa, raisins, etc.

When buying fresh fruits, vegetables or meat, take
advantage of the market, even if it means a quick
change of menus. A surplus means low prices.

Having bought what is the best or the best that can[157]
be afforded, do not spoil it in the preparation, cooking
or serving. A deplorable condition exists in many homes
and doubtless camps as well, because the art of provisioning
from first to last is not better understood.

The Girl Scout camps must prove that thrift and good
food go hand in hand; also that in every department
related in any way to our food, which is of such importance
to health and happiness, the most approved methods
are used.

The condition of one’s health is probably more dependent
on what one eats than on any other single thing.
Certain foods are necessary to keep the body in good
physical condition and certain combinations of foods are
not only better for the body but more pleasing to the
palate than others. There is a psychology of food which,
if studied, is interesting, and which, if applied, is
most helpful. How many times quantity has not satisfied
an appetite when quality has. Living in the open
creates an appetite, generally for quantity rather than
quality; but this is no reason why the latter should be
overlooked.

The facilities for cooking and preparing food for obtaining
variety are limited, and for this reason the
deficit must be made up in other ways. Cereals, fats,
liquids, fresh vegetables, fruits and sweets are necessary,
and a little meat may be added. Starchy foods are used
for bulk and should include the cereals, such as rice,
hominy, oatmeal, shredded wheat, cornmeal and macaroni,
and potatoes.

For fat, butter of the best quality should be used on
the table, and crisco for cooking. Liquids, fresh milk,
the best that can be obtained, cocoa and plenty of pure[158]
water; fresh vegetables, any and all kinds procurable;
those which are camp standbys are string beans, beets,
carrots, spinach, peas, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers,
lettuce.

Fresh fruit, if not too expensive, as it is in some parts
of the country, is desirable; otherwise dried fruits must
be used—apricots, peaches, prunes, apples. It is sometimes
possible to secure fresh berries.

Lamb: For small groups buy a leg or hind quarter of
lamb for roasting, the shoulder for stews, chops for
broiling. For a large group, buy whole lambs and cut
at camp; 40 or 50 pounds is enough for one meal. Before
cooking, wipe off with a damp cloth and rub with
salt.

Beef: A pot roast is best. Use the top of the round
which can also be used for roasting or making meat pies.
Twenty-five or thirty pounds for a pot roast is sufficient
for 130 people. When buying beef make sure that it is
not too fresh, for it will be tough; also, the fibre should
not be coarse. The meat should be deep red in color
and juicy.

For soup, buy shin beef.

Fowl: Chickens are too expensive for camp use. Fowl
properly cooked are very nice. Buy those that are fat
and yellow in color. Four pounds will serve five campers.
Cut the meat from the bones before serving and use the
bones for soup.

Fish: Fish must be fresh or it is not fit even to be
cooked. It should be firm and look fresh. Small fish,
cod, halibut or special fish in special localities are good
for camp use.[159]

Sweets: Simple desserts, such as bread pudding, rice
pudding, cottage pudding, apple pudding, Indian pudding,
corn starch, blanc mange, ice cream, apple butter
and jam, sherbets, chocolate pudding, ginger bread
and cookies are used; of course, raw sugar and syrup
in moderate quantities.

Meat substitutes: Baked beans, cheese, eggs.

Soups: Soup is wholesome, economical and, when
well made, palatable. It is particularly good on cold
days for supper. Vegetable soups without meat, and
cream soups are the best for campers.

Save the water in which vegetables have been boiled
for making soup; that drained from rice, potatoes, spinach,
peas or string beans is best. The rice water may
have added to it tomatoes and seasoning. To potato
and spinach water, add milk, thickening and seasoning.

Breads: Serve rye bread, whole wheat, graham, corn
bread and a limited amount of white bread; too much
of the latter is not healthful.

Menus: A menu is merely a combination of a few of
the above-listed foods prepared in a variety of ways.
Do not serve two starches at the same time, or two
creamed vegetables, or a starch and vegetables without
a sauce or gravy. Bread of some kind, a liquid and a
fat are served with every meal. For breakfast there
should be cereal, and if desired a stewed fruit, perhaps
eggs in some form, but they are not necessary.
Dinner should include one starch, two fresh vegetables
and a dessert, or, fish, a starch, one green vegetable and
a dessert; or, meat, two vegetables and a dessert; or a
meat substitute, a vegetable, and a dessert. For supper,
fresh or stewed fruit, plenty of milk if possible, a sweet,
and either cheese, peanut butter, a salad or a soup.[160]

[161]

RECIPES

Bread for Hikers.—½ white flour, ½ yellow meal; 1-5 powdered
milk; ¹/₁₀ powdered egg; salt and baking powder; bake in frying
pan tightly covered and buried in ashes.

[166]

[170]

Baked

Boiled

[171]

Escalloped

Lyonnaise

[172]

[173]

MENUS SUITABLE FOR OVERNIGHT HIKES

Note.—Hikers should drink very little water while hiking. This
rule should be adhered to absolutely.

[174]

XIII

The day is clear, the sun casts long shadows as it
rises back of the woods, all is still, when suddenly a
long whistle blast is heard followed by the bugle call,
“You can’t get ‘um up, you can’t get ‘um up, you can’t
get ‘um up in the morning,” and an immediate babble
of voices. Out of every tent comes tumbling weird
looking figures in bathrobes, pajamas, sweaters and
bloomers, tousled heads and half-clad feet. A line-up on
the drill field, and setting-up exercises begin under the
direction of the game counsellor or physical director.
Ten minutes of work and then a mad rush for tents,
wash basins, and the wash house, laughter and joking,
dressing and hair brushing, and four whistles sound.
Housekeepers, housekeepers, housekeepers, come! There
they go carrying in the lanterns that have hung on the
the lamp posts—trees in this case—all night.

Are your tables ready? Get the bread, the butter,
the milk, and so on and so forth. The Director appears,
a sign that it is time for morning colors. The Color
Guard, five girls from one tent, all in Scout uniform,
“fall in,” the bugler joins them, assembly sounds and
everyone but the housekeepers line up on the field.
“Right dress, Front,” and the Color Guard, bearing
the flag marches to the flag pole as the Colors are hoisted
and the bugler plays “To Colors.” All pledge allegiance
to the flag, sing the Star Spangled Banner. The Guard
leaves the field and with a “Right Face, Forward
March,” all file in to breakfast.

There are always announcements to be made, some
questions to be asked, and after the meal is over, or
just before classes, is a good time to do this.[175]

“Special Delivery.” Camp Post Office.

Inspection follows—all too soon for some. Tents must
be in order, grounds around them clean, trash boxes
emptied, and each girl in her tent, the chosen leader of
the group, called the Patrol Leader, Court of Honor, or
Orderly, at the door. The Director hears a murmur,
“Here she comes, here she comes”; then all is still. A
salute, a thorough look at grounds around, trash box,
basins, cots, a look into a blanket or two for fear that
hurry has caused some mistakes, and sometimes a look
into dress suitcases, for cleanliness, and order must begin
on the inside, a word of commendation, a suggestion for
improvement and possibly a reprimand, follow.

The bugler announces the time for classes, each group
whether far or near changing from one class to another,
until the noon hour brings a free period to all.

The signalling class is under the trees back of the mess
hall, the First Aid group in a shady spot on the edge of[176]
the woods, the basketry class near their base of supplies
but sitting on the grass in the shade, the nature
lovers in the woods to find new birds and ferns and
flowers—and so it goes.

During the working hours, the housekeepers have been
busy performing all kinds of necessary camp work.
Some Scouts enjoy all of it, others none of it, but rarely
does anyone fail to do her part. Dinner is served, the
Scouts marching in to the mess hall, as they do for all
meals, and being excused when all have finished. Much
talking and laughter, but orderliness and courtesy, with
an occasional sigh when something does not please, or a
prolonged “ah” when it does, make the time and all
there is to eat disappear in what seems a short time.

Dinner is followed by rest hour, always difficult for
some temperaments, but a real necessity in camp. Sometimes
it is necessary to discipline in order to have quiet,
or have counsellors on duty near the tents to insure
rest. Whatever can be done to make the Scouts realize
the importance of obeying this rule, should be done.

Nothing is more looked forward to than the distribution
of the mail unless it is the Canteen. A whistle call
and all tent representatives fairly fly to the post office
window, and eagerly listen for the names of their tent
mates. Which group has the most mail—are there any
packages?

Letter reading, letter writing, reading, mending,
laundry work, fill the time until the afternoon classes
begin.

At five-thirty when the call for supper is sounded the
Color Guard “fall in” and while all Scouts stand in
Company formation at attention the Colors are slowly
lowered. The Color Guard is changed every day, each
Guard representing a different tent.[177]

After supper, canteen is opened. Perhaps a table out
of doors is used as a counter, or one in the mess hall if
it does not interfere with housework. Three or four
Scouts assist the counsellor who has charge of the canteen
and all the goodies on sale for that day are arranged
in tempting fashion before the very eyes of the
waiting group.

There are so many things to do after supper that each
Scout is given the privilege of making her own choice,
and can join a group for a row, or a walk, a game of
ball or a sing, but all must be back in time for the camp
fire, and goodnight songs, First Call, Taps, and evening
inspection, and last to make sure that all Scouts are
safe and happy and all tents in proper condition, flaps
back and sides up when possible.

This closes one day. Others like it may follow, but as
a rule no two days are alike. Hikes, visitors, storms,
comings and goings, all vary the schedule tremendously,
but all are needed to teach us how to camp.

[178]

SOME BOOKS ON CAMPS AND CAMPING

[179]

The Victorious Nine

[180]

GIRL SCOUT PUBLICATIONS

[181]

GIRL SCOUTS

[183]

INDEX