In the Summer of 1918, the Great War was very much on everyone’s mind.
In reading through Ladies’ Home Journal and McCalls‘ magazines, I’ve found a plethora of articles about women’s’ war work, and what ladies could do – at home – to help defeat Kaiser Wilhelm.
But one of the most memorable articles I found was in the July 1918 McCalls’ Magazine. A short story featured a division of 35 Florida Girl Scouts, who walked a ten-mile patrol each night along the St. John’s River – with rifles slung over their shoulders – on the hunt for German spies.
“They have been trained in marksmanship,” the article said, adding, “They are afraid of nothing and ready for anything.”
Last year, I read a book called, Unintended Consequences.
It was a fascinating, well-written book and rich with history, but its most memorable point was that a mere 100 years ago, Americans were comfortable with firearms, and in the early 1900s, most Americans grew up on farms, and we knew how to handle shotguns and rifles. (Contrast that with today’s nuttiness, where a student was suspended last week when he brought a bright yellow water gun to school.)
Can you imagine what would happen today if we armed 13 to 16-year-old girls with rifles, and asked them to patrol a stretch of coastline, prepared to shoot enemy combatants?
Oh MY!
To read more about why I’m reading 100-year-old women’s magazines, click here.
To learn about kit homes, click here.
"The few, the proud, the girlie scouts!"
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To read more about why I’m reading 100-year-old women’s magazines, click here.
To learn about kit homes, click here.
Want to purchase “Unintended Consequences”? Click here.
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What a great article!
Despite our children of today being exposed to a plethora of “adult” themes in society, a matter of national security was entrusted to girls a century ago.
As you said, I can’t imagine this happening today.