The Council History Committee is a group of volunteers and staff partner that serves as a steward for the Council's history archives and collections. The committee is responsible for exhibits and displays in the Goodykoontz Museum of Girl Scout History and at other Council properties and camps. Committee members also provide girl program opportunities related to Girl Scout history and the museum.
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Formed in 1987, the Council History Committee (CHC) has grown to include more volunteers and responsibilities. Currently, the CHC:
- Collects and preserves items of a historical nature related to Girl Scouting and its members.
- Serves as a resource for the Council and the community.
- Researches and documents the history, development, organization, management, and achievements of the Council.
- Promotes interest in Girl Scouting among both girls and adults.
- Designs, implements, and maintains historical exhibits in the museum, at the camps, at Council Headquarters and outlying service centers, and provides visitors with information about those exhibits.
- Provides program opportunities for girls, such as Juliette Low Tea Parties and Museum Magic.
- Is responsible for the QR Codes in the museum. The audios used there were scripted and recorded by CHC members.
- Manages this History & Museum Online Community.
Our mission: The purpose of the GSSCJ Archives is to collect and preserve objects of an historical nature related to Girl Scouting and its members, especially in the area comprising Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council; and to promote interest in and disseminate information about the history of Girl Scouting within the Council.
Listed here are of some of the collections the Museum maintains:
- Accessories
- Audiovisuals
- Awards and Prizes
- Cameras
- Camping Essentials
- Certificates
- Cookie Sale Memorabilia
- Dolls & Stuffed Animals
- Fall Product Sale Memorabilia
- Fun Patches
- G.S. Calendars
- Handbooks and Badge Books, All Levels
- Insignia
- Jewelry
- Magazines
- Photographs
- Posters
- Publications
- Quilts
- T-Shirts
- Tins
- Totes
- Vintage Clothing & Uniforms, National & International
- Volunteer Recognitions
Over the years, the Council History Committee has sponsored many events in the museum, at Council headquarters, at Council camps, and in the community.
For Girls:
Juliette Low Tea Party (ongoing)
Terrific Thursdays
Wonderful Wednesdays
Craft Workshops
For Adults:
Thanks Badge Tea
Vintage Fashion Show
For Everyone:
Museum Open House
World Thinking Day Event
Check the Events & Activities page in this History & Museum Online Community for current events and activities sponsored by the Council History Committee.
Research
The museum has archival information available for research purposes upon request. The Council History Committee is entrusted to care for these resources and is happy to assist researchers.
Depending on the information requested, several weeks may be needed to locate the applicable material. Once the Council History Committee has secured the requested resources, they will contact the requester and arrange to either send information digitally or set up a viewing time.
To submit a request for archival/historical research, please contact us. Be sure to include your contact information, the date the information is needed, and as much detail as possible about the research requested, including the historical date range and geographic area.
Resources
Listed here are some of the online sites for Girl Scout history that the Council History Committee uses for research:
Check back for updates. Contact us at history@sjgs.org if you find other research sites that should be included here.
1. Girl Scouts of the USA: https://girlscouts.org
Search under “Discover” to find GS history and research and data options.
2. Girl Scout Catalogs https://gscatalogs.com/catalogs/
3. Girl Scout History Project, by Ann Robertson: https://gshistory.com/
Includes historical articles and virtual museums for:
Girl Scout Leader Magazines (PDF’s): https://gsleader.online/
Girl Scout "Council’s Own" Digital Archive: https://www.gscobadge.info/
Cookie Patches and Prizes: https://gshistory.com/2024/04/26/girl-scout-cookie-prizes/4. Juliette Low Birthplace Museum (Savannah): https://www.juliettegordonlowbirthplace.org/
What happens behind the scenes?
Oversight of the Goodykoontz Museum archives takes many dedicated volunteers, plenty of storage space, and organized procedures to preserve and to retrieve information and artifacts. The CHC does not have access to everything, only to what the committee has been given over the years by donors and what volunteer archivists have been able to locate through extensive research.
Many of our archivists have attended GSUSA training to learn how to handle and store all of the items in our collection. What is displayed in the Museum is part of a much larger collection, and the museum exhibits are changed from time to time to show more.
Archivists plan each exhibit based on what they think will interest and educate museum visitors. Every effort is made to be accurate with every display. In the event of an error, corrections are made as soon as possible.
So, where is everything stored?
- The ARF (Archives Records Files) Room primarily contains paper archives, such as historical papers, minutes, and records from the beginning or our Council to now, stored on 77 shelves and in 21 file cabinet drawers. A project to scan many of these records to a digital archive will soon begin.
- The Book Room has shelves filled with vintage Girl Scout handbooks and other publications in addition to items that are "resting" after being displayed for awhile, or waiting for display time/space.
- The Rolling Files Room contains collections such as insignia, dolls, tins, national and international uniforms, three dimensional artifacts, and large printed items that must be stored flat.
- There is a separate room for vintage clothing and uniforms, many of which have been used for the History Committee's Vintage Fashion Shows and for openings for various events, including the Council's 100th Anniversary Celebration.
- Various storage closets hold boxes of display materials and archival quality products used to preserve our collections.
- There is also a workroom where archivists process donations and determine whether or not to accession them as part of the Museum's overall collection. Plans for new exhibits often begin in this space.
- Many of our records are stored in the Council's computer system, including scanned documents and photographs, lists of accessioned items, and historical lists about experiences and events in the Council's long history. Being able to search both electronic and paper files helps our archivists conduct research.