History
Most Girl Scouts know the history of Girl Scouting in America began in Savannah, Georgia with a woman named Juliette Gordon Low on March 12, 1912, but do you know when Girl Scouting in eastern Iowa and western Illinois began?
In 1917 the very first Girl Scout troop in the area was formed in Iowa City, which later became the area’s first council in 1919. This troop was followed in 1920 by troops in Rock Island and Aledo. In May of 1921 the Rock Island Council became the area’s second chartered council. Girls at this time wore khaki dresses as uniforms, and read “American Girl,” a magazine published by the Girl Scouts for young girls. Within a short time Girl Scouts spread from Rock Island to the surrounding areas resulting in the creation of several other councils such as Davenport in 1930, Dubuque in 1932, Moline in 1937, and East Moline in 1946.
In 1936, girls dressed in their new grey-green uniforms and held the first nationally franchised Girl Scout cookie sale. In the 1950s, a group of local councils and counties merged to form the Cardinal, Shabonee, and River Bend councils. In 1963, the four levels of Girl Scouts were established: Brownie, Junior, Cadettes, and Seniors. Each level got new pantsuit uniforms in the 1970’s. In 1973 Shabonee and River Bend councils merged to become Mississippi Valley Girl Scout Council, joined in 1975 by Cardinal Council. In May of 2007, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois was formed from the merger of Shining Trails, Mississippi Valley, Conestoga, and Little Cloud councils.
While Girl Scouts provides a wide variety of learning opportunities, the one activity practically synonymous with Girl Scouts is camping. Camping for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois was not always easy. During the early years of the local Girl Scout movement, girls did not even have a camp to attend. In 1935, the first local Girl Scouts camped at Minneyta and Ingawanis – two Boy Scout camps they borrowed for week long programs. These first girls made their own meals, camped in tents, practiced archery, and did things such as handsaw design for craft projects. In the 1930s, the Davenport Council acquired Camp Shirmanan, which was the first official Girl Scout camp in the area. Singing Bird Lodge was built in March of 1944. The state of Illinois donated the land, and funds from cookie sales were used to build the lodge. Camp Conestoga was acquired in 1946 and opened in 1951, resulting in the closing of Camp Shirmanan. Girls who camped in the 1940s and 1950s were told not to wear “slacks.” In the 1940s, girls were even required to purchase camp uniforms – striped T-shirts and matching shorts with a stripe running down the side. At camp girls learned about nature, cooking, swimming, setting up a tent, and making crafts. Today, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois Council has four camps: Conestoga, Little Cloud, L-Kee-Ta, and Tahigwa. Girls attend day camps and resident camps focusing on horses, friendship building, and Crime Scene Investigation. In 2010, for the first time ever, NASA is conducting a Space Explorer camp, giving girls an out of this world experience.
Today, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois Council is as active as ever with offices in 38 counties. Girls are offered a wide variety of programs, including badge bursts, leadership opportunities, and day and resident camp. In 2010, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois will be celebrating Juliette Gordon Low’s 150th birthday with a giant birthday bash!
GSEIWI History Archives
GSEIWI history archives has a Flickr page with most of our photographs, documents, books and uniforms.
