April 2005 Volume 31 Issue 4  

Moment in History
How the Council was funded in the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s

     Does GSSJC’s current campaign for funds for capital expenditures and an endowment make you wonder about the various ways our Council has been funded since its beginning 83 years ago in 1922?
      When GSSJC organized and received a charter from GSUSA in 1922 we also became a charter member of the Houston Community Chest (now the United Way) which also initially organized in 1922. That year our budget request was $1,800. The fledgling Girl Scout council was complemented for its modest request. Corinne Fonde, the first head of the city recreation department took Girl Scouts under her wing. She found a volunteer to be president of the first board of directors, Frances Mann Law, and helped the group apply for a charter. She served as executive director (CEO) for the Council, in addition to her position as chair of the Parks and Recreation Department. Frances Mann Law also chaired the Playground Committee of the Parks and Recreation Department. Photos of these ladies who founded the Girl Scout Council in Houston hang in the Board Room at the Girl Scout Center.
     In September 1923, Houston Girl Scouts hired their first professionally trained staff member, Elizabeth Smedes. She kept the position about a year. The 1923 Community Chest allotment was $1,800. In 1924 a Girl Scout Fair was held to raise money to pay Houston Girl Scouts’ 		assigned quota for funding GSUSA. The Community Chest allotment increased to $3,500. In 1925 Girl Scout members sold homemade cookies to benefit the Community Chest. The Girl Scouts received $5,000 from the Community Chest. The Houston Elks Club gave the Houston Girl Scouts a new headquarters building in 1926 on Live Oak Street. Another card party was held at the River Oaks Country Club to raise funds. The History Committee has no information on how much money was raised at card parties.
     During these early years Girl Scout members solicited funds for the Community Chest while the Community Chest provided the funds for the Girl Scout operating budget.
     Commissioner Frances Mann Law and Mrs. Peden led a successful effort in 1929 to raise money for a permanent campsite. In spite of the stock market crash in the fall of 1929 enough pledges had been paid in full to develop the property donated by Rancher Jim West and the summer resident camp at Camp Tejas was able to open the summer of 1929. Girl Scouts used Camp Tejas for 30 years. This campsite then became part of NASA.
     The salary of the Executive Director (CEO) in 1933 was $100 per month. The entire budget for the Council was $5,500. 		Five years later it had risen to $6,935 and still all came from the Community Chest. During this time span Camp Tejas became self supporting.
     From 1942 to 1943 the membership tripled. This was early in the United States involvement in World War II. Girl Scouts did a great deal of service for the war effort. The budget more than doubled in the same time span, from $9,635 to $21,484. The professional staff doubled from five to ten members.
     By 1948 the Community Chest was contributing $62,230 annually to the Girl Scouts. In 1950 all Community Chest allotments decreased. The Council Cookie Sale of commercial cookies began in 1950 in order to fund camp development at Camps Agnes Arnold and Robinwood. The cookies sold for 50¢ a box. The profit from the cookie sale was $21,000 the first year. Part of it was used to eliminate the deficit and the rest for camp development.
     The cookie sale continues to be an important part of the funding for San Jacinto Council as is the annual allotment from the United Way. Currently the Council is conducting a major fund drive for capital improvements and an endowment.

Girl Scouts get in shape

Girl Scouts of all ages enjoyed lots of fun and fitness during the National Girls and Women In Sports Day on February 5 at the Houston Texans training Bubble and Conference Center. Houston Texans Strength and Conditioning Coach Dan Riley put the girls through their paces as they learned correct stretching, warm-up and cool down techniques, exercises for sport specific training, injury prevention, and muscle performance information. Roberta Anding, the registered dietician for the Houston Texans, educated girls and leaders about adolescent health issues such as healthy eating styles, meal planning and preparation, and fad diets and their dangers.

The girls received plenty of freebies and prizes from the Houston Texans and collected their National Girls and Women in Sports Day certificates in recognition of the event.


Girls from Junior Troop #3379 enjoy the day. From left to right standing, Jessie, Nicole, Brenda, Nicole, and Megan. From left to right seated Alexis, Roberta Anding - Houston Texans Team Nutritionist, and Morgan.