286 



The Journal of Heredity 



GAINING CONTROL OF SELF 



Fitness for motherhood i^ a happy by-product of Camp Fire activities, which make for splendid 

 physique and intelHgent control of one's own body and mind, and of Nature as we find her. 

 Photograph by Mrs. Luther H. GuUck. (Fig. 14.) 



of the hospital type, devoted to the 

 unfortunate, and a few — if any — are 

 working on this task to which we have 

 devoted ourselves — that of building u]:» 

 an army of splendid women, trained 

 in team work, devoted to the spiritual 

 ideals of the home, and united in giving 

 service to the community." 



On being asked how Camp Fire girls 

 were instructed and trained for mother- 

 hood, the mother out of whose home- 

 camp life the movement originally 

 sprang replied that no particular train- 

 ing or instruction was given to girls 

 that could be labelled "for motherhood." 

 The concept motherhood will not shrink 

 into a course of training or into a text 

 book. It is to be lived, not defined or 

 imi)arted. Camp Fire girls win honor 

 licufls by work in seven crafts — health 

 craft, camp craft, nature lore, home 

 craft, hand craft, business and patriot- 

 ism. As each girl receives honors she 

 ])rogresses from rank to rank in her 

 grouj) and in the organization, so that 

 each attainment of an honor represents 

 the realization of a desire for definite 

 accom]jlishment. If the home craft 

 honors lure girls to do those things 

 that inevitably make for the best in 



home building and tending, if health 

 craft and camp craft and Nature lore 

 bring strong bodies, t3sted nerves and a 

 realization of the mystory and purpose of 

 love in the world of living things, then 

 a big part of training for motherhood is 

 accomplished as a by-product. But 

 the girls have not been striving to 

 become good mothers according to rule. 

 They have been "seeking beauty," 

 (which is the first of the seven laws of 

 the Cam]) Fire) in a multitude of wisely 

 selected and elective activities, and all 

 the rest will have boen add. "id unto 

 them. 



EMBODI.MENT OF EUGENICS 



So, too. Eugenics, thotigh nowhere 

 mentioned in the litcrattire of Camp 

 Fire, finds its embodiment in the 

 learning by doing which is Camjj Fire. 

 "To know the names, homes and 

 occupations of grand-parents" for the 

 earning of an honor in Patriotism, takes 

 a girl into the fascinating field of gen- 

 ealogy where a little observation will 

 suggest the segregation of hereditary 

 characters, physical and mental, in the 

 family history and so ojjcn up the study 



