The Life of a Girl Scout in Alameda, California and Lexington, Massachusetts

My mother wrote on the back, Barbie Brownie

October 17, 1950

Alameda, California

Years later I'm working on a scout project in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Both of my Scout leaders loved to camp, so my Lexington, MA troop camped often. The above was at my leader's summer home in Rowe, MA (taken in April 1959).

Names on the backs of my photos above: Mrs. Marthe Osborne, Marsha Cameron, Mary Bea Lingane, Jane Connell, Judy Anthony, Ellen Fitzgerald, Nancy Collins, and Sally Warren.

The below photo was taken at a Girl Scout round-up in New Hampshire (Aug. 1960).

I have no memory of my Brownie days, except I received a pin. When I moved from California to Massachusetts, I was in the Lexington Scout group for about 7 years and had the best Scout leaders, only two of whom I remember their names, a Mrs. Anthony and the other (shown above with the cap) was Marthe Osborne. In the early days, we worked on badges, all the normal things each scout did. I especially enjoyed learning to cook Spanish rice and penuche. Our big trip was to New York City, and although I had already been there, this was extra fun because I was with friends and not my parents.

Our troop sold cookies every year, the first price I remember was $.35 a box. My neighbors bought boxes and boxes. The other annual thing we did was to march in the Patriot's Day Parade every April 19th in Lexington. Although it was a two-mile walk, I loved being waved at. Those two things are such nice memories.

Recently (August 2017) I returned to Lexington and drove around my old neighborhood. Here is the house where one of my leaders lived, and where we had many meetings. Thank you, troop leader, Mrs. Anthony. 

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I continued on in Scouting when I moved to Chelmsford, MA going into my Senior year, and do remember my mother forcing me to wear my uniform to Church one Sunday. During several summers in Lexington, I went to a day camp, Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, MA to help my mother who was a leader there. Prior to that, I went to two different Girl Scout summer camps, one was Camp Four Winds in Plymouth, MA., and Camp Helen Storrow also in that area, each was a two-week camp. Before these overnight Scout camps, I went to a day camp in Concord, called Camp Hart located at Walden Pond. My boating and swimming lessons were in Walden Pond!

All my experiences with Scout camping helped me get my first job. I clearly remember acting as an "adult" when I went to their headquarters on Joy Street in Boston and applied for a counselor position at Camp Runels in Pelham, New Hampshire for the summer of 1962. I got the job and worked there for 9 weeks for a salary of $400. Nice memories there, met a lot of friends and I grew up a little that summer. Also, remember being on the dock with my transistor radio hearing that Marilyn Monroe had died.

Almost 60 years after working at Camp Runels, I drove through the entrance and took a few photos. Sharing these brought back good memories.

Route 38 in Pelham is on the right.

I took this on the way out and didn't realize I was on private property until I was almost to the lake, then I turned back.

In front and behind my car. It was a beautiful cool morning.

Update of information: Recently, I discovered several entries in my baby book and am sharing them here.

1.  Brownies at age 7-Installation and Troop 120 meeting on Mon. P.M.'s. (Alameda, California)

2.  New Brownie troop - 20 at Mrs. Hamacher's. (Lexington, MA, 1954)  Anybody remember her daughter Susan?