What exactly is a Wing Scout ?
The Wing Scout program was a Senior Girl Scout program for girls interested in flying and wanting to serve their country.
It began in the early 1940s end ended in the 1970s.
In July 1942, 29 troop leaders from fifteen states met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to take Wing Scout leadership training.
In 1959, Girl Scout Council in North San Mateo County, California was presented with an offer from United Airlines San Francisco Management Club President J. L. Burnside to start an aviation program for Senior Girl Scouts.
The Wing Scout Program took on a new importance once the United States entered World War II and Girl Scouts focused on civic duty as part of their war efforts.
In August 1945, William T. Piper donated the first of three Piper Cub training aircraft to the Girl Scouts making them “the first national youth organization to own an airplane,” according to Mrs. Thomas H. Beck, Chairman of the National Wing Scout Advisory Committee.
The Wing Scout Program included a courtesy flight provided to Senior Girl Scouts using United Airlines' jets. For many of the girls, this was the first time they had been on a plane.
Senior Girl Scouts who had spent three years in the program were given the opportunity to take over the controls during flight in a small aircraft. The program was discontinued after United Airlines experienced financial setbacks in the 1970s.
Info from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Scouts_of_the_USA#Wing_Scouts
http://blog.nasm.si.edu/2012/06/07/birds-of-a-feather/
Over the years, the Girl Scout Organization has offered such a diverse range of awesome opprotunities for Girls.
It is important for girls to know what a special organization they are part of.
A fun way to end a GS meeting or spend a few extra minutes at a campsite-teach younger Scouts about Girl Scout history. Tell them about all of the cool things that happened in Girl Scout past. Then, make a Wing Scout craft! A cute craft to do after teaching a short history lesson-pre-fold paper planes and have the Girls decorate them!
You can teach a bit about how planes work as well. Who knows, maybe some of the girls wil aspire to be pilots as a result!
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