By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor
[A uniform] gives a certain prestige in the community. When a girl is seen in uniform, people recognize her as a girl who is courteous and obliging… The uniform puts every girl on the same footing…[and] makes a useful dress for her to work and play in at the meetings."
—Girl Scout Leader's Manual, circa 1917
Girl Scouting has gone through the last 100 years as a constant – a n organization that founder Juliette Gordon Low said was a “circle of friends united by ideals.”
But perhaps the most apparent through 100 years is in the uniform. Influenced by supply, demand, and fashion, the modifications reveal the organization's response to the changing needs of girls. Regardless of whether or not it's made of cotton, wool, rayon, or nylon, the uniform has always symbolized the high ideals for which Girl Scouting stands.
A group of local Girl Scouts helped illustrate that uniform change at the annual Friends of the Library Fashion Show this week. From the tradition Brownie Girl Scout uniform – with beanie and little front pocket – to the first “pants suit” uniform for leaders, the models offered a slice of local Girl Scout history.
