Camp Fire Girls Handbook: Honors

The honors of the Camp Fire Girls are devices by which wholesome activities may be divided into "measurable bundles" and social recognition and status given for accomplishment.

Standards. The effectiveness of this whole honor plan depends upon the good judgment of the Guardian. In interpreting what degree of excellence is demanded for any honor she must bear in mind the other honors. For example, to identify and describe twenty wild flowers may be made so easy that a girl with a good memory would qualify by an hour or two of work, or it could be made so difficult that it would involve weeks and weeks of work. Common sense is needed here. It is of no help to the girls to give them their honors easily. On the other hand, to make them very difficult will tend only to discourage them. Each honor should be won by good honest work. Any other way serves only to hurt the girl. One reason why there are so many elective honors is that girls of all kinds, of all ages, tastes, training, and home life may find those which fit them.

(I) To help prepare and serve, together with the other candidates, at least two meals for meetings of the Camp Fire; this to include purchase of food, cooking, and serving the meal, and care of fire. (All candidates work in rotation; that is, each does a different part of the work each time.) A typical meal to be cooked with an open fire on one of the tramps consists of cream of tomato soup, potatoes baked in ashes, bacon broiled on green sticks, with bread, butter and lettuce brought from home ready for sandwiches. For an indoor dinner to be prepared in rather small quarters on a gas range with the help of a fireless cooker, left over meat chopped for a chartreuse with rice and tomato sauce, a green salad with a cooked dressing, and individual sponge cakes would make a good menu.

(2) To mend a pair of stockings, a knitted under-garment, and hem some necessary article, requiring at least a yard in length of hem. Use the sewing machine if practical, and also the attachments for hemming.

(3) To keep a written classified account of all money received and spent for at least one month.

(4) To tie a square knot five times in succession correctly and without hesitation.

(6) To take an average of at least half on hour daily outdoor exercise for not less than a month.

(7) To refrain from chewing gum, candy, sundaes, sodas, and commercially manufactured beverages between meals for at least one month.

(8) To name the chief causes of infant mortality in summer. Tell how and to what extent it has been reduced in one community. In a city, there may be an opportunity to visit a milk station, to see the babies brought in and weighed and to see there what is being done by that particular city. The work of a number of cities has appeared in illustrated magazine articles, which may be found by an index to current periodicals.

(10) To know the principles of elementary bandaging and how to use surgeon's plaster.

This is a requirement in knowledge of personal hygiene to include the best use of hot and cold baths, care of the hands, cleanliness of the hair and its appropriate dressing, the encouragement of good teeth and a sweet breath. The girl should know the care of the eyes in respect to good light and occasional relaxation by glancing to a distance when reading or doing other close work. She should know the normal requirements of sleep and out-of-door exercise for her age, the suitable dress for cold or wet weather, the proper care of the feet and proper selection of footwear, especially for school, work, and tramping, simple preventives of constipation through regularity, exercise, and attractive laxative foods. She should know those intimate things which careful mothers tell their daughters about the personal life of women and something of the delightful results of a happy attitude to all about her.

(12) To commit to memory any good poem or song not less than twenty-five lines in length.

(13) To know the career of some woman who has done much for the country or state.

In addition the candidate shall present twenty Elective Honors. At least one honor must be won in each group and with the exception of Home Craft not more than five honors may be presented from any one group.

Elective Honors form the basis of Camp Fire work. These honors may be won in seven crafts, each craft being symbolized by a distinctively colored bead.

These will be awarded to any Fire Maker over fourteen years of age who wins elective honors as follows:

The Big Honor beads are a special shape,--large, decorative, and are of the same colors as the Elective Honor beads.

A special honor will be given to any Torch Bearer over sixteen years of age who passes advanced tests in such subjects as water sports, star lore, dancing, outdoor cooking, indoor cooking, story-telling, horseback riding, mountain climbing, housekeeping, singing, playing any musical instrument, writing plays, or pantomime plays based on fairy stories, hiking lore, any special branch of nature lore, fire lore, any special branch of handcraft, or patriotism. The nature of the honor given and how it is to be won will be described in future numbers of Wohelo. These tests will be based on usefulness to the Camp Fire Girls' plan or idea. For example, mountain climbing would mean that the candidate had climbed mountains of certain difficulty, knew how to equip a party of girls for this work, and had actually directed such a trip.

Some Camp Fires have special needs or opportunities that are not provided for under the elective honors in connection with which it seems wise to offer some honor. Any Camp Fire may create local honors and award special beads or other emblems for such honors. These local honors do not, however, count toward the rank of Fire Maker or Torch Bearer.

Special decorations for the ceremonial dress have been adopted for award to those who send to the National Office of the Camp Fire Girls original ideas, songs, poems, plays, drawings, photographs, Camp Fire Girls' stories, counts kept or decorated in particularly beautiful or original ways, headbands, original and beautiful ways of wearing honors, and suggestions as to the design of Camp Fire Girls' clothing or other articles for use. These National Honors are graded as follows:

(2) The "Keda" honor; meaning to think hard. Given for work showing deep thought and excellence.

(3) The "Shuta" honor; meaning to create. Given for material which can be used in part or adapted for use in National work, or those showing especially fine Camp Fire spirit.

(4) The "Wakan" honor; meaning inspiration. Given for articles or suggestions of excellent quality which are acceptable for use in Wohelo, the Handbook, etc.

Send the article, picture or suggestion, with return postage, to the National Board. Each thing should be carefully marked with the name and address of the sender and the Guardian's name.

Any attainment described in the following lists entitles the girl to as many honors as there are stars after the honor, e.g., one honor, two honors, etc. Each honor so won counts toward rank of Fire Maker or Torch Bearer the first time it is won.

Repeat for Rank honors are those which count for rank of Fire Maker or Torch Bearer each time they are won in a new way, e. g., "Do any two standard dives in good form." The first time the Front and Back may be presented, the second time the Back and Front from a run may be accepted; or, with a chafing dish, "prepare four appetizing dishes." When this is to be won a second time the dishes presented must be different from those presented the first time. These honors, which may be repeated and count toward the rank of Fire Maker or Torch Bearer, are called "Repeat for Rank Honors." They are marked with a capital "R."

Some honors may be repeated indefinitely and the proper bead awarded each time, but count for rank only the first time they are won. For example, a girl walks forty miles in ten days and wins her red honor, and counts it toward her rank of Torch Bearer or Fire Maker. She may win this over and over again and receive a red bead each time, but these repetitions do not count for rank. Such honors are marked with a circle "o."

Honors for Camp Fire work may be counted only from the date of the organization of the Camp Fire. The members of the Camp Fire, with the exception of the Guardian, are not entitled to credit for honors won before the Guardian has received her certificate of appointment from the National Board. The Guardian is entitled to honors for past attainments.