CAMPFIRE GIRLS

Camp Fire Girls, reportedly the oldest non-sectarian organization for girls in America, was founded by Dr. and Mrs. Luther Halsey Gulick nationally in 1910. Locally, the Minneapolis Council of Camp Fire was introduced in 1913. Margaret Fletcher, who was a teacher and librarian at the new (1914) St. Louis Park High School, had organized a "tribe" back in the teens.

Notwithstanding, official Campfire Girl lore says that Camp Fire was started in St. Louis Park in 1928 as an outgrowth of the Girls Reserves Club. Mrs. Ethelyn Bros was credited as being the first Blue Bird leader of the first group. In 1929, another group was formed by Mrs. E.A. Johnson.

An item in the January 1945 Dispatch noted that the "Waditaka Camp Fire group" got a four column picture in the Minneapolis Times for Christmas carrolling at the Star of Bethlehem home.  The leaders of the group were Mrs. Charles Winchell and Mrs. Stuart March.  The names of 11 girls were given.

In 1949 there were 8 groups of Campfire Girls and 9 flocks of Bluebirds.

In 1951 there were 11 groups.

By 1961, there were 337 girls in 21 Blue Bird Groups, 10 Camp Fire Groups, and 1 Horizon Club Group.

The organization is now called Campfire USA and includes boys.

The following memoir was provided by Mrs. Evelyn Bullis:

In the 1950s and '60s, Camp Fire Girls was at its peak in just about every school in St. Louis Park. Girls in 2nd-4th grades were Bluebirds and those in 5th-12th Grades were Camp Fire Girls. Lenox School PTA was one of the schools that sponsored about five groups of Bluebirds and Camp Fire Girls. Mrs Valerie Kutzler lead a group of High School girls. Along with Mrs. Kutzler and Evelyn Bullis, five of these girls went to New Your City in 1960 to join with Leaders and Girls from all over the United States to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Camp Fire Girls.
 

The girls from the Mrs. Bullis group and Boy Scouts from Troop 282, also sponsored by Lenox School PTA, joined together to form an Indian Dance Team that taught and performed Indian Dances and Indian Lore around the Minneapolis area.

Some of the girls in Camp Fire Girls during those years were: Martha Koch, Patrice Hanson, Karin Olson, Carol Redpath, Regina Bullis, Jackie Christman, Claudia Kutzler, and Priscilla Tjornhom

Just a few of the many enthusiastic leaders included Mrs Valerie Kutzler, Mrs Loretta Hanson, Mrs. Laurene Koch, Mrs Evelyn Bullis, Mrs. Shirley Johnson. Mrs. Peter Zanna, and Mrs. Marvin Tjornhom .

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.