In reply to an inquiry about the above subject, Mrs. Mary Miller offered this bit of information: Camp Fire Girls were active in this town in the 1930’s. Katherine Jane Mason worked with the girls during this time.
Girl Scouts began in the USA on March 12, 1912, and when we read back in the Marceline News, Friday, October I5, 1940, we learn that Girl Scout Troops were organized here. We presume this was the first time. There were fifty girls in two troops. Their leaders were Mrs. Lon McAllister, Dr. Louisa Aiken, and Mrs. Joseph Culler. Assistants were Miss Willo Kincaid, Miss Margaret Schooling, Miss Gertrude McAllister, and Miss Cora Hampton. The sponsoring club was the Cooperative Club. Mrs. Christine Metzger gave the girls a room of their own in the basement of the Allen Hotel for their meetings. This meeting place was changed in September, 1941, to the basement of the Library. One who was a scout during this time said they had no uniforms, so they ordered a pattern and two bolts of material and their mothers made their uniforms. (This is what leads us to believe this is the first troop as there were no used uniforms, equipment, or books.)
Names of the girls were Betty Besitt, Marjorie De Mint, Pearl Dorrell, Shirley Easley, Ruby Ann Lloyd, Bertha Mae Frisby, Aletha Gooch, Esther Johnson, Shirley Rae Jones, Esta Kincaid, Nadine Lake, Mary Little, Irene McGuigan, Marianne Metzger, Joann Miller, Wanda Monroe, Patsy O’Connor, Mary Oldham, Joy Lee O’Neil, Catharine Owens, Dolly Peek, Dorothy Santus, Jo Ann Shelton, Alleyne Strickel, Nellie Thomas, Norma Jane Wiggins, Diana Aiken, Marilyn Crill, Mildred Campbell, Ernestine Hammond, Delores Haney, Mona Ruth Hise, Harlene Moore, Charlene Kleine, Carmaleta Landreth, W anda May Lower, Dorothy Lou Maddox, Reve Mendenhall, Norma O’Neil, Margaret Riepe, Norma Santus, Karlieen Scheafer, Lorna June Smith, Floy Mae Smoot, Jean Lee Sportsman, Margaret Underwood, Shirley Lee Wiggins, Vera Wolfe, Patricia Wilson, and Nettie May Yocom. These troops were active two or three years.
The next attempt at Scouting was made on September 27, 1950. The leaders were Mrs. Otis Carr, Thelma Murray, Alys Culler, Mrs. Mary Miller, Mrs. John Wylie, Mrs. James Burgener, Mrs. D.M.Weter, Mrs. Max Riley, Mrs. Ura Wilson, Mrs. Chester Ray, Mrs. Hugh Moodie, Mrs. George Powell, Mrs. James Malloy, Mrs. J.E. Moore, Mrs. Peter Belamiza, and Mrs. Omer Lain. The sponsors were the Athena Club, Mother’s Study Club, Rotary, Sorosis, Rebekah Lodge, Camaraderie, American Legion, Army Mothers, Mothers’ Psychology Club, and Modern Mothers’ Club. Mrs. F.K. Athens, Mrs. William Washam, Mrs. C.R. Machen, Mrs. Frances Gucker, Mrs. Harvey Ecker, Mrs. R.B. Murray, and Mrs. B.E. Proctor worked to secure the Little House for the Girl Scouts.
An Investiture Service held May 11, 1951, shows the following girls were scouts: Sally Green, Carol Ann Culler, Peggy Adair, Dana Kelly, Dorothy Dee Porter, Nancy Clark, Nancy O’Connor, Ann Moodie, Betty Gooch, Charlene Rogers, Margaret Black, Ann Lohmar, Judy Lineberry, Shirley Ratliff, Shirley Scott, Mary Jane Slater, Sondra Wylie, Laura Bell Dorrell, Glenda Lou Mitchell, Anita White, Ha Mitchell, Lavonia Landreth, Donna Burgener, Ruth Moodie, Sharon Sue Delaney, Barbara Ann Fuller, Sharon Egan, Patricia Weter, Trudy W ood, Janice Yates, Sharon Kothe, June Vardiman, Maxine Riley, Patty Sportsman, Barbara Pavlovich, Carol Westfall, Becky Burch, Betty Morgan, Mary Helen Porter, Sue Davolt, Donna Dean, Connie Jo Ray, Judy Delaney, Judy Wilson, Linda Ann Fee, Claudia Wyatt, Patsy Oliver, Patricia Langwell, Janice Cowell, Deanne Kelly, Phyllis Moodie, Judy Newman, Nelda Ann Powell, Peggy Burgener, Sue Goett, Nelda Goett, Sondra Klein, Donna Cupp, Colleen Malloy, Linda Becker, Rosa Lee Baughman, Laurel Mathews, Lora Sue Mathews, Ruby Landreth, ‘Georgia Magee, Patty Moore, Martha Eads, Patty Ayers, Elaine Apel, Eleanor Couch, Marcie Becker, Joyce Lain, Peggy Putman, Barbara Miller, Beverly Kauzlar Ich, Judy Rooks, Doris Boley, Judy Lowe, Sharon Ann Miller, Geneda Ruth Roberts, Frances Moore, Eleanor Thurman, Laura Jean Doss, Linda Wilson, Betty Boley, Lynn Kelly, Sondra Atkins, Linda Williams, Carol Singleton, Jeanette Lichtenberg, Carolyn Graves, Janet Cole, Martha Scott, Carolyn Clark, Linda Baker, Martha Belt, Beth Burch, Louise Mendenhall, Nan Davolt, Mary Pat Gucker, Deanne Norman, Renne Ecker, Sondra Schutte, Martha Machen, Connie Culler, Trudy Dorrell, Sharon Slaughter, Carolyn Ann Stroud, Linda Kay Yocom, Connie Lou Collins, Donna Lee Lewis, Betty Lou Van Wye, Frances Jean Slater, Mary Ellen Lineberry, Nancy Collins, Nancy Gardner, Judy Davolt, Judy Smiser, Judy King, Kay Murray, Marilyn Minich, Sheila Rae Harrity.
The Girl Scout Council was president, Mrs. John Otis Carr; registrar, Mrs. Vincent Landreth; treasurer, Mrs. Robert B. Murray. Other members were Mrs. George Davolt, Mrs. Lucian Porter, Mrs. H.A. Klein, Mrs. J.J. Cheesman, Charles Strickel, T.J. Anderson, and George Powell.
St. Bonaventure started a Troop in. 1959. The girls were Martha Lohmar, Suzanne Cochran, Denise Leopold, Barbara Lodder, Evelyn Apel, Mary Lou Biggs, Mary Frances Brewer, Marsha Edgar, Regina Kornbrust, Elizabeth Lawson, Linda Moser, Jane Meyer, Kathleen Miller, Cindy O’Dell, Barbara Russell, Patricia Stanley, Patty Stella, Helen Tomlinson. The leaders were Mrs. Robert Thelen, and Mrs. Clifford Freeman for this first troop.
Molly Miller, Sharon Kornbrust, Patty Burch, Brenda Stella, Joyce Hughes, Vicky Eastin, Sue Ann Strayhall, Mary Catherine Stuart, Mary Ann Harris, Kathy Westfall, Virginia Thelen, Kathleen Flynn, Connie Adams, Sharon Brewer, Judy Niemeier, Mary Catherine Burch, Carolyn Kremer, Linda Yates, Jane Lohmar, and Ann Eastin were in the second troop. Their leaders were Mrs. Wm. Eastin, Mrs. James Flynn, Mrs. John Burch, and Mrs. Ed Lohmar. The committee members were Mrs. Ray Miller, Mrs. Wilf ord Biggs, Mrs. Lyle Westfall, and Mrs. Charles H. Smith.
In November 1962, Jane Cunningham came to Marceline from the Becky Thatcher Council to help us organize Girl Scouting in Marceline again. The first meeting was held at the Legion Hall in December, 1962, and four troops were formed – 2 Brownie and 2 Intermediate Troops. This was the first time that Marceline had not operated as a Lone Troop but was now affiliated with the Council.
On January 25, 1963, an Inter-Troop Investiture service was held. Parents and interested parties were invited to this Candlelight service. The girls were in uniform and received their pins. These troops are operating under the following Troop numbers:
- TROOP 236 – Intermediate Scouts (4th, 5th, and 6th Grades). Leader, Mrs. Patsy Wright; Assistant, Mrs. Lucille Burch. The girls are Naomi Harris, Jennie Freeman, Linda Moser, Kathy Moser, Cynthia O’Dell, Patricia Stanley, Margaret Epperson, Patty Van Wye, Sandy Vaughn, Janice Cahill, Tara Kirschner, Debby Vaughn, Belinda Burch, Loretta Hustead, Cheryl Caswell, Karen Jane Leach, Sharon Wolfskill, Lois Coe, Carolyn Cooper, Deborah Kay Lichtenberg, Deborah Powell, Katie Guthrie, Vicki Neason, Paula Klumb, Vicki Ingerson, Penny Fisher,and Sandy Kay Neason.
- TROOP 237 – Intermediate Scouts (4th,« 5th, and 6th Grades). Leader, Mrs. Doty Moore; Assistant Leader, Mrs. Ella Horner. The Girls are Theresa Correll, Betty Carlson, Cindy Murray, Shelley Minich, Cynthia Bivens, Denise Leopold, Bobbi Bray, Renee Still, Rita Mae Kelley, Diane Newman, Chris Taylor, Rustina Fisher, Brenda Pollard, Ramona Walton, Carolyn Caswell, Marsha Neff, Jane Van Wye, Jonnie Lewis, Kathleen Miller, Patricia Stella, Barbara Russell, Martha Lohmar, Michelle Collins, Crystal Smith, Andrea Lewis, and Gloria Midgyett.
- TROOP 233 – Brownies (2nd and 3rd Grades). Leader, Mrs. Robert Thelen; Assistant, Mrs. George A. Minich. The girls are Barbara Beebe, Nancy Beebe, Betsy Burch, Mary Ann Ewigman, Gwendolyn Gary, Ruth Harris, Dana Holt, Laurel Hoskins, Joan Koch, Terri Minich, Jan Pfeiffer, Debra Reynolds, Diana Russell, Margaret Sporer, and Nancy Wilson.
- TROOP 235 – Brownies (2nd and 3rd Grades). Leader Mrs. George Gary; Assistant, Mrs. Robert Beebe. Girls are Jacquelyn Abeln, Stephanie Adair, Pamela Buckman, Cindy Guthrie, Norma Horner, Lea Kirschner, Lynnette Leopold, Pamela Lichtenberg, Debra Sue McCauslin, Anna Lee Midgyett, Rebecca Perrin, Deborah Ratliff, Sherry Smith. The troop’s committee members are Mrs. John Leopold, Nan Van Wye, Mrs. Earl Holt, and Mrs. Helen Bray, also Nora Smith, Faye Wright, and Leia Lewis.
Neighborhood Committee Chairman is Fidelis Lohmar-. President of the Neighborhood committee is Mrs. George Gary; secretary, Doty Moore; treasurer, Ella Horner.