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Books ➔ Activity Book, Camp Fire Girls
Identifier:
2011.15.12Description:
A yellow folder containing activities taught to the Camp Fire Girls in the 1970s.;Jeanne Lewis (Baker - Brink) of Grandville started as a Blue Bird around 1953 and then graduated to become a Camp Fire Girl the following year. Her mother, Anje Baker (nee Van Single), and her mother's sister Dorothy Vander Laan also of Grandville, were her Camp Fire group leaders hosting the young girls in their homes. Jeanne kept that tradition alive by also becoming a group leader for her daughter, Terrie Raterink (Brink), who started as a Blue Bird around 1973. This collection of items includes Camp Fire Girls' formal and ceremonial uniforms, both worn by Terrie in the early 1970s along with her Blue Birds book. The scrapbook, song book, Blue Birds photo and Camp Fire Girls leadership activity duotang were owned by Jeannie. Each made one of the felt vests. The beads used for decorating the clothing items, called Honor Beads, represent different skill areas such as: Homemaking (orange), Science (turquoise) and Sports and Games (red). The decorations and badges affixed to the vests show the girls' interests and accomplishments. Membership with the Camp Fire Girls was an opportunity for girls and mothers to develop close relationships and friendships. It brought women and girls together in the community to participate in outdoor activities, particularly in smaller towns like Grandville, which at the time were not as populated as they are today. This collection of uniforms and books represent the experiences of the Lewis family females as Camp Fire Girls from the 1950s-1970s just prior to the organization becoming co-educational in 1975.;Owned by Jeannie Lewis when she was a Camp Fire leader.;Camp Fire Girls is an American youth organization that started in 1910 as a counterpart to the Boy Scouts of America. Camp Fire is the first nonsectarian, multicultural organization for girls in America. It places an emphasis on outdoor activities and camping and uses Native American beliefs and culture to inspire its programs. These include Native American traditional ceremonies such as pow-wows, arts and crafts and lessons in respecting the environment. The ceremonial attire worn by the Camp Fire Girls, based on a Native American woman's dress, is comprised of a light brown gown that ties at the waist as well as a headband and vestment both decorated in beads and badges. Camp Fire also has a basic uniform worn for regular meetings which is comprised of a blue cap, white shirt, blue skirt and red scarf. The Camp Fire Girls group formed in Grand Rapids not long after the national organization began. By the summer of 1913 an area on White Lake was rented to set up tents for the program. By 1925 a more permanent site was founded for the camp called Keewano Wohelo located at Ottawa Beach near Holland. Camp Fire flourished in Grand Rapids and the nearby towns. By the 1930s, Grand Rapids Camp Fire ran groups in Fennville, Grand Haven, Holland, Hudsonville, Wayland, Jenison, Belmont, Grandville, Sparta, Ada, Cascade, Lake Odessa, Grant Saugatuck, Comstock Park, Wyoming Park, Rockford, Caledonia, Byron Center and Moline. By the 1960s, this had further expanded to include areas on the outskirts of Kent County. The regular meetings for Camp Fire Girls were held in the leaders' homes where the girls would participate in games, sing songs and activities. Special outings such as camping were organized to sites like Keewano Wohelo as well as other lakes and parks in the area. Before becoming a Camp Fire Girl, at around age 7, the child would first spend a year as a Blue Bird. She would then spend two years as a Camp Fire Girl. By 1975 the Camp Fire organization opened its doors to young boys and became a co-educational organization.Date:
1973 – 1976Materials:
PaperDimensions:
1" h 12" wCurrent Location Status:
In StorageSource:
Gift Of Jeannie Lewis (baker-brink)Related Entities:
Camp Fire Girls (creator)Camp Fire Girls is an American youth organization that started in 1910 as a counterpart to the Boy Scouts of America. Camp Fire is the first nonsectarian, multicultural organization for girls in America. It places an emphasis on outdoor activities and camping and uses Native American beliefs and culture to inspire its programs. These include Native American traditional ceremonies such as pow-wows, arts and crafts and lessons in respecting the environment. The ceremonial attire worn by the Camp Fire Girls, based on a Native American woman's dress, is comprised of a light brown gown that ties at the waist as well as a headband and vestment both decorated in beads and badges. Camp Fire also has a basic uniform worn for regular meetings which are comprised of a blue cap, white shirt, blue skirt, and red scarf. The Camp Fire Girls group formed in Grand Rapids not long after the national organization began. By the summer of 1913, an area on White Lake was rented to set up tents for the program. By 1925 a more permanent site was founded for the camp called Keewano Wohelo located at Ottawa Beach near Holland. Camp Fire flourished in Grand Rapids and the nearby towns. By the 1930s, Grand Rapids Camp Fire ran groups in Fennville, Grand Haven, Holland, Hudsonville, Wayland, Jenison, Belmont, Grandville, Sparta, Ada, Cascade, Lake Odessa, Grant Saugatuck, Comstock Park, Wyoming Park, Rockford, Caledonia, Byron Center, and Moline. By the 1960s, this had further expanded to include areas on the outskirts of Kent County. The regular meetings for Camp Fire Girls were held in the leaders' homes where the girls would participate in games, sing songs and activities. Special outings such as camping were organized to sites like Keewano Wohelo as well as other lakes and parks in the area. Before becoming a Camp Fire Girl, at around age 7, the child would first spend a year as a Blue Bird. She would then spend two years as a Camp Fire Girl. By 1975 the Camp Fire organization opened its doors to young boys and became a co-educational organization. Jeanne Lewis (donor)
Jeanne Baker Brink Lewis of Grandville, Michigan started as a Blue Bird around 1953 and then graduated to becoming a Camp Fire Girl the following year. Her mother Anje was also a Camp Fire group leader. Andrea Melvin (identified by)