Moment in History

   Did you ever want to create a Time Capsule? You could put in some of your favorite things. Of course you would put in a picture of yourself and your best friend. Maybe a favorite toy. You’d leave directions for when the capsule should be opened. Some Brownies who attended Day Camp in 1994 did just that. They made a time capsule. They painted a tin white and decorated it with bluebonnets and figures. They painted opening instructions right on the ‘capsule.’ There was a note with the capsule that said the Brownie Leader had given the capsule to Dorothy Goodykoontz. Several years ago Dorothy decided the History Committee would be an appropriate custodian for the capsule. It was put in what was considered a very safe place; at the very back on a shelf in the History Committee’s storeroom. Other items on the shelves hid the capsule.       Recently, on a weekend workday for the History Committee, the shelves in the storeroom were completely emptied and members found the Time Capsule. The instructions on the capsule directed that it should be opened in June of 2004 – ten years after it was sealed. Since Dorothy was one of the workers when the capsule was found, there was a ceremonial opening. A page of purple notebook paper had this unsigned message:

“Dear frieneis,
This time capule is from Girl Scouts. We wanted to show you wat we did when we were litte girls. We played jumprop, dolls, and even cars. We had TV watchman and camers. We lik Girl Scouts and we hope thate uoy do to.
From the Girl Scouts”
(Letter reprinted as written.)

    Another sheet of paper tells us the girls attended the twilight camp session, June 6-10, 1994, in Deer Park Avon Center, 601 E 8th St. in Deer Park. It was called “Rollin’ along the Bluebonnet Express.” The program was to “Earn patches and badges, come cook, sing, make crafts, and learn about Texas with us.” Pam Howard was the day camp director. The $19 fee included a T-shirt. Camp registrar was Barbara Bates.

Dear People of 2004,
Day camp 10 years back was lots of fun. We got to sponge paint flag shirts. We also got to paint blue bonnet wind chimes. We got to make a flag pin with red and white and blue beads. We got to learn about TX history and learn about Deer Park History. The setting was Deer Park Avon Center. At day camp we got to cook over an open fire. We also got to make a time capcel (sic). We got to make godseye earings(sic).
Love, Sarah
Girl Scout Troop #1640
Pasadena TX.

   There are photos of girls in sponge painted T-shirts. The photo of the closing ceremony was taken inside a building. There was a brief note on the back, “it rained.” One photo is of Lindsey Gurganious in full Brownie uniform taken in 1993 when she was seven years old. We wonder if she is still a Girl Scout? We hope so.
    Among the other items in the capsule were photos (labeled and unlabeled), an SJGS 1994 calendar which had a photo of Troop #1682 on the September page, a small pink teddy bear, several trolls, an empty Coca-Cola can, several patches, a baseball trading card for Jimmy Dean, ‘Christmas with the Chipmunks’ cassette tape, shoelaces, a fire starter made from a cardboard egg carton, one snap clothes pin, one penny, two pencils, a ballpoint pen, mini puzzle from Wendy’s, a little plastic fire engine with a driver, the Summer 1994 issue of the Girl Scout Leader, and more.