What Badges were Girl Scouts earning
one hundred years ago?

This online exhibition is presented in partnership with The Virginia Skyline Archives Group
Gardening

​Participate in the home and school garden work of her community; Plan, make and care for either a backyard garden, or a window garden for one season; Give plan of her work, the flowers or vegetables planted, the size and cost of her plot and the profit gained therefrom; She must also supervise or directly care for the home lawns, flower beds; attend to the watering, the mowing of the grass, keeping yards free from waste paper and rubbish, to the clipping of shrubbery and hedges.
Needlewoman
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Know how to cut and fit; how to sew by hand and by machine; know how to knit, embroider, or crochet; Bring two garments made and cut out by herself; sew on hooks and eyes for buttons; make a button hole and bring examples of darning and patching.
Cook
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Must know how to wash up, wait on table, light a fire, lay a table for four and hand wash dishes correctly at the table; clean and dress fowl; clean fish; Know how to make a cook-place in the open; make tea, coffee, or cocoa, mix dough and bake bread in the oven; state approximate cost of each dish; know how to cook two kinds of meat; boil or roast two kind of vegetables, potatoes, rice and another vegetable; know how to make two salads; know how to make preserves of berries or fruit or to can them.
Child Nurse
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Take care of a child two hours each day for a month, or care for a baby one hour a day for a month; Must have had charge of child by herself; should understand care of children, elementary instruction; know three kindergarten games and describe treatment of simple ailments; be able to make poultices, and do patching and darning; know how to test bath heat and use of thermometer, test the pulse.
Automobiling

Must pass an examination equal to that required to obtain a permit or license to operate an automobile in her community; Know how to start a motor and be able to do it and be able to explain necessary precautions; Know how to extinguish burning oil or gasoline; Comply with such requirements as are imposed by body conducting the test for licensing drivers.
Telegraphy

​Know elementary electricity; able to read and send Morse Code.
Girl Scout War Service Medal

To earn the medal the girls had to participate in the Third or Fourth Liberty Loan Campaign. If they sold 10 Liberty Bonds to 10 different people they were eligible for a medal.
Girl Scout War Service Pin

Earning this pin was meant to encourage girls to give thoughtful, direct service in the war effort. Three points earned the pin, with additional points earning color-coded ribbons. A sample listing of point-earning tasks included: knitting wool for the Red Cross, knitting for the American Red Cross, preserving 50 containers of jam or jelly, or selling 10 Liberty Bonds.


Visit the museum to see the exhibit Girl Scouts during 'The Great War'