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Clothing and Accessories
Children's Clothing
Uniforms ➔ Ceremonial Gown
Identifier:
176424Description:
This ceremonial gown is from the Camp Fire Girls and is made of tan cotton and is heavily decorated with fringe and colorful beads.Date:
circa 1950Materials:
Cotton, Beads, FringeCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of William J. GlasgowRelated Entities:
William J. Glasgow (donor) Camp Fire Girls (is related to)Camp Fire Girls is an American youth organization that started in 1910 as a counterpart to the Boy Scouts of America. Camp Fire is the first nonsectarian, multicultural organization for girls in America. It places an emphasis on outdoor activities and camping and uses Native American beliefs and culture to inspire its programs. These include Native American traditional ceremonies such as pow-wows, arts and crafts and lessons in respecting the environment. The ceremonial attire worn by the Camp Fire Girls, based on a Native American woman's dress, is comprised of a light brown gown that ties at the waist as well as a headband and vestment both decorated in beads and badges. Camp Fire also has a basic uniform worn for regular meetings which are comprised of a blue cap, white shirt, blue skirt, and red scarf. The Camp Fire Girls group formed in Grand Rapids not long after the national organization began. By the summer of 1913, an area on White Lake was rented to set up tents for the program. By 1925 a more permanent site was founded for the camp called Keewano Wohelo located at Ottawa Beach near Holland. Camp Fire flourished in Grand Rapids and the nearby towns. By the 1930s, Grand Rapids Camp Fire ran groups in Fennville, Grand Haven, Holland, Hudsonville, Wayland, Jenison, Belmont, Grandville, Sparta, Ada, Cascade, Lake Odessa, Grant Saugatuck, Comstock Park, Wyoming Park, Rockford, Caledonia, Byron Center, and Moline. By the 1960s, this had further expanded to include areas on the outskirts of Kent County. The regular meetings for Camp Fire Girls were held in the leaders' homes where the girls would participate in games, sing songs and activities. Special outings such as camping were organized to sites like Keewano Wohelo as well as other lakes and parks in the area. Before becoming a Camp Fire Girl, at around age 7, the child would first spend a year as a Blue Bird. She would then spend two years as a Camp Fire Girl. By 1975 the Camp Fire organization opened its doors to young boys and became a co-educational organization.
