Girl Scouting has been a family affair
for a lot of families in our Council.
There are at least 13 families who have two Thanks Badge recipients.
Nine of the honored families are husband and wife teams: Dawn
and J. C. Alegnani, Catherine and Jim Anthony, Ranvae and Don
Baker, Jean and Tom Barnhill, Mary Ann and Tom Binig, Linda
and Larry Loop, Eddie Marie and Rev F. D. McDonald, Frankie
and Rev John Moore, and Linnie and Lowell Mower.
One of those husband and wife teams had the added pleasure of
seeing their daughter receive a Thanks Badge.  Evangeline
MacDonald Singletary received a Thanks Badge four years after
her father.
One “family” consists of a father and daughter:
Staley Mims and Vee Mims Bohn. Another family is mother and
daughter Myra and Patti Stefek.  One
family is mother-in-law and daughter-in-law: Adda Moyers and
Joan Parker Moyers. One family combination called themselves
a “merger”–the son of one Thanks Badge recipient
(Verner McCall) married the daughter of another (Margaret Luckie).
Verner McCall was the first of the above group to receive a
Thanks Badge (1946), followed closely by Margaret Luckie (1947).
McCall was a long time Board Member beginning in 1929. McCall
had a special interest in the Girl Scout properties. He was
chairman of the Camp Tejas Committee when that camp opened.
Every |
year he supervised getting the camp ready for
resident camp. If any repairs were needed, he’d send supplies
to camp from his lumber yard and see to it the repairs were
made. He was on the first Camp Agnes Arnold Committee. He was
an invaluable member of the Finance Committee during his board
tenure. McCall helped draw plans for the development of Camp
Arnold, and was involved in the capital fund drive to finance
it. After Camp Arnold was received, McCall provided seed money
to initiate fund raising for a camp for African-American Girl
Scouts in 1940. This camp became Camp Robinwood.
Margaret Luckie was a girl member of one of the three original
1921 Girl Scout troops in Houston. At 19 she was leader of one
of the first Brownie troops in Houston at the Faith Home. She
was involved in day camp, Council organization, and Cactus Region
Committees. As a board member she served as Houston’s
last Girl Scout Commissioner and first Council president. The
name changed while she
was in office.
When Verner McCall, Jr. and Lila Luckie married they united
their respective parents as extended family.
Staley Mims received the next Thanks Badge (1953) from this
list of recipients. His story and that of his daughter, Vee
Mims Bohn (1995), was told in the February 1996 issue of The
Golden Link.
Eddie Marie McDonald was recognized in 1954. A math teacher
at Wheatley High School she got involved when her Brownie daughter
(Vangie) insisted she talk with the leader, who recruited Eddie
Marie to help on an outing. She preferred working with older
girls so soon changed and started Senior Troop #253 in 1946
while her daughter was still a Brownie. She led the Senior troop
for over 12 years. The troop was so successful in recruiting
new members her co-leader had to start another Senior troop.
She was also involved in volunteer administration. She promoted
coed activities with Explorer Scouts and their leaders. “Mrs.
Mac” was the camp director at Camp Robinwood when it opened.
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 Rev.
F. D. McDonald was assistant leader for Troop #253 and involved
in planning and camping activities. He became a board member
and received the Thanks Badge in 1961.
Daughter Evangeline (Vangie) Singletary was honored in 1965.
She submitted the winning name for Camp Robinwood after seeing
a flock of robins in a meadow on the property. Her prize was
a session at resident camp the summer Camp Robinwood opened
with her mother as director. After Vangie finished university
she served on the staff of the Girl Scout Council. During that
time she also directed Camp Robinwood’s resident camp.
Rev. Jon D. Moore (1958) of Pilgrim Congregational Church was
instrumental in making Girl Scouting available to African American
girls in the early 1940s in Houston. He had previously started
Boy Scout troops at his church. Girl Scouts were slower to grant
permission for troops at his church. Rev Moore also served on
the Council board.
Frankie Moore (1959), his wife and a high school science teacher,
recruited a number of prospective leaders to take a course in
Girl Scout leadership. While Pilgrim Congregational Church provided
meeting space and leadership for all levels of troops less than
half of the troop members were church members. She continued
as a troop leader for many years and was a major supporter of
Girl Scouting.
Linnie and Lowell received their Thanks Badges together in 1961.
They probably started their Girl Scout service with their daughter’s
Brownie troop. They were soon asked to take on other responsibilities
in the Council. Lowell got involved with camp properties, especially
Camp Casa Mare, and future development including crucial plans
for the camps.
In 1965 Adda Moyers received a Thanks Badge. Her daughter-in-law,
Joan, was similarly honored in 1978. Joan Parker |