Camp Fire USA was founded in 1910 as a youth service
organization for girls across the United States. Before 1910,
there were no nationwide organizations for girls of all races,
nationalities, and creeds.
In New England in the summer of
1910, Thetford, Vermont, was celebrating its 150th anniversary.
One of the organizers, William Chauncy Langdon, developed a town
pageant in which the Boy Scouts appeared. Girls in the area
wanted to be in the pageant as well prompting Langdon to
organize a group he called Camp Fire Girls. He set up three
ranks of achievement: Wood Gatherer, Fire Maker, and Torch
Bearer. He also appointed group leaders called Guardians of the
Fire. From then on, these groups of girls remained active in the
community.
In the same summer, a second
development was the organization of a summer camp for girls in
Maine by Dr. and Mrs. Luther Halsey Gulick. Dr. Gulick was also
instrumental in the organization of the Boy Scouts and the
YMCA. The Gulicks ran a camp for girls in Connecticut for many
years. Mrs. Gulick, inspired by the girls' enthusiasm, called
the camp WoHeLo (WOrk HEalth LOve). In a beautiful ceremony, the
girls wore simple brown cotton dresses and selected an Indian
name which had meaning for them, and which symbolized their
personal commitment to family, friends, and community. They
committed to continue to meet, work, and talk around a "council
fire."
After that summer, Langdon, the
Gulicks, and others talked of starting a national,
non-denominational, non-sectarian organization for girls. Their
aim was to help girls become capable and creative women through
fun activities and community endeavors. In 1912, the dream
became "official" when Mrs. Gulick signed incorporation papers
in Washington, D.C. By 1913, there were over 60,000 members.
Today, Camp Fire USA serves over 735,000 youth.
On November 22, 1975, the "New Day"
plan was voted into existence at the Quadrennial National Camp
Fire Congress in Houston, TX. Under this plan, Camp Fire
USA membership was expanded to include boys, and the name was
changed to Camp Fire Boys and Girls. The program level names
were also changed to become Starflight, Adventure, Discovery,
and Horizon. (It was thought that boys wouldn't care to be
called "Bluebirds".)
In 2001, Camp Fire USA launched a new
brand and introduced a national theme line, "Today's kids.
Tomorrow's leaders." This theme line helps succinctly define
Camp Fire USA for America's families.
Today the Camp Fire USA philosophy
continues to incorporate those early ideas of inclusiveness and
the dignity and worth of the individual in the heart of its
program. There have been changes over the years as time-honored
activities are updated to keep pace with modern developments in
education, recreation, and the changing needs of youth, families
and communities. The core values Camp Fire imparts to young
people are demonstrated in the Camp Fire Law.
