103 Harriet attends Camp Fire Girls’ ceremonial meeting
Harriet (Stafford) Dukelow
March 23, 1935
Dear Kinney,
Well here is the news from our ceremonial meeting. It was down in the Math room. First Mattie sang Wohelo and we sang it then we started to sing America the Beautiful and marched in the room. Then we sat down and Miss Stenberg got up and said our theme was Citizenship. Phyllis Swenson and I had written poems for peace and friendship. (The rest had, too, but ours were chosen as the best.) This is mine:
Peace: Tune—Battle Hymn of Republic. I like to think that some day all the nations of the world, Will live in peace together with there flags unfurled. To show the neighboring countries their strength will ne’er be hurled, Against each other now.
Chorus: Peace is flowing like a river, Peace is flowing like a river, Peace is flowing like a river, And friendship is marching on.
Then we brought 2 new members in our circle: Minerva Dickman (country girl—lives in town now) and Gert Solmonson. I made a mistake—after we got in the room and four people lit candles for work, health, love and friendship, as our theme was Citizenship, some older girls had made flags. Then they showed them. (After bringing in our new members.) Then I was in a play with some other girls for budget and thrift charts. It went okay. Then the Auxiliary and our mothers and us sang songs. Then we played a long game. We went on an auto trip. First we had to crank it. We took turns and down our side and theirs we stood up turned around and sat down. The side who got through first won. Then we went around a corner too fast. At that time we put our feet through a hoop and took it off our head. (We went right thru it.) Then we got a flat tire. We blew up sacks and burst them. Then we patched it by putting a matchbox on our nose and the next one would put their nose up and take it off ours by taking a deep breath and holding it with their hands behind their back. Then we each were given a straw and 2 glasses, one with five beans in it. Then with the straw we sucked up the beans and put them in the other glass. I can’t remember what that was for. Then to see who had gone the furthest we each put out our hands to the next ones finger tips and our side stretched 2 rows and the other 3 rows so they one (sic). As a prize they each got 1 piece of candy from a penny roll but our side did too as there were enough. We had traveled to an auction. The ladies were each handed a bag containing 50 beans representing 50 cents. Then they bid for things—these are some of them:
A women’s weapon—hat pin. A lid—hat. Something that can be felt—straw hat.
Slip Size 38—slip of paper. Clothespins—clothes and common pin. Diamond pin—dime and pin. A sandwich—sand and a picture of a witch. Lavender old lace—lavender crayon and old lace. The Book Lucille—a shoe with a loose heel. Ye old town pump—shoe pump. And many more things. Then we ate and had: Bavarian cream—pink. 2 buns. 1 piece Cake. Love Harriet
P.S. Those who wore ceremonial gowns sang and did motions to Burn Fire Burn. I wore one so I did. H.P.S.