The Girl Scouts: A Training School for Womanhood

"The Girl Scouts: A Training School for Womanhood" by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin is a guidebook that emphasizes the importance of girlhood and the values instilled by the Girl Scouts, written in the early 20th century. The book discusses the role of the Girl Scouts as an organization that prepares young women for the responsibilities of adulthood while celebrating traditional feminine virtues. It reflects the cultural attitudes of its time, particularly in relation to women's roles in society. In this book, Wiggin shares her passion for the Girl Scouts and the ideals of scouting as a means of personal development for young girls. She reflects on her experiences and the qualities that define a true scout, such as bravery, cheerfulness, thriftiness, and a spirit of service to others. Through anecdotes and observations, she advocates for the nurturing of a woman's character through small daily responsibilities and the importance of community, urging girls to embrace their identities while cultivating a sense of responsibility towards each other and the world around them. The narrative underscores the notion that women can contribute meaningfully to society through their unique qualities, rather than by imitating men. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Kate Douglas Wiggin was an American educator, author and composer. She wrote children's stories, most notably the classic children's novel Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, and composed collections of children's songs. She started the first free kindergarten in San Francisco in 1878. With her sister during the 1880s, she also established a training school for kindergarten teachers. Kate Wiggin devoted her adult life to the welfare of children in an era when children were commonly thought of as cheap labor.