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STORY OF A CENTURY
plan, work, and play with other
girls, establish friendly relations
with other people at home and
abroad, and accept responsibility
to troops, homes, communities,
and country.
  The Girl Scouting movement
began  in   Manitowoc in   1927
when Ruth Hansen and Doris
Fitzgerald organized  the  first
troop. Today the city of Mani-
towoc has 42 troops with a total
membership of over 625; Two
Rivers has over 350 Scouts; and
troops are being organized at
Valders, Mishicot, Maribel, and
Kiel.
  At the close of 1928, there were
four organized Girl Scout troops
in Manitowoc, so a local council
was formed with Mrs. Walter
Hamilton as the first commis-
sioner of Girl Scouting in Man-
itowoc. Working with her was
Mrs. A. F. Rank, deputy commis-
sioner; Mrs.  Grace K. Wright,
secretary; and   Ruth   Hansen,
treasurer. Miss Merle    Pickett
was selected as part-time execu-
tive director. Her duties includ-
ed keeping individual records of
the Girl Scouts and directing
summer camping activities.
  Since there was no Commun-
ity Chest in 1929, the Girl Scout
council had to conduct its own
fund-raising drives to carry out
its work. When $3,500 was need-
ed for the Girl Scouts share in
Camp Sinawa at Pigeon lake,
troops held mammoth bake sales,
and the council sponsored a bene-
fit lecture. Girl Scouts spent
two weeks at Sinawa that year.
Manitowoc   Girl  Scouts   were
given their first merit badges at
a city-wide court of awards in
June, 1929. As there were only
four troops, all the early court-
of-award ceremonies were city-
wide programs, with the council
buying all the badges for the
girls.
  One of the big projects of 1931
was   the  remodeling   of  the
kitchen at Camp Sinawa. Mrs. A.
F. Rank took over as commis-
sioner in 1932 and Miss Pickett
was succeeded by Mrs. A. N.
Dedrichs as part-time director.
The Scout council received fi-
nancial assistance from the Com-
munity Chest in 1932 and has
continued to be one of the bene-
fitting agencies of the fund since
that time.
    Hire Full Time Direcior
  A permanent office for the Girl
Scout director as was discussed in
1934 was the hiring of a full
time director. Mrs. A. N. Ded-
ricks had resigned and Miss Mil-
dred Seekamp was hired to re-
place her on a part-time basis.
  Miss Vivian Sell of Sheboygan
was the first full time director
of Girl Scouting in Manitowoc,
coming here in    September of
1935, when Mrs. William Protz
was commissioner. The present
office in the Wood block was es-
tablished at that time. An op-
eretta, directed by Mrs. Kenneth
Healy, was one of the highlights
of 1935. Mrs. Hans Ertz was
the new commissioner that year,
and national trainers came to
Manitowoc   to  give  advanced
training to  leaders. The  first
Mariner Ship was organized in
1936 with meetings being held
at the Yacht club.
  The year 1937 was the silver
anniversary year for the national
Girl Scout organization and the
10th anniversary year for the
Manitowoc group. Mrs. F. M.
Tidmarsh was elected commis-
sioner in 1938 and a new direc-
tor, Miss Capitola Olmsted suc-
ceeded Miss Vivian Sell. The
first city-wide cookie sale was
held in 1938 to raise money for
a troop cabin.
  Mrs. Howard Plank was the
commissioner in 1940 and 1941.
A troop cabin at Point creek was
discussed but the idea was later
abandoned. The year 1941 found
the local council already assist-
ing the Red Cross and organizing
a Girl Scout Service bureau. The
new commissioner for 1942 and
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MANITOWOC COUNTY, WIS.