Now known as Camp Fire USA, the nationwide
youth organizationbegan on March 17, 1910
as Camp Fire Girls. The organization has been
co-ed for a generation and has youth from
pre-kindergarten through age 21. Like a campfire
at the end of a long day, Camp Fire is meant to
be a warm, safe place for good folks to gather.
The motto is "Give Service." The watchword is
"WoHeLo," a word created from the first two
letters of the words "work, health, love."
The traditional symbol is two crossed logs
and a three-tipped flame; the current
symbol has been modernized and stylized,
but the flame remains. The colors are red,
white, and blue. The mascot is a bluebird,
a bird that is red, white, and blue, sings
beautifully, and loves wide-open spaces.
The program levels are STARflight,
Adventure, Discovery, and Horizon.
STAR is an acronym for "Service To Another
Rewards." Youth are able to earn "honor
beads" and award emblems. There are five kinds
of honor beads: round red beads for sports &
games and science; three-sided flag-blue
beads for citizenship; brown, ridged
cylinder beads for outdoor craft;
four-sided green beads for
creative arts; angulared yellow
egg-shaped beads for business and home.
The highest youth award is the "WoHeLo."
A youth may apply for the award after
completing (1) four major, specified,
long-term projects, AND (2) two
self-selected projects dealing with
problems related to young children,
senior citizens, the environment,
or the like. For each of the two
problems, the youth's project must
involve leading, teaching, serving,
and speaking out.
Beginning in 6th grade (about
12-years-old), Camp Fire youth are
eligible to make and wear ceremonial
gowns/tunics that are worn at Camp
Fire ceremonials. The gowns/tunics
are made of cloth resembling deer
skin. A gown/tunic is decorated
with honor beads, earned emblems,
and other personal items the youth
chooses. Usually the youth's
symbolgram is used on the gown/tunic.
The symbolgram is a symbol created
by the youth to represent him/herself.
The Camp Fire Law is below:
Worship God.
Seek beauty.
Give service.
Pursue knowledge.
Be trustworthy ever, in all that you do.
Hold fast onto health.
Glorify your work.
Be happy.
The organizational history and the
story of the origins of Camp Fire
are complex, but the short version
would be that Camp Fire Girls was
founded in 1910 by some of the same
people who founded Boy Scouts of
America. Dr. Luther H. Gulick and
his wife Charlotte Vetter Gulick
are credited as "official founders"
of Camp Fire Girls.
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