Our History – A Brief Overview:
The first two Girl Scout troops were established in Rhode Island in 1914! The first Girl Scout troop in Rhode Island began meeting in 1914 at Darlington Congregational Church in Pawtucket. Within three years, troops were organized in Providence, Woonsocket, Barrington and Westerly. In 1917, the Red Rose Troop of Newport became the first to register officially with the national organization. - In 1919, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island was chartered by the national Girl Scout organization and incorporated under RI law to coordinate local efforts, organize troops in new areas, train leaders and provide camping opportunities for all girls in the region.
- In 1920, Mrs. William Hoffman of Barrington, Commissioner of the new RI council, leased land on Prudence Island for the first GSRI resident camp!
- In 1921, land was purchased in W. Kingston as a permanent camp site and was then named Camp Hoffman!
- In 1923, the first RI Brownie pack met in Newport.
- In 1962, 9 RI councils consolodate into one statewide organization, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island, Inc.!
- In 1975, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island purchased and renovated the historic Canal House building for its headquarters.
The Rhode Island Girl Scouts organization has acquired a substantial amount of property throughout the years and now owns 6 gorgeous properties that have become established, beloved Girl Scout camp locations.
History of the Girl Scout Uniforms and Badges – A Brief Overview:
The Girl Scout uniform signifies the Girl Scout promise of honesty and integrity. Many of the historical uniforms are on display at the Girl Scout museum located at Camp Hoffman. Today, there are five age groups within Girl Scouts and over the 90 year history of Girl Scouting, changes to the uniform have been made regularly!
The uniforms have reflected each decade with their style and design changes. - In 1914, the first official Girl Scout uniforms were worn by members of the organization. The uniforms at that time included a blue or khaki blouse and skirt and were usually worn with a kerchief and a wide brimmed hat that had a logo pin “GS” attached to the front center of the hat.
- In 1919, the Girl Scout uniforms were modified and for the first time, there were separate uniforms for girls and adults. In 1938, the Senior Girl Scout uniform was introduced. It consisted of a forst green one piece rayon dress and it had a long zipper in the front for easy wear. The Senior Girl Scout usually wore her uniform with a green wool beret to complete the look!
- In the 1960’s, a new Girl Scout uniform was designed to accommodate new fashions. It became a long or short-sleeved, two piece tailored dress and was worn with a deep olive green oversears cap!
- In 1971, an A-line tunic style dress was introduced for versatility and could be worn with slacks.
- In the early 1990’s, the adult uniforms were designed for casual active lifestyles and the Girl Scout uniform included sweatshirts and baseball caps!
History of Girl Scout Cookies – A Brief Overview:
A lot of successful women today say that they got their first break selling Girl Scout cookies! While doing so, girls have, over the years, practiced useful skills like planning, decision-making, customer service and marketing. The proceeds from each Girl Scout cookie sale stays within the local community and are used for a variety of local Girl Scouting needs.
The earliest Girl Scout cookies were first made in the kitchens of Girl Scouts with the help and supervision of their mothers and aunts. The sale of cookies started as a way to finance troop activities in about 1917. IN 1922, a recipe was given to almost 2000 Girl Scouts who began to bake these cookies with the help of their mothers. The approximate cost of ingredients at the time was 26-36 cents for 6-7 dozen cookies and they were sold at 40-50 cents a dozen. The Girl Scouts of Philadelphia was the first council to sell commercially baked cookies in 1934. In 1936, the National Girl Scouts organization began the process to license the first commercial baker to bake cookies to be sold by Girl Scouts. By 1982, four bakers produces cookies of 7 different varieties. In 1998, 3 bakers were licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA to produce cookies and the boxes got brighter and bolder to convey the spirit of Girl Scouting. |
