CAMP FIRE GIRLS - Historical Albion Michigan

One of the oldest youth organizations in Albion today is Camp Fire, historically known as the Camp Fire Girls. This organization, founded nationally in March, 1912, came to Albion in the fall of 1916. The local Boy Scout troop 1 had been organized in March, 1916. Thus both the boys and girls had their own separate groups they could join. The Girl Scouts did not organize in Albion until December, 1931.

The first guardian of the Camp Fire Girls in Albion was Miss Pemberton, who lead 15 to 20 8th grade girls. Mrs. Ray Fox became the guardian in1917, and served in that capacity for four years. Albion’s Camp Fire Girls (now just Camp Fire) grew steadily through the years, and is active today. Its offices are located in the Thomas T. Lloyd building at 203 S. Superior St.

There is so much to write about the Camp Fire organization, but this week in our Historical Notebook we are going to focus on that group’s humanitarian participation in World War II. At the end of the European War in April, 1945, the local Camp Fire Girls prepared “Junior Red Cross” boxes for distribution to European school children who were devastated by the War. Today we would call these “care” packages, and contained items of necessity.

Mrs. Paul Ewbank was the counselor of the local Tawakanda Camp Fire group, who made some of the care packages. From our Historical Notebook this week showing these local girls with their Junior Red Cross boxes, preparing them prior to shipment. How many people can you recognize?

Front row, left to right: Bonnie Hubbell, Mary Ann Persin, Jane Butters, Susan Steinhauer, Delores Miller, Margaret Purucker, Marian Brock. Center row: Betty Ann Foley, Jane Fisher, Judy Henderson, Marjorie Pringle, Jean Henke. Top row: Mary Alice Dalton, Joanne Cunningham, Kay Kicks, and Monica Messacar.

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