Bee-Hive Girls

The Bee-Hive Girls program started in 1913 (after a brief adoption of the Camp Fire Girls program) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints girls and non-LDS girls. It was a distinct program with unique awards, lasting many years and like many programs, went through many changes. It was a highly structured program, each month had a special program to follow.

The Early Years:

Image sent in by Wayne - Thanks Wayne!

Bee-Hive Girl Enrollment pin.

A girl had to earn the 25 cents to purchase the pin.

The pin spelled WOMANHO and MIA.

Later pins did not have MIA.

Sponsoring Organization: the YLMIA, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Membership: age 14 and up only.

1927 brought big changes to the program. The requirements for progression were greatly eased, to be more in line with other girls programs, such as Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Girls.

In 1929: Girls who were 12 were allowed to be Nymphs, and were considered Bee Hive Girls, allowed to wear the pin and uniform, but not work on the ranks.

Originally: Bee-Hive Girls (note the hyphen)

Open to LDS and non-LDS girls

Ranks: Builder in the Hive (color: brown), Gather of Honey (blue), Keeper of the Bees (gold)

Watchword: Womanho (Wo = work, man = mankind, ho = home)

Official colors: brown, light blue and gold

Uniform: khaki skirt, middy blouse and blue neck tie or a khaki dress and blue tie.

Bee-Hive Girl Promise:

On my honor each day I will
Have Faith
Seek Knowledge
Safeguard Health
Honor Womanhood
Understand Beauty
Know Work
Love Truth
Taste the Sweetness of Service
Feel Joy

Sterling Silver Chain Award

First offered as a permanent visible record of a Bee-Hive Girl's achievements.

First sold only in segments as the ranks were earned.

Later, in 1921, it was also offered as a completed necklace.

Just like other girl programs, the Bee-Hive Girls had a long history of camping in the great outdoors.

Bee-Keeper Pins:

Bee Hive Girl Pin, for girls and leaders, was introduced in 1921.Bee Hive Girl Pin, for girls and leaders, was introduced in 1921.

A special silver version was offered

during the 25th Anniversary of Bee Hive Girls

Bee-Keeper 3-Year Service Pin, discontinued in 1951

Bee-Keeper 5-year Service Pin, with chain,

would be attached to loop on 3-year Service Pin.

BHS = Bee-Hive Swarm.

A "swarm" is a group of Bee-Hive girls.

Discontinued in 1951.

The Middle Years: Silver Jubilee and War Service

1n 1934 these changes were approved:

Membership: 12,13 and 14 year old girls

Ranks changed to: Builder in the Hive (age 12), Gatherer of Honey (13) and Guardian of the Treasure (14). Honor Bee Hive Girl was the highest honor a girl could earn.

1940 was the Silver Jubilee of the Bee-Hive Program, celebrating 25 years. Since the program officially began in 1913, it is curious that it was celebrated in the 27th year.

In 1950 the program changed to a 2-years program with 2 ranks; Gatherer (age 12) and Guardian (age 13). Girls who wished to could work on additional honors as Worker Bee and Honor Bee.

After 1951 the rank titles were dropped, and girls were simply first or second year Bee Hive Girls.

Uniform: Azure Blue Sash over a white blouse, dark blue skirt. This was modified later to allow white skirts, as long as all the girls of the group wore the same color skirt.

Bee-Hive Girls from 12th edition handbook.
The familiar sash is shown on the left and the girl on the right appears to be wearing a uniform.
The hats and sash are azure blue.

A year's worth of program is shown in the newspaper, making it available to everyone.
Note the Bee-Keeper in the photo is also wearing the Bee-Hive Girl's sash.

Special silver Bee-Hive Girls' pin noting "25" and "1940."

Silver Jubilee felt emblem for the sash.

This Bee Ring was the highest honor a Bee Hive Girl could earn until the metal shortages of WWII, then a special felt award was introduced.

Bee Hive Girls continued to have various charms and pins to earn and wear for many years. In March of 1949 a charm bracelet was introduced, with 7 charms to earn, one for each field of study, plus one charm for Honor Bee.

Honor Badges from 1943 to 1954:

These designs were either discontinued or renamed in 1954.

Field of Public Service

Field of Business

Field of the Home

Field of Handicrafts (B&W image from handbook)

Busy Bee Girl Characters

Bee-Hive Girls' Handbooks through the years:

Early Bee-Hive Girls Handbooks

were issued yearly

12th edition, note the hyphen continues, but the YLMIA has changed to YWMIA. This makes this edition 1934 or newer.

1938 Bee-Keepers handbook

note that it says Bee Hive

as two separate words,

no hyphen.

1956

note that these next 3 examples

each say Beehive as one word

Sashes and Honors:

Azure blue sashed with felt emblems

Honor Badges, new names 1954

Seek Knowledge (introduced 1954)

Safeguard Health

Honor Womanhood

Value Work

Have Faith

Love Truth (introduced 1954)

Taste The Sweetness Of Service

Feel Joy

Understand Beauty

Felt emblems of rank: brown bee hive and gold hexagonal cell for a girl just joining, 2 blue violets were awarded after completing "Trial Flights", and the gold Queen Bee awarded at the beginning of the Guardian rank. These were worn on an azure blue felt sash.

Individual Girl's Award, introduced in the 1960s.

Later sashes with plastic honors

Y.W.M.I.A. Camp Patch. Each year a girl would earn patch with successive letters on them.

The first year, the patch would only have the "Y" on in, the next year would have the "Y" & "W", and so on. This is a 5 year patch, having all the letters of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association.

Today:

Today the girls' program continues under the banner of the Young Women's annual New Beginnings program:

Beehives

Mia Maids

Laurels

Fictional Books with a Bee-Hive Girls theme:

In the 1990s, author Lael Littke brought forth a series called "The Bee Theres" that ran for 7 books.