20 
SCOUTING FOR GIRLS 
them afterwards in making them strong, resourceful women, 
skilful and helpful to others, and strong in body as well as in 
mind, and what is more it makes them a jolly lot of comrades also. 
“BE PREPARED !” 
The motto of the Guides on which they work is “Be Prepared,” 
that is, be ready for any kind of duty that may be thrust upon 
them, and what is more, to know what to do by having practised 
it beforehand in the case of any kind of accident or any kind of 
work that they may be asked to take up.” 
It is a great piece of luck for us American Scouts that 
we can claim the very first Girl Scout for our own great 
continent, if not quite for our own United States. A 
great Englishman calls her “the first Girl Scout,” and' 
every Scout must feel proud to the core of her heart when 
she thinks that this statue which we have selected for 
the honor of our frontispiece, standing as it does on Brit- 
ish soil, on the American continent, commemorating a 
French girl, the daughter of our Sister Republic, joins 
the three great countries closely together, through the 
Girl Scouts ! Magdelaine de Vercheres lived in the French 
colonies around Quebec late in the seventeenth century. 
The colonies were constantly being attacked by the Iro- 
quois Indians. One of these attacks occurred while Mag- 
delaine’s father, the Seigneur, was away. Magdelaine 
rallied her younger brothers about her and succeeded in 
holding the fort for eight days, until help arrived from 
Montreal. 
The documents relating this bit of history have been 
in the Archives for many years, but when they were 
shown to Lord Grey about twelve years ago he decided 
to erect a monument to Magdelaine de Vercheres on the 
St. Lawrence. It was Lord Grey who called Magdelaine 
“The First Girl Scout,” and as such she will be known. 
The following is taken from “A Daughter of New 
France,” by Arthur G. Doughty who wrote the book for 
the Red Cross work of the Magdelaine de Vercheres 
