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Camp fire girls - National honors

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Each year, starting in 1916, Camp Fire Girls had Birthday Projects (dropped in 1960), later called National Projects, National Honors or Annual Projects.

  • Every group was encourage to participate in the program.

  • At first Birthday Honors were earned ONLY during Camp Fire Girl Week. Later they stretched over the year. Then it went to September to the summer of the following year. Each Birthday Honor period had a special design for the honor, once earned, to be stenciled to the ceremonial gown or later, sewn to a vest.

  • First year with a verified special design was 1927. Earlier years may not have had a special design.

  • Later charms were offered for sale, but did not have to be earned.

  • By the mid 1950's these honors, pre-printed on felt, were likely available for sale, due the uniformity of felt patches and the uniformity of stencil and paint quality.

  • Summer Honors, for girls meeting during summer break, were discontinued in 1958.

  • These annual projects seemed to fade after 1968, though the birthday themes continued, there was less emphasis, except for...

    •  "We The People" in 1976. 

Finding this information is difficult, but goes a long way in helping to date these ceremonial gowns and vests. Any help in identifying the honor design, or filling in gaps would be appreciated!

  • 1916 - Baby Kits to Children Overseas 

  • 1917 - Continued helping children in Europe or at home or the Red Cross

  • 1918 - unknown

  • 1919 - Assisting the "American Committee for Devastated France"

  • 1920 - Mothers' and Fathers' Festivals

  • 1921 - Unknown

  • 1922 - Unknown

  • 1923 - No clear title found but it focused on adding blind and "crippled"  girls to the Camp Fire Girls program.

  • 1924 - Recipe for Good Singing 

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This Summer Honor design was used in 1955, 56, 57 and 58 (the year the Summer Honor ended). It was only earned by Advisors and Guardians who arranged for 6 gatherings of their girls during the summer break.

The first project grew from a warmhearted concern for the plight of small children during the First World War. The suggestion was made in 1916 that girls might make clothing for "babies in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Serbia, Armenia, as well as in our own land." The response was overwhelming. Parcels spilled over the mailing room at National Headquarters and necessitated temporary rental of addition space to handle and classify them for shipment abroad. WO-HE-LO The Camp Fire History, 1980 edition, page 215

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  • 1925 - Helpfulness in the Home (not verified)

  • 1926 - Interior Decoration or Beautify Your Home

  • 1927 - Tree Planting

  • 1928 - Give Service

  • 1929 - Flower Birthday

  • 1930 - Indian Lore

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Camp Fire Girls "Flower Birthday" display in San Diego, CA flower show. Could the design be the Honor Design? 1929

  • 1931- International Friendship

  • 1932 - A Home Environment Harmonious and Enriching

  • 1933 - Making the Most of Me

  • 1934 - Hobbies

  • 1935 - My Place in the World

  • 1936 - Hospitality at Home and Abroad

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1930

Birthday

Honor

Design 

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1912- Silver Jubliee - 1937

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This is the Silver Jubilee Honor symbol at the beginning of the jubilee year. The four empty quarters were filled in one by one during the year as the group earned them; Camping, Membership, Service and Birthday.

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The bottom quarter symbols represent Camping
The left quarter - Membership
The right quarter - Service
Top quarter - Birthday

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A completed Silver Jubilee Birthday Honor on suede

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  • 1938 - My Land and Me/ This Land of Ours

  • 1939 - Americana

  • 1940 - Skillful Living

  • 1941 - Treasure Trails - Exploring, Creating, Sharing

  • 1942 - Fortifying the Family

  • 1943 & 1944 - Serving by Saving

  • 1945 - Hi Neighbor!

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  • 1946 - At Home in the World

  • 1947 - Going Places

  • 1948 - Make Mine Democracy

  • 1949 - Discovery Unlimited

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  • 1950 - Unknown

  • 1951 - Everyone Counts

  • 1952 - Design for Friendship

  • 1953 - Down to Earth

  • 1954 - Lets Be Different Together

  • 1955 - Let Freedom Ring

This may or may not be the design for the 1950 Birthday Project - more research needed

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1956 - Plants Seeds, Reap Friendship
  • This was the last birthday honor to follow the January through   December format
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1956 - 1957 - Together We Make Tomorrow

  • ​This birthday honor starts the September-Summer format, thereby crossing two calendar years.​

1957- 1958 - Meet the People

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1910- Golden Jubliee - 1960

Around 1948 the Camp Fire Girls changed their beginning year from 1912 to 1910 - thus allowing 1960 to be their 50th anniversary,

or Golden Jubilee.

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1959 - 1961 - The World Around Her - She Cares - Do You?   Golden Jubilee Girl Project, 2 1/2 years long

Golden Jubilee Honor, stenciled onto green felt

Yellow for the Golden Jubilee, seed pod design for promise of new life and continued growth.

This was an earned honor

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Golden Jubilee Honor memento charm, shown on navy blue felt

Charm had no requirements for wear, unlike the felt honor shown left

  • 1962-1963 - Today's Program to Today's Girl

  • 1964 - 1965 - Think Big, Widen Your World

  • 1965 -1966 - Think Big, See the World

  • 1966-1967 - Spotlight on the Arts

  • 1967-1968 - Star in the Creative Arts

  • 1969 - Giving the Camp Fire Way

  • 1970 - Take a Look, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

  • 1971-1972 - Take Care of Tomorrow Today

  • 1971 - My Country, Clean & Free

  • 1972 - For Each One, Bring One

  • 1973 - Unknown

  • 1974 - Unknown

  • 1975 - Unknown

  • 1976 - We The People

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