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INDIAN NAMES OF CAMP FIRE GIRLS
(Please contact us if you can identify the girls above)
“Minnehaha” Evangeline Sheets
‘‘Minnewawa’ Phiflis Wollenberg
‘‘Nadowis’’ Susie Macknic
‘‘Pawkwo’’ Beatrice Hunt’’
“Tomaukwa” Leona Francis
‘‘Cheemann’’ Pearl Ross
“Wadena” Frieda Grashorn
‘‘Luta’’ Thelma Alton
“Umatilah” Arva Shanks
‘‘Winona’’ Elsie Andrews
“Shenandoah” Marian Carter
“Walla Walla” Mildred Shanks
THE CAMP FIRE
The Camp Fire was founded by Mrs. Charlotte Voorheis Gulich who for
twenty-seven years, with two exceptions, camped every summer with her
daughters. They invited friends to camp with them and Mrs. Gulich decided
that if camp life was good for her daughters, it was good for other girls as
well, so she organized the Camp Fire.
Their outdoor life was not only spent in having fun, but also in learning to
love work; from this the Honor system started. For each new work learned, an
honor bead was given. These beads were of different colors to represent
different tasks, such as red for learning to swim, because red is the color of
our blood. The girls learned many things in striving for these beads, such
as bead weaving, embroidering, swimming, and handicrafts.
The ceremonial meeting was then set for a time to give out honor beads.
Each girl dressed like an Indian and had an Indian name, because they were
learning of the great outdoors from the Indians. Each name meant
something and had a symbol.
So, the Camp Fire started and spread throughout the United States.
In the winter of 1915, a number of girls met and decided to have a Camp
Fire organization here. Hildur Haglund promised to be our leader or
guardian, and books and papers were obtained on Camp Fires. We named our
Camp Fire, the ‘‘Black River Camp Fire.’’
The second step in this new enterprise was our Camp Fire room. We received
permission to use a room in the old school building. Each girl brought
articles of furniture from home to furnish the room with.
Soon after we had a candy sale in the hail of the school house and received
a nice little sum to put in our treasury.
Camp Fire ceremonial gowns were next obtained and the first ceremonial
meeting was held in our Camp Fire room. Each girl then selected an Indian
name.
The following summer we went camping at Camp Comfort, We were taught the art of bead weaving and soon all members had a head band to add to their ceremonial costume. We all had an excellent time camping, learning how to camp and other useful knowledge of the outdoors, so our summer fun ended with picnics and suppers.
This winter, having won our honor of Wood Gatherers, we received our Camp
Fire rings. For winter pastime, we occasionally meet at the different homes.
This summer we hope to gain the honor of being Fire Makers.
Phyllis Wollenberg.
