Hello from the Girl Scouts of Colorado History Center in Loveland!
As we all know, Girl Scouts love to sing songs around the campfire, at troop meetings, on the trail, or at special ceremonies and events. Why do we sing? It is fun! It’s a tradition going back over 100 years! It helps girls “Make New Friends” and binds girls together all over the world!
The GSCO History Center with special help from Penny Roberts, Director of the Songbirds Girl Scout Choir, has just completed a Girl Scout Song Books History Project. Songs were collected and grouped by Graces, Campfire Songs, Songs with Motions, Rounds, Traditional Girl Scout Songs, International World Center Songs and more. A guide has been completed noting in which Girl Scout songbook and page number a song can be found. Also, there is a program recommending how to teach songs, suggestions for teaching motion and clapping songs, how to create a great campfire song list, and which songs go with what kind of ceremonies. Best of all, girls, troops or Service Units can now borrow from the History Center a bag complete with the guide, program and a variety of Girl Scout song books! Some of these song books were published as early as 1946!
Often, we wonder how we might share with girls and (subsequently with their parents) classic, traditional songs like “Barges” or “Taps” or we might be looking for just the right songs to learn and perform for a grace or around the campfire. Girls or a troop might want to do a project focusing on Girl Scout songs. This complete and comprehensive collection of our traditional Girl Scout songs, action filled rounds, or quiet calming songs is a perfect resource.
For more information about the GSCO History Center in Loveland, Colorado, or to borrow a Girl Scouts Music History bag with the program and song books, contact the History Committee at gscohistory@gmail.com.