Let’s Go Troop Camping is a very informative and pleasantly entertaining film made in 1951 by the Girl Scouts of the United States of America [Walter S. Stern, Director (35:20); Carol Hale, producer (28:11)]. The film presents ways in which Girl Scout activities in the 1950s built leadership, character, and maturity in young girls by teaching practical skills, teamwork, sharing, taking initiative, problem solving, independence, resolving minor conflicts, and companionship. The context of the film is a group of middle school girls preparing for their first camping trip.
The film opens with young girls waking for the day (00:44) and Mrs. Lawrence, the Troop Leader, making final preparations for the girls’ camping trip (1:30). As she prepares, she reminisces about how the idea for the trip came about (2:00). The idea for this first experience came from one of the girls after her brother loaned her a compass (2:07). When she showed her Troop Leaders how it worked (2:20), she suggested the Troop could take a mapping expedition, using the compass to make a map together. Then she showed it off to her patrol (2:31) and explained how to read it. When some of the girls in her patrol scoffed at the idea, the patrol leader called for order (2:44) with Mrs. Lawrence looking on. As Mrs. Lawrence approached to see what the disagreement was about, Betsey enthusiastically suggested to the patrol group: “Let’s go camping!” (2:52) As neither the girls nor Mrs. Lawrence knew anything about camping, they called a Court of Honor to discuss the idea (3:11). The Court of Honor approved the plan (3:40). Once approved, the leaders took stock of a number of materials and skills the troop would have to put in place to be fully prepared for this venture, and Betsey took notes from Mrs. Lawrence on the things that they would need to learn as they prepared (3:50). Skills included knowing how to manipulate a jack-knife, whittling, making a “fuzz stick,” building a fire, cooking outdoors, assembling a first aid kit, and making a bedroll. Betsey recorded of all the plans in the troop minutes (4:07): what to eat, what to take, costs, and things to learn.
That evening the troop leaders met to lay more groundwork and plan for transportation. They also planned for the girls to learn and practice one new skill each week. They consulted the Troop Camp book for particulars on certain skills they would need to learn (4:44). They also consulted the Girl Scout Handbook for skills and procedures (5:47). At the next meeting, the girls learned how to use the knives (6:04 to 7:30). They learned to sharpen a knife (6:40) whittle (6:54) and make a ‘fuzz stick’ to start a fire (7:30). Then they practiced building fires (7:35 to 9:15). They had their first cookout to make taffy apples (10:00 to 11:40).
Final preparations: The Court of Honor makes last minute questions about the trip and Betsey kept track of all decisions (11:40 to 12:20). In preparation for the trip, they made a Kaper chart (12:29), assembled first aid kits (12:36), and went shopping for the food (12:50). During one of their meetings in the weeks ahead, they made bedrolls, with the Patrol leaders teaching their patrols (13:00 to 15:20).
The Big Day: The girls assembled for departure for the trip (16:00 – 16:47). Once they had arrived at the cabin, they had a few evening activities (17:22). The next day, they set out to explore and make a map by using the compass to record their locations. Everything they saw was drawn on the map which they then posted on the wall of the cabin for the next group of girls who would use the cabin (18:14 – 19:20). On the last evening, they had their final campfire (19:39).
Concluding Remarks The video not only follows the trip from initial idea through the planning and preparation stages to the execution of the trip itself. It also features ways in which the girls took initiative, how leaders emerged for certain tasks, how they formed teams, and ways in which they learned to work together. It also revealed times when they had to show willingness to follow the lead of others, to show respect and deference to the troop leaders and to the other groups, and to compromise. Friendly competition was in order in the context of certain activities. All in all, the girls were learning discrete skills, learning leadership, and become more mature as young women in the process.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
