This Day in History: 1965-06-15
The National Council of the Girl Scouts of America rejected the request of the Ramsey and Mahwah Scouts to form a joint organization. In separate letters to Mrs. C. J. Cooper of the Mahwah Council and Mrs. Vincent Muti of the Ramsey group, Mrs. Jacob E. Eckel, Secretary, informed the local leaders that their proposal was “not suitable and appropriate” for promoting the creation of large councils, a policy adopted by the National Council in 1963. It would be possible, she explained, for one of the two to be absorbed by the other, but the resulting organization would still be too small to meet the national goal. Both groups were being pressured to join the Bergen County Council instead. In an editorial the Ramsey Journal called the decision “disgusting” and blamed it on the attempt on the part of the National Office to take decisions out of the hands of volunteers and confine them to professionals. The editor ended by suggesting that the local groups leave the Girl Scouts and join the Campfire Girls who left more decisions to local leaders. (Bristow)