November, 1944

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS- U. S. A. MARION A. RoBERTs

IF A NATIVE IN NEw GUIN,EA were to pick up .one or two of the Christmas cards sent to our soldiers by friends at home, he would probably gain the impression . that Christmas in the United States is a season when Americans drive around in ele­gant horse-drawn carriages, sit down at a table groaning with roast goose and plum pudding, kiss each <?ther under a sprig of mistletoe, and wait for a large fat man (who is probably Charles Dickens in disguise) to land on the housetop and climb down the chimney.

However, if the makers of greeting cards are annually smit­,.ten with a passion for Dickens, we should not thereby judge

·ut everyone in the United States spends Christmas like Bob ~ratchit. In fact, the Yuletide season in the United States is one of our most sentimental and, at the same time, one of our most international occasions of the year. Wherever little groups of people from the same country settled in a corner of

the United States, they brought with them colorful ahd charm­-ing Christmas customs.

Out in Minnesota, for example, the Scandinavian people still have traditional Christmas foods1 which are enjoyed not only by the older folks but by the thud and fourth American-born generations as well. No Christmas Eve would be complete without lutfisk, a dried fish that is prepared in several ways. To begin with, the fish is as hard as a board and must be soaked for days and days before it becomes pliable enough to cook. After it is cooked, it is a delicious white fish that is served sometimes with a cream sauce and sometimes with melted but­ter and mustard seeds sprinkled over the top. Christmas is also a time for famous Scandinavian cookies, which bear names like spritz and fattigmans-kaka. '

To the East, in staid Boston, it is customary to go out walking on .christmas Eve and sing carols, while many homes, particu-

larly on Beacon Hill, keep open house. At certain street corners, groups of singers and instrumentalists lend their aid to the merrymaking and everyone joins in the singing. Particularly in Louisburg Square it is traditional for home owners to place their favorite oil paintings in the front windows flanked by candles for all the passers-by to see.

In boisterous Texas, as in other parts of the South, fireworks add their note of merriment to Christmas festivities, a custom that is reserved in most parts of the United States for the Fourth of J,uly.

Polish immigrants, who settled in the large manufacturing cities of the Northeast, broughtmany of their delightful Christ­mas customs with them. On Christmas Eve the family eats a traditional supper, which is prepared largely from dairy prod­ucts and contains no meat. After the head of the family has asked the blessing, a fiat waferlike bread known as o platek is passed around the table and each person breaks off a small piece. The meal begins with a cream of fish soup or with a beet soup called barszcz, and pierogi, which are little fiat dumplings filled with jam, cheese, or mushrooms. The main dish is fish and sometimes a dish of rice or groats cooked with milk is served. Nuts and fruits as well as homemade bread are added to the meal. After the Christmas Eve meal has been served, the adult members of the family attend Midnight Mass, at which .many of the tradi­tional Polish carols are sung. An important part of any holiday meal in a Polish household, except on Christmas Eve, is kiel­bdSa, a highly seasoned Polish sausage. A favorite cookie at Christmastime is chroscik, which means literally "crust-cake."

Americans Combine Traditions

Of course, in many sections the old-country customs have been combined with English and American. customs, so that it would not be at all unusual to find Swedi~h spritz, German Lebkuchen, Polish chroscik, and English fruit cake coming out of the same oven that on the following day would be the resting place for a plump North American turkey.

In thinking of the Christmas season in our troop program, it might be fun to dig up unusual customs in our own commuaity. In many cities, people we see every day, such as the local shoe repair man, the manager of the grocery store, or the woman who owns the house next door, have a wealth of information about Christmas customs in other countries. They would be delighted to share this knowledge with your troop. Not only . would your girls learn a good deal about the different persons who make up their community, but they would be making a good start in international friendship.

When we talk about Christmas traditions, it is not always necessary to think of them as relics of antiquity. Many beloved Christmas traditions of Girl Scout troops are rather new, such as singing carols at the old people's home every year or filling stockings for the children's ward at the hospital. Since Christ­mas is a time when we think especially of doing nice things for other people, many troops look forward to their special service projects. If your troop would like to sing carols to people who are shut-ins, the program chairman of your council may be able to secure addresses from the local Visiting Nurse Association. One troop in doing this discovered a family that needed desper­ately a play pen for the youngest child, and at the conclusion of the carol singing presented the mother with a brand new play pen purchased from the troop treasury.

Try a Swedish Recipe

Many troops, when filling Christmas stockings or sending cookies to nearby servicemen's centers, have fun making the things they send. One of our favorite recipes is this one for fattigmans-kaka (poor man's cookies), a traditional Sweqish

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Christmas cookie (recipe contributed by Mrs. James Foster, Executive Secretary of the Girl Scouts of Austin, Minnesota) :

To 4 eggs add 4 tablespoons of water and beat until light. Knead in sufficient flour so that the · dough will roll thinly with a rolling pin. Cut in diamond shapes, prick with a fork, and fry in deep fat. When done, sprinkle lightly with confectioner's sugar.

Another charming Christmas custom is the making of wreaths and garlands of evergreens to use as decorations. One of the loveliest kinds of Christmas wreaths is the Della Robbia or Majolica wreath. (Your troop might like to find out why this particular kind of wreath is called a Della Robbia.) To make this wreath, take a wire coat hanger and bend it into a circle. Using this as a base, make the wreath of a long-needle pine or hemlock. As decoration, fasten to the wreath tiny kumquats, grapes, nuts, small crab apples, or tangerines, all of which may be shellacked to preserve them. The result will be a thing of . beauty to hang on someone's front door!

Handmade candles are another kind of Christmas present that is easy ana fun to make. If you are fortunate enough to have bayberries in your vicinity, there is nothing more fragrant than a homemade bayberry candle. Even if you have no bay­berries handy, nearly everyone has old candle stubs that can be remelted and dipped or molded into new candles. Many kinds of receptacles, such as cookie tins or gelatin molds, can be used to make molded candles of interesting shapes. These are easily slipped out of the molds if the tins are set in a pan of hot water for a moment. One- or two-quart cardboard milk cartons can be used to make giant candles that wilt burn for many nights. Suspend the candle wicking from a small stick that you place across the top of the carton. Pour in the melted wax a little at a time, allowing the first layer to harden before you pour the next in. When -the candle is completely made .and the wax is hard, all you need to do is peel away the carton and there you have a beautiful candle to put in the front window. You might also want to add a sprig of evergreen for decoration.

Learn More Carols

Certainly one of the most' delightful things that we associate with Christmas is the singing of carols. Nothing can lend more gaiety to our troop programs than learning one or two carols that may be unf:rmiliar to most of the girls. One troop that learned "A' Merry Christmas" from Our Songs (Catalog No . 23-465, 30 cents) became so enchanted-with the car0l that now no Christmas season is complete without a troop Piggy Pudding Party. The singing of descants to well known carols can brighten up many a community carol sing and we are fortunate to have many lovely descants in our own songbooks. We might suggest the descant to "Good King Wenceslas" or "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," both of which .are in Sing T ogether (Catalog No. 20-196, 20 cents), or the descant to " 0 Come All Ye Faithful," which is in Yours fo r a Song (Catalog No. 2 3-4 59, 30 c~nts). A beautiful carol that is not ·too widely known is "The Coventry Carol," found in Sing Together, and you might also be interested in learning "I Saw Three Ships," which is found in Yours for d Song. If your girls are interested in the international aspects of Christmas, they might like to learn the Polish "Lullaby Carol," which may be found in the Botsford Collection of Folk Songs, Volume II (Catalog No. 23-455, 50 cents).

Finally, when the last spritz or fattigmans-kaka is ,eaten, th last carol sung, and the remains of the Christmas evergreer.. burned in the fireplace on Twelfth Night, it might be a good idea to write a letter to that soldier-bro~her in New Guinea and teH him that there are· a lot of things he had better explain to that native about Christmas in the United States.

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER .

Actors as well as audi­ence enjoyed the Apple­ton, Wis., Brownie's presentation of "The Shoemaker and the Elves."

CHRISTMAS ~RAMATIZED ETHEL BART }A¥ES

Now IS THE TIME when Girl Scouts and leaders who do not wish to write their own dramatizations begin to browse and consult librarians for that suitable Christmas play.

A bit of wisdom, nearly as old as Christmas itself, still bears. repeating: In the selection of a play consider the interests, ages, and capabilities .,of the participants and the personnel of the audience. Is it to be an entertainment for parents, woman's club, or children in a hospital ward? If you are using a church auditorium, would not a religious play be the best choice? But even more important than any of these -considerations is the yalue of the production for the girls themselves. Be it simple or elaborate, reverent or humorous, girls should gain from their experience the joy of creative expression as well as the disci­pline of group effort.

Your dramatization may range from a one-act piece to an imaginative improvisation that includes writing the play, build­ing stage sets, and working out intricate lighting effects. Whe­ther pageant, choral reading, shadowgraph, operetta, or radio skit, why not give the production a personal touch to fit the particular needs of your girl~ and their community? Boys' and men's parts can usually be taken by girls, and extra bits added when needed. What little Scout doesn't enjoy dressing up in a long gown, with hair piled high, to play the part of Grannie or Aunt Sue? We offer a few suggestions with the hope that they may help to make your dramatic Christmas a pleasant one.

The Womans Press, 6oo Lexington Avenue, New York 22,

I _..:rHE GIRL SCOUT LEADER, published monthly from November to June ~ ··elusive and bimonthly September-October by Girl Scouts, U5 East 44th Street,

.ew York 17, N. Y., re-entered as second-class matter, February 27, 1942, at che Post Office of New York, N. Y., under the Act of March, 1879. Subscri.pt10n, 50 cents a year in the United States, 75 cents elsewhere. (Note: for regtstered Girl Scout leaders, assistant leaders, troop committee chairmen, executive secretaries, field secretaries, local council members, and commissioners, subcrip· tion price is 25 cents, which is included in their annual membership dues.) Vol. 21, No. 8, November, 1944.

NOVEMBER, 1944

has a fine collection of religious and other plays, as well as a good annotated catalog. Recommended for Senior Scouts: Then Deck the Halls by Miriam Epps (35 cents), old customs of England, dances, and a mummer's play; Told in All Tongues by Lucy Schulte ( 2 5 cents), reader, choric drama, tableaux, and singing; The Waif by Elizabeth Grimball ( 3 5 cents) , more about old England. For Intermediates: A Christmas Trilogy by Ellen Nester (35 cents), and The Pearl Merchant by Anna Kennedy (25 cents). For Brownies: Three Christmas Wishes ( 3 5 cents), teaches unselfishness, and The Christmas YJf the Little Pines ( 2 5 cents) , with musical score, is .charming.

Longmans, Green & Company (55 Fifth Avenue, New York 3) offer older Brownies A Christmas Nonsense Play by Louise Armstrong . ( 6o cents) , Lost Children by Dorothy Nichols (50 cents), and A Face at the Window by Florence Knox (so cents).

The Old Old Story by Helen Curtis, nativity tableaux for any number of children, and A Christmas Apple, wistful and endearing, are' suited to girls of all ages. Christmas Incorporated by Walter Kerr is a satire on Christmas commercialism, for Senior Scout age. All these are published by Samuel French, 25 West 45th Street, New York 19 (35 cents each).

Other appropriate teen-age plays are Lady of the Market Place by Charlotte Lee, Shadow of the Sun by Florence Kahn, and a good arrangement of Dickens' Christmas Carol (Row, Peterson, 131 East 23rd Street, New York 1o; 50 cents each) .

Suitable for 1lntermediate and Senior Girl Scouts are Queen

Christmas, a pageant by Carolyn Wells, and Two Santas fot' Susan, a gay comedy by Bert Griscom (Penn Play Company, 1617 Latimer Street, Philadelphia, 35 cents each).

Order any of these plays through your lo.cal bookstore; if there is none in your community, write direj:t to the publisher. None of these plays is available at the National Equipment Service.

3

~ TACKLES THE BOY QUESTION

MARIE E. GAUDETIE

"So," SAID Miss GussiE MAcGASKET, leader (since time im­memorial) of Troop 13, "so-we are going to have boys at our next party."

"Yes, Miss Gussie, yes!" said the troop as if it had been re­hearsed in the timing of each syllable.

Poor old Gus had been through plenty in her life as a leader, but, consciously or unconsciously, she had side-stepped a boy and girl party these many years! And now it looked to the most casual eye as if she had to go through with it.

"What kind of party?" said Gus. "Just a party," said the one who looked as if she had had

the idea in the first place. "You know, Miss Gussie, cake and ice cream, some games and dancing and p~rhaps fortunetelling and-well, all kinds of things."

Gussie's mind went back to her young days and there flashed across her mind pictures of parties-cake crumbs in every con­ceivable place, ice cream here and there, a certain percentage of boys and girls too shy to enter in; another percentage that always entered in too much. The more puppylike boys whose idea of fun was to push each other around regardless of the furniture and the ice cream plates; the high-pitched giggling of the less poised girls who lisped through their braces and switched their braids around.

As Gussie's troop was made up of various ages, the idea of a cake and ice cream party, with games and fortunetelling, brought shrugs, lowered lids, and almost inaudible hisses from the ancient and honorable fourteen year olds.

"Well," said Gus, "let's take the week to get ideas and talk about it next time."

It would be fitting and proper to say that the girls responded with a polite, "All right, Miss Gussie, we will think and plan another week." But such was not the case. They danced around old Gus, and chanted, "Let's not wait. We want it now, now, now!"

The only thing that saved Gussie was the entrance of the janitor, who looked at them all with that cold blue stare of a janitor when the clock hands near dismissal time, and all the girls scuttled on their way.

Gussie spent a sleepless night. She could just see the ten year olds hopping about, jerkily, to the tunes of the best swing music from the portable. She could see the boredom on the faces of the fourteen year olds when ring-toss was brought forth! "And besides," said Gus to herself, "we've already got dozens of things planned and yet to plan. And the troop has promised to go out to the overnight cabin to spend a whole day clearing out unwanted brush and trimming a few trees. And I know nothing about cutting brush or trimming trees! And now a boy and girl party is thrust upon me!"

As Gus was out walking with Maggie, her Scottie dog, the next day, she made up her mind just to tell the troop, out and out, that all thoughts of a farty would have to be postponed until the girls took care o a few other obligations like the calendar sale and that tree-trimming, bush-cutting business.

After she had come to that great decision, she decided that it was as good a day as any to drop in and talk to Mr. Winkus, who ran a hardware store. Now Gussie was not interested in Mr. Winkus particularly, nor, at the moment, in hardware. But

4

Mr. Winkus' hobby was forestry and the camp committee of the local council had suggested him as the man to ·give advice on clearing out and planting at the overnight cabin.

Mr. Winkus took up nails from a keg and let them slip through his fingers, while he said, "Well, Miss MacGasket, I can't go to the cabin with you myself because I have to stay in the store. But here's what I'll do. My boy Johnny and I will look the place over and see what has to be done."

"But how will we know what to do?" said Gus. "Well," said Mr. Winkus, "my idea was to let Johnny go

with you and the girls. He's going to be a forester," he added proudly.

Gussie thanked Mr. Winkus and said over and over again that she thought it was a "lovely idea." But in her heart she was not too sure! Johnny Winkus was a ·tall youth of sixteen, with wavy black hair and brigh~ blue eyes.

"Hm," said Gus to herself, "there will be so much prinking and fixing and giggling done that nary a tree will get trimmed!"

On the way back from Mr. Winkus' store, Gussie dropped in to beg the help of Wilmer Hunter, a member of her troop com­mittee.

Wilmer rocked back and forth in her chair with laughter. "Gussie," she said, "all you need to do is find another boy to go along with Johnny-a friend of his, perhaps. That will give a little competition. Yes, even a couple of friends might help."

Gussie didn't answer for a long time. After a while she brought her tall form onto its feet, pointed a long finger at her friend, and said, "Wilmer, my brain is simply one large mass of jelly-and lime, at that." With those words she went off down the street dragging poor Maggie like a sled, while she mumbled to herself, "We'll have a work day and a party. Of course the troop will like that! And we'll get the trees trimmed and the bushes whacked! My, oh my!"

IT WAS A B.EAUTIFUL DAY-brisk and blue. Gussie was walking along the old dirt road to the overnight cabin with Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, and spread along ahead was the troop and an equal number of boys (all ages, too!) . Snatches of song occa­sionally started, only to be dinned out by cheers, wolf calls, and other boy noises.

Johnny Winkus passed on the information he got from h father on what, where, and how to cut, and also told about th._ kinds of trees the state forester had suggested should be planted in certain places in the camp. He had a hard time getting

(Concluded on page 5)

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

HOMEMAKING -While They Want to J:earn How

FOR LEADERS OF BROWNIES AND YOUNGER GIRL SCOUTS

RA. Y MITCHELL

Gooo NEWS! Here are two items for the top of your "must" list in the troop budget this fall. Here is help in activtties that we know are vital and that girls of this age want so much to try, but that too often we are afraid to tackle.

How many times we have heard, and perhaps said, "Why didn't somebody teach me to sew when I was little and really wanted to know how?" or "I wish I had a chance to learn to cook!" And how niany times do we put off these eager girls be­tween seven and twelve years old in our troops until they are older, when perhaps they will have lost interest? They may not have the chance at home because mother is too busy or the cook, if there is one, won't have them in the way.

Of course, it takes time and individual attention and pa­tience. Stitches have to come out and cocoa gets spilled, but it can be such fun! And here are educational doll patterns for clothes that can be made· without stitches until growing hands can use needles comfortably, and a picture cookbook of recipes for the dishes children like best, with every detail of how to cook them, clearly shown in pictures.

The Nancy Anne Doll Patterns by Ida M. Shaver (order from the author at 835 South Second Street, Springfield, Illi­nois, 75 cents) includes three sets of patterns on good sub­stantial paper, which can be used many times. They are for a doll about twelve inches high and the three sets are for a Red Riding Hood costutl}e, play clothes, and an evening gown. The directions are clear and the clothes can be c~t and tied on with­out any sewing at all. There are no seams, and simple hems with a running stitch can be added by the girls learning to use needle and thread. These patterns will delight the girls and prove a boon to leaders.

The Children's Cook Book, with recipes by Margaret Gossett, and designed by Elizabeth Dauber, is published by William R. Scott, Inc., 72 Fifth Avenue, New York II, $1.50 a copy. These recipes are for just the dishes children want to cook and the easiest ones to undertake in the troop. How to make lemon­·ade, candy, cookies, apple sauce, sandwiches, and so on is ex­plained so clearly and attractively in pictures that the simple words are hardly needed. You will find this picture cookbook truly a "book of fun and goodies"-but far more than that. It is a tool for learning, planned in every detail to help youngsters to become competent and self-reliant cooks, capaole of man­'aging a simple picnic or Sunday night supper.

Why not take these first steps in homemaking when the. girls are most enthusiastic about becoming homemakers? Fur­thermore, in the national conservation program, in which it is so necessary for Girl Scouts of all ages to take part, the Brownie Scout can surely learn:

I. Why to change clothes even if they do not look soiled. 2. Where the soiled clothes are kept in her hou:;e, and to put

hers there. 3· What soap and starch are and their use in the care of

clothing. 4· How wash socks and panties. 5· Why it is a good idea to hang up wraps. 6. What are good colors for her to wear. ·7. What are the best ways to dry wet mittens or gloves,

rlrownie suits, ski-suits and caps. 8. How to sew on buttons. 9· How to do a few simple stitches that would be useful in

mending.

NOVEMBER, 1944

Io. How to iron or press a simple piece of clothing. II. How to take out simple stains; especially those that

can be removed with water. I2. The necessity for wearing rubbers and raincoats in order

to protect shoes and clothing.

GUSSIE & THE BOY QUESTION (Continued from page 4)

started on his little talk, but the heart-warming attention of his assorted audience lent him courage !

Mter a few hours of spasmodic hard work, lunches were opened and consumed with gusto. After the afternoon work­time Mr. Hunter inspired a ball game while the ladies of the group watched from the sidelines and yelled the proper words of praise. .

"Maggie," said Gus, as she dragged herself into the house that night, "tired as I am, it was wonderful! I've worried about a boy and girl party, tried to remember all the ponderous words I've read on boy-girl relationships, until I scared myself a pinkish-blue. Give them something to do, Maggie, give them something to do besides dancing, eating ice cream, and drinking soda pop."

Maggie retired under the couch, but Gussie . rambled on, ','And coming home they all wanted to go out again. And we are going to have a meeting, boys and girls, at Wilmer Hunter's home to pian our next work day at the cabin. Wilmer is mak­ing cup cakes, and I think we will have ice cream."

Gus looked around the room-no Maggie in sight. "Mag­gie!" she called, "where are you?"

Out from under the couch came a black nose and two large brown eyes. Gussie pointed a finger at them and said, "Mag, perhaps you can't bear it, but I want you to know that Troop I3, and friends, are planning to call themselves the Planters Club. They will probably get themselves a president, vice­president, s~cretary, and treasurer! But-that's life in a Girl Scout troop!"

5

ETHEL BART }AMES

As A GIRL ScouT LEADER you give abundantly of your time, energy, and patience to badge work, the arts and crafts, Hospital Aide projects, and salvage campaigns. You expend yourself being versatile and imaginative. How much of this same pains­taking artistry do you devote to getting acquainted with your Scouts? Here is a much neglected art that can be quite as excit­ing as any other creative activity. For you are dealing with human beings often in need of your understanding and en­couragement.

The hours spent on improving personal relationships in the troop will pay rich dividends in a happier and more congenial group, and will lead to greater achievements in the projects on the year's agenda. You will have the satisfaction not only of having shown Maxine how to make a book and feel at home in the out-of-doors, but you will have · helped her learn to live more harmoniously with her contemporaries, understand her limitations, and appre~iate her true worth. Twenty years from today the kind of person the girl is will be more important than anything else-'-both to herself and to her world! And a strong chain forged between leader and troop will nip many a poten­tial problem ip. the bud.

Parents and teachers are eager to talk when they -know your interest is sincere, and they can add to the important facts that you should gather about your Scouts. Health status is vastly important. Susan may be taxing her stren_gth too severely. Sally's listlessness or irritability may be traced to physical disability. The economic state of affairs at home, the number of children in the family, cultural background, and school attitudes ate considerations that will give you better insight into the behavior of each girl. You can better anticipate what to expea and what not to expect of your troop members.

We all need to feel that we are loved, usebl, and successful · in our homes, community, and work. Unhappiness is usually caused when we cannot adjust ourselves socially or emotionally to a situation. We become remote, irritable, or uncooperative. Even as mature individuals with a mature philosophy that tides us over the bad spots, we never s~em to reach the point where a bit of praise doesn't set us up. How much more do girls need the lift that the leader can give? They want it on an adult basis, too. Never mistake it-they prefer their own contemporaries as pals, and their adults as adults !

Let's take a look at Mary, who isn't interested in anything­just sits around and mopes. Why? Her health may not be up to par. She may be completely discouraged, feel that she " just can't do things." Older brothers or sisters may have bullied her until her courage has reached a low ebb. It is up to you that she gets that much needed pat on the shoulder!

Jane doesn't seem to have any friends . Perhaps she doesn't know how to make friends . She may be shy and wrapped in a protective covering so thick that she is mentally always warding off blows and is so on the defensive that she causes people to

(0·

dislike her. Perhaps help as simple as this might never have been given her-"to have a friend you must be· one." If she realizes that one works as persistently at mastering the techniques of friendship as any other techniques, life may become different for her. Or Jane may feel that she lives in the wrong neighbor­hood and can't invite anyone home like the other girls. Perhaps she thinks she is an ugly duckling. Couldn't you give her a boost in morale and make her feel at home in a friendly troop?

Bossy Mildred wants to run the whole show. You discover a shrew in her household who rules with rod of iron, and so, poor child,. she takes it out on others in her life outside the home. Try giving her important things to do and show her the difference between bossing others around and being a real leader. Patricia, the prima donna, may turn out to be a great actress some day if you give her a chance to strut and preen and pretend in some worth-while dramatic effort. Seemingly useless

· and annoying habits might be given expression and diverted to creative and · constructive activity. .

Teen-aged Winifred may fill the air with insignificant ado­lescent chatter. She may be bold and brassy, but behind that sophisticated front she puts up you will usually find a frightened child trying to understand herself and inwardly crying for help. Our own teen years were also fraught with storm and stress, and the least we can do is try to sympathize, with under­standing humor. Let her talk about her boy friends and her dreams of world conquest. Not so long ago, we, too, had them.

Bored Mary Lou and lazy Sarah may have such high IQ'~ that they need more advanced activities or a fuller program to stimulate their lagging interests. Perhaps Mary Lou has latent musical or sketching talent, and Sarah a scientific mind. If neither school nor home is affording them outlet for these activities, you may be the one to open their eyes to new hobbies or careers.

Behind the terrific competitiveness and aggressiveness of Joan may lie a great fear of inadequacy. Are you pushing a mediocre Mary into something too difficult for her? Have too high stand­ards been set for Jeanette so that she won't make an attempt for fear of not succeeding? It might never occur to them that "a mistake is only a friendly invitation to try again."

In Chapter X of Leadership of Girl Scout Troops you might like to reread some case records, score yourself on your relation­ships with your girls, and get some practical help in learning to "cope with human n·ature."

There are no neat little pigeon holes in which to place the types and remedies. There is no average girl. Each is unique. and individual · aod has her own little problems, which 'should be given recognition. There is no sacred formula. All you need as a leader is sincere interest and a very large and kind heart. Any Girl Scout from seven to eighteen will be everlastingly grateful if you can help her to acquire the prerequisites for effective living. And that can only be done by knowing your girls!

Decorations by Catharine C. Lewis from Leadership of Girl Scout T roops .

6 THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

The finished model of a German plane interests these Wing Scouts in model making.

More Learning • Time tn Less MARTHA JANE SMITH

WITHIN THE PAST YEAR we have read and heard about the highly successful use of visual aids in the Army and Navy training program, and the possible effects on postwar education. Such questions are being asked as, "Can the schools teach the G.I. way?" "If the Army, using records, can start you talking a language in twelve hours, need schools spend months?" "If the Navy can teach as much with a fifteen-minute educational movie as a two-hour lecture, why can't schools?"

The methods used by the Army and Navy are not in themselves new, but the intensity of their application to teaching is. For years visual aids have been used in industry to train employees; in advertising to impress consumers ; in the more progressive classrooms to teach students ; in Girl Scouting with the activity program. But we have not used these teaching aids nearlJ enough, nor realized how very efficient they can be in the teach­

and learning process. 1sual aids are pictures, models, actual equipment, slides,

movies, charts, or graphs that show how something looks, is done, or happens. Visual aids are at the sign level and deal with what can be seen, whereas words deal with interpretation. In learning, we need both.

NOVEMBER, 1944

We must not get the idea that this is an effortless way for . students to learn, or that teachers are not needed any more.

Quite the opposite has been demonstrated. The Army and Navy have made terrific demands on their instructors and stu­dents and insist that they have found no substitute for "mental sweat." In the process they have convinced eleven million men from every town and neighborhood in the United States that 1rastic changes in our traditio.nal methods of teaching are needed.

Why Use Visual Aids?

Among the most convincing reasons discovered for using visual aids are:

1. Students learn more. Tests show that students learn up to 35 per cent more in a given time. Psychologists say that far more of our learning comes through our eyes than our ears.

2. Students remember longer. Tests show that facts learned are remembered up to 55 per cent longer. This is very im-

(Concluded on page u)

7

Published by

GIRL SCOUTS

November, 1944 Vol. 21, No. 8

155 East 44th Street, New York 17, N.Y.

National . President National Director

Mrs. Alan H. Means Mrs. Paul Rittenhouse

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor .· Fjeril Hess Associate Editor Editorial Assistant .

Virginia Greene Margaret Ann Dysart

Orders for additional copies of the current issue and of previous issues (insofar as copies are available) will be filled upon receipt of 5 cents for each copy; address the LEADER direct. In case of new memberships, as with late renewals, the initial delivery of the LEADER is subject to several weeks' delay.

•

THE SPIRIT Of LIBERTY

JUDGE LEARNED HAND

United States Circuit Court of Appeals

• WHAT DO WE MEAN when we say that first of all we seek liberty? I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws, and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women ; when it dies there, no con­stitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. While it lies there, it needs no constitution, no law; no court to save it. And what is this liberty which must lie in the hearts of men and women? It is not the ruthless, the unbridled will; it is not freedom to do as one likes. That is the denial of liberty, and leads straight to its overthrow. A society in which men recognize no check upon their freedom soon becomes a society where freedom is the possession of only a savage few; as we have learned to our sorrow.

What then is the spirit of liberty? I cannot define it; I can only tell you my own faith. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is 'right; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interests alongside its own without bias; the spirit of liberty remembers that not even a sparrow falls to drth unheeded; the spirit of liberty is the spirit of Him who, nearly two thou­sand years ago, taught mankind the lesson it has never learned, but has never quite forgotten: that there may be a kingdom where the least shall be heard and considered side by side with the greatest.

·-From an address on "I Am an American" Day, May 2I, I944; courtesy of Judge Hand.

8

PLANNING FOR .. RECONVERSION"

WE HEAR A GREAT DEAL these days about the "reconversion" of incfustries from war production to civilian production. It is not too early for your troop, too, to begin making plans for the transition from war service to a peacetime program. Get out your September-October LEADER and reread the Board's "Postwar Plan for Girl Scouting" on page 3; while it is ad­dressed to the adults in the organization, Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 contain suggestions that Girl Scouts themselves might help to work out.

TROOP AND LOCAL COUNCIL RECORDS

DuRING JANUARY, I945, registration records for the year I934 will be removed from National Headquarters files. Local coun­cils and lone troop leaders de~iring their own records for that year may have them upon request to Mrs. Miriam MacLelland, Girl Scouts, I55 East 44th Street, New York q, before De­cember 3 I, I 944.

WHO SPONSORS YOUR TROOP?

Is YOUR TROOP SPONSORED by a church, a synagogue, a school, a service club, a PTA? We are trying to find out how many troops in the United States are sponsored by local groups of national agencies or institutions, so if your troop has a spon­soring organization, will you please be sure to mention it when your troop reregisters? ·

On the Troop and Troop Committee Registration Form you will find a space to mention the meeting place, and right after it a space for the name of your sponsoring organizatio if there is one. Perhaps your troop meets in a church; it rna, lxl sponsored by the church itself, or by a guild or auxiliary- _..,. or it may not have any sponsor at all. Perhaps you meet in a school; maybe you have ho sponsor, or maybe the school itself or the PTA or an outside agency sponsors the troop. So you can see that it is not enough to fill in the name of the meeting place; please be sure to fill in t,he name of the sponsoring or­gani~ation also, if you have one, even if it is the same as the meeting place itself.

LAST CALL FOR CAMP REPORTS How Many of the Million Camped This ·summer?

WE ARE ABOUT TO TAKE the final count of I944 camps and campers, so, if you have not sent in your report, please do so just as soon as possible. We want to include every single camp, small or large. .

Lone troop leaders should report their troop camps-two days or more-on the postal card form, which was mailed to them in August. If this form did not reach you, please write to the Camp Bureau for one.

Local councils should report their established and day camps, and should send in a summary report of troop camping carried on under the jurisdiction of the local council from September I, I943, to August 3I, I944·

Additional forms are available upon request.

TROOP COMMITTEES AT WORK

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about the troop · committee member's job? If you are a troop committee member yourself, you un­doubtedly want to know more than you do now. If you are a leader, you certainly want to know how to work more effec-

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

tively with your committee. So--for all troop committee mem­bers, new or experienced, and for all leaders, a new pamphlet called Girl Scout Troop Committees at Work is now available. t covers such important points as formation of the committee,

term of service, relationship of committee and leader, meetings, and specific kinds of help that a troop committee can give the troop.

The pamphlet may be ordered through the National Equip­ment Service, Catalog No. 20-I38, 5 cents. Quantity prices are $4 per hundred, $3 per hundred in lots of one thousand or more. Illustrations are by Catharine Lewis, who illustrated Leadership of Girl Scout Troops ; need we say more?

AMERICAN EDUCATION 'WEEK THE I944 OBSERVANCE of American Education Week, which is sponsored by the National Education Association, will be held November 5-II. Its theme is "Education for New Tasks" -the responsibility that confronts education today of equipping our children to make the world after the war and live in it.

American Education Week will be observed locally through special school programs, with which Girl Scouts may well be able to help. .

ORIGINAL CER,EMONIES WANTED MANY REQUESTS come to us for Girl Scout ceremonies, and we are trying to collect original ones for all occasions and for all age groups. Has your troop written any that you consider particularly impressive and effective? If so, the Program Divi­sion would like to have copies, with your permission to make them available to others. Any that may be used are, of course, subject to editorial change if it is necessary.

Please send copies to Mrs. Ethel Bart James, Program Division .

GIRL SCOUT WEEK ON THE RADIO Tentative Schedule

Oct. 29 Kostelanetz Orchestra 4:30 P.M. (EWT) CBS Oct. 30 Kate Smith's Chat NooN (EWT) CBS Oct. 3I "American Forum of the Air"

9:30 P.M. (EWT) MBS Npv. I Joseph Dunninger 9:00 P.M. (EWT) Blue Nov. 2 "Music of the New World"

II :30 P.M. (EWT) NBC Nov. 3 "Freedom of 9pportunity"

8 :30 P.M. (EWT) MBS Nov. 4 "Youth on Parade" Io :oo A.M. (EWT) CBS

TEEN-AGE TOPICS In the November American Girl

How does one become a Ranger Aide? Marie Gaudette, of the Girl Scout national staff, answers this question in the November American Girl by listing the things a girl should study in preparation and the types of conservation work that Ranger Aides do. The picture spread for November illustrates the kind of outdoor activities to which a girl can look forward as a Ranger Aide.

Wing Scouts will be especially interested in the article "Sky's the Limit," by Sally E. Knapp, which discusses the op­portunities in civilian flying for girls after the war. Concrete information is given about the physical and educational quali­fications for obtaining a pilot's license, and where and how to ~ply for flight training when the time comes. - The fourth in a series of articles on teen-age problems also

-ppears in this issue. "You and Your School" by Loula Grace Erdman analyzes the situations that arise from the complex organization that is a school, covering such topics as clubs, committees, sports, parties, and friendships.

NOVEMBER, 1944

SIXTH WAR LOAN DRIVE

Clipping Service by Local Councils

THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT has asked Girl Scout local coun­cils to set up-for the ,duration of the Sixth War Loan drive­a nation-wide newspaper clipping service. It wants-and needs -every item about the drive from every local newspaper in the country, school papers included.

Full insttuctions will be sent by the Treasury Department to every local council before the publicity campaign of the drive opens, as well as a packet of postage-free envelopes in which to mail the clippings. .

We hope that every council will cooperate in this important undertaking.

GRANDFATHER FROST NEEDS HELP! Winter Clothes for Russian Children

GRANDFATHER FROST, the Russian Santa Claus, needs help this year in bringing warm clothing to Russian children. Of course, these clothes won't reach Russia even by January -,, the Christmas of the Russian Orthodox Church, but presents are better late than never, especially when they are warm clothes for a cold country. .

Russian War Relief, Inc., is asking many organizations for warm new clothes for babies and for boys and girls up to the age of sixteen. Especially needed are dresses, coats, sweaters, suits, jackets, caps, shirts, overalls, underwear, socks, mittens, snowsuits, nightgowns, pajamas, bathrobes .... Here's a won­derful opportunity for the needlewomen in your troop. Older Brownies can make simple things ; Girl Scouts can earn the Needlewoman badge-or, if they already wear it, they may be reminded that badges "stand for things you are good at doing and are eager to share with others" ; and Seniors ought to be able to make some really good clothes.

A gay Christmas gift tag, with space for donor's name and address, will be supplied. Pin one to every gift with a safety pin, or tie it on with a bright hair ribbon. And sew in the label that says "Mane by the Girl Scouts of U.S.A." (Catalog No. 22-9I 5, roll of IOO for 75 cents) .

Here's How

If your community has a Russian War Relief Committee, ask it for tags and turn over t~e finished clothing to it for shipment.

If your community has no such committee, ship the clothes, between December II and 25, as follows :

Residents WEST of the Mississippi should send their gifts to the Russian War Relief warehouse at 50 Northwest qth Ave-nue, Portland 9, Oregon. .

Residents EAST of the Mississippi should send their gifts to the Russian War Relief warehouse at 40I Washington Street, New York I3, New York.

Gifts should not be wrapped with Christmas paper and rib­bons, because they will be baled under pressure for shipment in the least possible space.

Have a Party

When all. the clothes are ready, why not have a party, at which parents and friends can see the girls' work? Recipes for Russian dishes, a ten-minute play, and descriptions of Russian party customs may be obtained from your local Russian War · Relief Committee, or, if there is none, from Russian War Re­lief, Inc., 5 Cedar Street, New York 5, New York (note that this address is different from that of the warehouse) .

9

GIRL ScouTs in Savannah, Georgia, the birthplace of Girl Scouting, carried on an effective campaign this summer against the mosquito . that carries yellow fever, scientifically known as Aedes aegypti. This mosquito, which breeds chiefly in small amounts of stagnant water near human dwelling places, has been present in Savannah in sufficient quantities to cause serious concern to health authorities as to what might happen if yellow fever were introduced into the area. The Girl Scout Service Bureau volunteered to help eliminate the mosquito, and squads of Girl Scout inspectors were organized and trained to recog­nize an Aedes aegypti when they saw it. Each girl was given a bottle in which to collect specimens of wigglers, and a supply of report forms, and was assigned to a given area, which she inspected once a week. Reports were tabulated in the Service Bureau office by other Girl Scout volunteers. At the end of the first week, statistics already showed I, I 57 premises visited and 3,799 water containers eliminated, 28 of which were already found to be breeding the mosquito. <> <> <> <> A magazine that will help you with your nature and be of interest to your Girl Scouts is The Junior Natural History Magazine, published by the American Mus~um of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York 24. Subscription price is $1.25 per year-single copies, I5 cents. <> <><><>Fifty-three girls from· fourteen states as far west as Ohio and as far south as North Carolina came together at Camp Edith Macy from August 3! to September 5 to take part in a Senior Girl Scout conference on planning their program for the coming year. <> <> <> <> To meet the demand of our million and more membership, local councils are buying new camp sites to provide an adequate pro­gram for their Girl Scouts. New camp sites, of course, need

new equipment. The National Equipment Service is investi­gating the possibility of arranging methods by which local councils may take advantage of sales of Government material. More bulletins on this as progress is made. <> <> <> <> By the way, the only way to hang on to our million and start in on the second is to make sure fall registration renewals are in on time. Have you sent us yours yet? <> <> <> <> A number of former Girl Scout leaders now serving with the armed forces recently held a reunion weekend at a camp owned by the Washington, D.C., Girl Scouts. Initiator of this idea was Lt. Comdr. Eleanor Durrett, U.S.N.R., for.mer Executive Secretary of the W ash!ngton Girl Scouts, and now in charge of the Waves in that area. <> <> <> <> Senior Girl Scouts were not the · only group to hold special sessions at Macy this year. The Netherlands Women's Auxiliary Corps-Netherlands Wacs­made up of women from the Netherlands and its colonies who are now in this country, had some of their basic training at Camp Edith Macy from September 5 to 2I. <> <> <> <> For eight months, when 'submarine sinkings left the United States Army troops in Puerto Rico without many of their usual provisions, the Senior Girl Scouts of Puerto Rico completely provided these troops with candy and jelly. This was the San Juan Dis­trict Committee's project, but the entire council helped. About fifty girls worked every afternoon making candy and Guava jelly. The soldiers had selected their favorite kinds of candy­mostly taffies and hard candies-from samples that the girls had made for them. <> <> <> <> The Treasury Department has asked the Girl Scouts to conduct a clipping service on the Sixth War Loan drive. Details appear on page 9, and also in the November issue of Copy. iS\

GOOD READING STAR GAZERS who can stand the cold will find that fall and winter skies are so brilliant as to reward them well. And just off the press is an ideal book for Girl Scout star gazers-A Dip­per Full of Stars · by Lou Williams (Follett, $2; order from Girl Scouts, Catalog No. 23-543). Miss Williams, who has had a wide personal experience in Girl Scouting, is the author of our own Weather Handbook and makes the outer regions of the heavens as fascinating in her new book as those closer to us are in her earlier one. As she herself points out in her in­troduction, "the language of the astronomy books is frequently sprinkled w.ith such meaningful terms that they are meaningless to us." And so, in simple, conversational style she takes the reader on a journey among the planets and constellations, weaving legend and scientific fact together and thoroughly il­lustrating .each step of the way with photographs and easily followed star maps. Any Girl Scout or Senior Girl Scout will find this an absorbing introduction to the stars.

A handy booklet to keep beside your copies of Act It Out and Dramatic Cues for Girl Scout Leade.rs is Let's Give a Play by Mildred H. Brown, which is published by the Girls' Friend­ly Society and is carried··by the National Equipment Service (Catalog No. 23-4I9., 25 cents). It might have been written expressly for Girl Scout troops, so well does it answer any group leader's need for practical suggestions for informal dramatics. In chatty and informal style it tells how to work out good dramatic programs-for example, how to ask the ques­tions that will get good .ideas going, and how to guide a group into dramatic ventures requiring varying degrees of skill and preparation.

10

A third new book carried by the National Equipment Ser­vice is Building a Popular Movement by Harold P. Levy (Rus­sell Sage, $1.25; order from Girl Scouts, Catalog No. 23-735). This is a study of the public relations of the Boy Scout move­ment and should be of special interest to commissioners and public relations committee chairmen. It is valuable both as a study of the Boy Scout movement itself and as showing how a youth-serving movement such as Scouting makes a place for itself in the life of community and nation.

A delightful nature book for Brownies is Travele1·s All by Irma E. Webber (William R. Scott, Inc., 72 Fifth Avenue, New York II, $1.25). It tells how plants spread from one spot to another, usually by their seeds, which may be blown through the air by the wind, roll along the ground, float through the water, or fasten themselves to the fur of animals or the clothing of human beings, after the manner of burrs and sticktights. The illustrations in color are by the author.

.. United Through Books" THE PEOPLE, THE NATION, THE WORLD--"united through books": this is the theme of Book Week this year, which will be observed November I2-I8 all over the country and in many other parts of the free world. With our current emphasis on international friendship and intercultural understanding-the Plan of Work and in the Board's Postwar Plan for G1,_ ~­Scouting-Book Week this year offers us richer program oppor­tunities than ever. Is your troop making joi-nt plans with a book­store or a: library for participation in the observance?

THE GIRL SCOUT LEADER

MORE LEARNING IN LESS TIME (Continued from page 7)

;onant if students are expected to use and apply what they learn. ·

3· Visual aids increase interest. Visual aids command atten­tion and cause students to want to learn.

4· Visual aids increase self-confidence. Students gain con­fidence in their ability to do a job, since seeing how a thing looks, is done, or happens prepares them for those first steps in learning by .doing. A student must "get the idea" if he is going to put it into practice.

5· Visual aids save time and make it possible to meet high standards in less time.

These findings will encourage Girl Scout leaders to increase the use of visual aids. They will bring reality to words, and for children, whose vocabulary and experience are more limited than those of adults, this is necessary.

How to Judge a Visual Aid

To have real educational value, visual aids must impart cor- · rect ideas at the correct time· and in the correct way. Our Girl Scout program is full of ~uch phrases as "go to see--," "visit--," "make a collection of--," "dramatize--so the troop can see--." These activities can be so much aim­less playing around, if unplanned. On the other hand, they can be true visual aids and among the most efficient learning experiences chil~ren can have. .

In judging the use of each visual aid, ask yourself some of these questions:

Is it related to the points we are emphasizing in our troop ~ogram? · \_' Does it enrich activities already started, or suggest new ones?

Will it introduce or summarize an activity? Does it get the ideas across accurately? Does it show how a thing is done? Does it show how things happen? Does it reveal behavior characteristics, point up human

relationships? If we are to have more learning ;n less time when we use

visual aids, the answers to most of the above questions will have to be yes-.

Source Material

The Society for Visual Education, 100 East Opio Street, Chicago II, has kodachrome slides at so and 6o cent~ apiece. As a starter, local councils might order Arts catalog ( 10 cents) and Sciences (nature) catalog ( 2 5 cents) , and select a group of slides for the use of all troops. Check with your city and state depanments of education to see what visual' aids services are available locally, and whether these might be borrowed by Girl Scout troops.

VISUAL AIDS FOR LEADERSHIP TRAINING

THIRTY ILLUSTRATIONS AND CHARTS from Leadership of Girl Scout Troops-Intermediate Program have been enlarged for training in leaders' associations and training courses. These are 54 inches by 32 inches, so the back row can see, too! Catharine Lewis' illustrations are even better in the large editions than in

. book, and represent the best in visual aids. ;n smaller councils that do not have professional workers to

help them with training, it would be a great boon to the leaders' associations and volunteer trainers to own a set to use in their . meetings. The correct title is Thirty Illustrations from Leader­ship of Girl Scout Troops (Catalog No. 20-130, $7.50).

NOVEMBER, 1944

THIS MONTH CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS-U. S. A.

by Marion A. Roberts . ·'· ... · ....... . . .. . . Help your troop explore our rich heritage of Christmas traditions.

CHRISTMAS DRAMATIZED by Ethel Bart James.... 3 Here's a good list of Christmas plays for all Scout ages.

GUSSIE TACKLES THE BOY QUESTION by Marie E. Gaudette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Even a troop of mixed ages, Gus finds, can have a successful boy and girl party.

HOMEMAKING- WHILE THEY WANT TO LEARN HOW by Ray Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Simple sewing and cooking for Brownies and younger Girl Scouts.

KNOW YOUR GIRLS! by Ethel Bart James . . . . . . . . 6 If program is to grow out of the girls' needs, you must know the girls.

MORE LEARNING IN LESS TIME by Martha Jane Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

How visual aids can stimulate your troop program.

THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY by Judge Learned Hand.... 8 . Leaders' associations and Senior troops would do well to read, ponder, and discuss this affirmation of faith.

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9 HAVE YOU HEARD? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 GOOD READING_, ............. . .... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 STRONG-IN THE OUT-OF-DOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 NATIONAL EQUIPMENT SERVICE NEWS & NOTES 12

Cover photograph courtesy of the St. Louis, Missouri, Girl Scout Council

STRONG-IN THE OUT-OF-DOORS

ONE MILLION-and more-strong.' One million-and more­Girl Scouts working together for better homes, better communi­ties, and a better world can make a mighty impression on the nation's future. There is strength in numbers when numbers are united for common objectives.

:Are you a new leader? Are you an experienced one? Then let's talk about good, down-to-eanh standards-those essentials that make your year-round troop outdoor activities safe but brimming with new experiences.

Is there a plan for a hike, made with the troop? Have you a parent's permission from each girl? The place: Is it safe? Is the water supply approved by the

state department of health ? . The program: Does it contain fun, achievement, and a new

experience? The clothes: Are they right and comfonable? Have you a first aid kit and someone who knows how to

use it? And most important-leadership: at least two aaults for any

group, and an additional leader for every eight girls for groups .larger than sixteen.

Don't forget-your troop committee can help. By all means, read or freshen up on Safety-Wise (Catalog No. 19-502, 10 cents) ; and for weekend or troop campers, dig up a copy of · Minimum Standards for Girl Scout Camps (Catalog No. 20-508, 10 cents) or Let's Go-Troop Camping.' (Catalog No . 20-601, 25 cents). The American Home, 55 Fifth Avenue, New York 3, has recently published an attractive booklet, Out­doors on Your Own, which gives good advice on how to ex­plore, employ, and enjoy the out-of-doors with rules of safety. This is a good addition for your troop library and may be ordered from The American Home for 15 cents.

11

-~E~ NEWS AND NOTES

• Keeping you posted on the latest happenings in Girl Scout

equipment-with some helpful suggestions now and then

Time Marches On

BETTER READ THIS ONE sitting down. lnstead of the five­month wait announced last month, identification emblems and numerals over 100 now require six months for embroidering. Instead of the hoped-for improvement, orders have continued

· to pile up at the manufacturer's, with the resulting delay in delivery. While we won't make any promises, the .work will be speeded up as soon as possible. It will therefore be necessary for you to anticipate your requirements as much as possible and keep a record of the date of your orders, so you will know when to expect delivery. And please don't ask us to

hurry them. We're sorry, but we can't do a thing under pres­ent circumstances.

A Gift For Everyone

FOR THOSE who have .everything-and for everybody else­a Christmasy red leathereqe cover with any amount of War Savings Stamps makes the best of gifts. The cover, with an identification card, comes with a 2S-Cent Stamp to begin a $2S Bond, and you add all the stamps your purse will stand. And if you are giving something more fancy anyhow, tuck in the War Savings Stamp Cover with its starting Stamp, as a patriotic and welcome surprise gift. By doing this you will help put the Sixth War Loan Drive over the top and hasten the Merriest Christmas of all. 11-67s Cover~3oc, including tax; Stamp--2SC; Total-sse.

Calves Go Bare

SHIVERING CALVES will have to take to anklets willy nilly, or stockings, this season since the 7-106 green tweed knee socks are being discontinued. Because of the government limita­tion on yarns, we are concentrating all our production on the 7-101 anklets, which is the most popular with our member­ship. In addition to our production problems the yarn restric­tion has also affected this particular item. We can't get enough for both, so it is therefore necessary to put all our efforts into tbe anklet in order to keep our membership adequately sup­plied.

Fall Variation

A GOOD COMPANION for fall skirts and jumpers is a soft rayon blouse in almond green, a muted, medium green that's becoming to most everyone. Nicely tailored with convertible collar, short sleeves, buttons down the front, and a pocket, it's smart for sports or street wear. The Shantoy rayon is washable and will not shrink over 3 per cent. Someone you know would like it for Christmas-it would be an attractive and practical gift. Our quantity is limited, however, so don't hang on to that order too long. Sizes are 12 to 20. 8-156 Green Rayon Blouse· ....... .... ....... ... .... ... .. ... ........... .. .. ............... ... ... ... .... ... ...... .. $2.

Steady Companion

SUNSHINY OR MISTY, you'll cut a dashing figure in our belted coat of hunter green gabardine-perfect over your uni- · form these fall days. Designed with plenty of fullness to wear over your suit, too, it has deep, · slash pockets and natural lin­ing. Trench coat in style, the collar buttons up against stormy winds, and both sides are weatherproof-a coat to keep you steady coq~pany every day. Sizes I2-2o-8-q4 .. .... ..... ... .. $q.so

We're Everybody's Santa Claus

DON'T ASK US how we did it, but the biggest and best Christmas Flier is on its way to make short work of your long· est list. Without using an inch of extra paper, we somehow

· managed to pack it tight with more attractive and practical Girl Scout gifts than ever-77 of them! Your favorites are included, of course, along with some new surprises that came just under the deadline. We' not giving hints because you'll so, see for yourself. Which reminds us·­we know it's easy and quick and effi­cient to order by mail, but it's fun to

look over ·the whole Christmas display at your agency, if there is one near you. Warning-don't go dallying over your list too long. We're fondly hoping there will be enough of everything to go round, but the way our membership keeps climbing, maybe the early birds will be the smartest. Don't say you weren't warned! And if your Fliers don't arrive in reasonable time, let us know.

Discontinued Numbers

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS are out of stock, and no longer available:

Cat. No. 8-SI2

I 1-305 11-697 12-157

Article Leader's Scarf Automatic Safety Knife One Year Diary Girl Scout Novelty Pin (replaced by 12-17I-I6c,

including tax)

KEEP your Publications Catalog up to date-take these out: 19-107 Volunteers for Victory 19-421 A Letter to You 19-605 Christmas and the Out-of-Doors 23-364 Designing with Wild Flowers 2 3-510 Bird Portraits in Color 23-s27 Our Trees 23-528 Trees of North America .,.

This page is published monthly in the interest of better service by the National Equipment Service.

-E. HALLECK BRODHEAD