- The uniform was a brown dress with self-belt and bloomers (bloomers not shown). Council owns a replica with a dancing brownie elf pin on its collar.
- Notice the Brownie Promise: How does it differ from the Girl Scout Promise of today?
- Brownies were supposed to be little elves- to be helpful--especially at home.
- The photo with the flag was taken in 1926.
- The yellow post card also from the 1920’s, shows the Brownie uniform.
- The wooden bowl (Toadstool), painted by Mrs. Dan Miller, shows that it was Houston Pack #1.
- Pack #1 was organized in November of 1929.
- There are several sixes (patrols) listed. Doctor Pidd Miller, noted local doll collector, now deceased, was in Fairy Six.
- Be sure to read about the Toadstool that brownies held their meetings around.
- The photo of Brownies around their toadstool is not a Houston Pack
This exhibit was retired in 2024.
Girl Scouts of World War 2
This case displays items from the Wing Scout Program and Girl Scout Service Bureau. Both were program options for Girl Scouts during the early 1940’s.
The Wing Scout program was open to high school age girls who were Senior Girl Scouts. It was intended for girls who were interested in flying or wanted a career in aviation. Girls would learn enough about aviation to be able to serve their country. During World War 2, Wing Scouts learned how to spot aircraft to aid in their country’s defense.
Items featured:
- The Houston Chronicle 1944 article of a Houston area Senior Scout, Georgia Robertson, who was a Wing Scout. She is pictured in front of a Braniff Airplane. She was part of a GSUSA publication promoting the Wing Scout Program.
- Girl Scout Guide to Girl Scouting insert from the GSG-to-GS Senior book describing the Wing Scout Program, which was the first civilian defense program for girls age 15-18.
- Wing scout Pin, Wing Scout Manual, and Wing Scout Book.
Cookie Display
Girls Scouts of San Jacinto Council has a wonderful cookie history. The council has had many “firsts” in cookie sales.
· 1976 was the first time our council reached one million dollars in sales
· 1979 was the first-time local volunteers and girls appeared in pictures on cookie boxes
· 1988 was the first time we had the largest cookie sale in the country
· 2000 was our first $10 million cookie sale
We began selling cookies in 1950 and offering prizes in 1952. Booth sales began in 1959, but only Cadettes and Older girls could sell cookies at a Cookie Booth, until 1978. However, Daisies could not sell at Cookie Booths until 2009.
GSSJC offers Mega Drops for Troop cookie pick up and Cookie Cupboards for filling extra orders. We began using direct deposit of cookie receipts by troops in 1986. GSSJC had its first $10 Million cookie sale in 2000.
Troops began using bakery software to place cookie and award orders using Cookie Works in 2006. When the Older Girl Option was introduced, Cadette and older troops were allowed to receive extra troop bonus money instead of the awards.
Cookie sales provide a large part of our budget.
Participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Sale is an important part of Girl Scouting. It teaches the girls business, personal and safety skills.
Sailing
Special Interest Group
Our sailing program is based out of Casa Mare, in Seabrook.
Nestled on Galveston Bay, Casa Mare’s bayside paradise offers a wide variety of camp activities for ocean lovers and science explorers alike. For older campers, sailing is the main attraction. Girls can learn beginning sailing skills or advance their skills even further. Campers of all ages can focus on STEM activities as well as learning outdoor skills. Whether you love the bay and want to sail, unleash your creativity with STEM, or cook up a storm, Casa Mare has the session for you.
Equitation
Special Interest Group
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council SIG (Special Interest Group) has two riding programs, S.P.U.R.S and STARS. The SIG meets monthly, year-round.
S.P.U.R.S (Super Terrific Awesome Riding Scouts) program is at Camp Misty Meadows in Conroe. S.P.U.R.S. has 6 levels of expertise to give our girls the best equestrian experience available. It is open to Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors.
STARS (Super Terrific Awesome Riding Scouts) program is at Camp Pryor in Nada. It is also for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors. SPURS includes 4 levels and STARS training.
Girls learn about riding and build their leadership ability by helping and teaching others about horses and horseback riding.
National Conventions
This case features the highlights and memorabilia of the two Girl Scouts of the USA national conventions hosted by the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council.
The 42nd convention was held October 25th – 28th 1981 at the Albert Thomas Convention Center with Kansas senator Nancy Kassebaum giving the keynote address. Proposals that were passed included the establishment of a lifetime membership and an alumni membership category to include graduating seniors.
The 57th convention was held in Houston November 8 th – 11th, 2011. This convention included a welcome address by Houston mayor Anise D. Parker and keynote speakers Katie Couric and Robin Roberts both who are Girl Scouts. Over 1200 girls gathered for the Girl Scout Leadership Institute where the theme was “Leadership and Innovation, the Next Hundred Years.”
Thank You Gifts for Volunteers
This exhibit highlights a sampling of many of the informal tokens of appreciation that have been given to volunteers for their service over the decades – in the Community (Service Unit), and for their contributions on committees, or membership to groups. These thank you gifts vary greatly. Some were given by volunteers to volunteers, others were appreciations for volunteer service from the Council.
Some of the items featured include:
- GSSJC Binder with pad holder
- Embossed GSSJC case with Post It notes
- 100-year Commemorative Coin
- Heart necklace
- Casa Mare paper weight
- GSSJC Lunch Backpack
- GSSJC umbrella
- Assorted cups and thermoses
- Pearl and Pink stone bracelet—created as a nod to JGL death from breast cancer
- Personalized Note pad
- Engraved GSSJC baskets—each is filled with the tokens given by the Council to volunteers
This exhibit is based on the 1913 Handbook for Girl Scouts. You might be challenged by the requirements of those early badges!
Could you tie up a burglar with 8 inches of rope? Or sew a complete outfit? Use a Wringer? That's "wringer" with a "w," and here's a hint...it was attached to an old-fashioned washing machine,
In 1913, it was thought that a woman’s role was to raise the next generation to be self-sufficient with good values. Over half of the badges related to food preparation, childcare, housekeeping, first aid and health.
However, there were also badges for employment and careers. This was innovative and definitely ahead of the times. The book’s recognition of the emerging multiple roles of women reflects the influence and vision of Juliette Gordon Low and those who helped her shape the Girl Scout movement in this country. Girl Scouts has changed over the years, but the goal of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place is still central to the movement.
Be sure to have fun with the contents of the wooden box located under this display case!
This exhibit was retired in 2025.
Evolution of the Girl Scout Membership Pin
A couple of years after Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts in 1912, the organization had grown so much that Juliette felt that Girl Scouts needed an official pin which girls could earn upon joining a troop and completing a few requirements.
Juliette designed the first pin, and called it the Tenderfoot Pin. She received a patent for her design on February 10, 1914. The shape, known as a trefoil, represents a three-leaf clover with each lobe for one part of the Girl Scout Promise.
Slight changes occurred to the membership pin over time, but the general look remained essentially the same. In 1978, a new Girl Scout logo was adopted, and in 1980, that logo gave a modern look to a new Girl Scout Contemporary Membership Pin. The pin still had the trefoil shape, but it now had overlapping profiles of three female faces on a green and gold-tone pin. For over forty years, both the traditional and contemporary membership pins were offered for Girl Scout troops to choose which one they would like to wear.
The pin with overlapping profiles of the three faces was quietly replaced in 2022 by a new Girl Scout Trefoil Membership Pin with the outline of a green trefoil on a gold-tone pin. The Traditional Membership Pin is still offered and maintains its general original design.
Actually, all Girl Scout membership pins are “forever pins” and considered official, regardless of when they were made.
This exhibit was retired in 2025.
Council Patches
The Council's patch collection features over 2,000 unique patches. This is just a small sample representing the wide variety of activities that San Jacinto Council has provided girls and adults over the last 100 plus years.
Girls proudly wear their patches on the back of their uniform sash or vest, and adults wear theirs on a jacket or hat – or even display them on a blanket!
Have you earned any fun patches? How many? Which was your favorite and which patch would you like to work on next?
This exhibit was retired in 2025.
STEM Badges
In 2001, Judith A. Ramaley, an American biologist with the National Science Foundation came up with the acronym STEM.
S stands for SCIENCE, T is for TECHNOLOGY, E equals ENGINEERING and M means MATH.
This display shows many of the badges that girls can earn for completing STEM activities.
The Council has created programs to include STEM principles, such as building a bridge with different materials, learning about computer programming and participating in robotics.
Check for programs including STEM activities in The Golden Link and other Council publications and emails.
STEM activities are all about showing girls that SCIENCE IS FUN!
This exhibit was retired in 2025.
Girl Scout Stamps and Medals
This exhibit celebrates Girl Scouting in stamps and medals. The stamps, issued by the United States Post Office, have often been in celebration of significant anniversaries.
In 1948, the Post Office first commemorated Juliette Gordon Low as the “Founder of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.” in a green and white 3-cent stamp.
To honor the 50th anniversary of Girl Scouts in 1962, two 4-cent stamps were issued: a Canal Zone Stamp, showing the traditional GSUSA Girl Scout Pin, and a U.S. stamp showing a Girl Scout in front of the red and white striped section of the American flag.
A Girl Scout 22-cent stamp was issued in 1987, recognizing the movement’s 75th anniversary. It shows several Girl Scout badges on a green background.
For the 100th anniversary in 2012, a Celebrate Scouting “forever” stamp displayed a blue silhouette of a girl with a pony tail holding binoculars over an outdoor setting with a backpacker hiking a trail.
The Franklin Mint, a private mint that produces and sells commemorative coins and other items, released a number of Norman Rockwell designed Girl Scout medals in 1977 depicting the Trefoil and the Girl Scout Promise and Laws. The medals were available in silver and bronze.
In 2025, the United States Mint will release a quarter with the image of Juliette Gordon Low on the back, as part of the American Women Quarters Program.
This exhibit was retired in 2025.