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This quarter marked an exciting milestone as the Library partnered with the Girl Scouts of Greater New York (GSGNY) to launch our first annual Girl Scout Day. GSGNY, established in 1913, stands as New York City's largest girl-focused leadership program, serving over 25,000 members ages 5 to 18 across all five boroughs.
Our inaugural collaboration centered on the Library's closing exhibition, "A Belief in Books: The 270th Anniversary Exhibition," with events spanning two enriching days – November 9 and December 7. The program aimed to deepen scouts' understanding of the American Revolution through immersive experiences and thoughtful activities.
The first day featured a compelling presentation by historian Dr. Zara Anishanslin titled "Contrasting Styles: George and Martha Washington vs. Their Enslaved People." She illuminated how the Washingtons utilized clothing as a powerful tool to convey authority, express national pride, and reflect revolutionary ideals. Dr. Anishanslin highlighted a striking contrast: while enslaved individuals working closely with the Washingtons wore regal uniforms befitting the household's status, those laboring on Washington's properties received minimal yearly clothing allowances that barely lasted through the year.
The presentation delved into fascinating period details, such as the popularity of hair jewelry among prominent figures like the Washingtons, while examining the complex relationships between the founding family and their personal servants. These concepts laid the groundwork for day two, offering scouts an intimate glimpse into the perspectives of both America's founders and the enslaved people who served them.
The second day engaged scouts in five rotating activities, anchored by a tour of our historic building. Older scouts embraced creative writing exercises in our Members Room, crafting letters to Martha Washington from the perspectives of notable figures like Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, each requesting locks of George Washington's hair following his death. They also composed poignant diary entries in the voices of Oney Judge and Hercules Posey, two of the Washingtons' most well-known self-emancipated enslaved servants. These writing activities were enriched by information from the Library's electronic databases and primary documents.
Younger scouts enjoyed hands-on historical activities, creating whirligigs, practicing calligraphy to mimic the Constitution signers' famous signatures, and playing period games like ball-and-cup, mancala, and hopscotch.
Our dedicated docents -- Carol Binkowski, Peggy Sue Salwen, and Meryl Strassner -- proved instrumental to the program's success, leading building tours, supervising activity stations, and guiding writing exercises. They reported countless moments of wonder – scouts gasping in awe upon entering the stacks, engaging in animated discussions about revolutionary figures, and finding inspiration in the Library's reading rooms. One docent noted how the scouts "carefully studied the books, walking up and down the aisles, both in the stacks and in the Children's Library."
The enthusiasm was palpable throughout both days as we welcomed over seventy young leaders into our reading rooms. For our staff and docents, it was deeply rewarding to share the Library's resources while enriching these bright minds' understanding of the American Revolution.
If you are interested in learning more about GSGNY and their extraordinary projects like Leadership Institute and Troop 6000, please visit their website.
Also, contact Tienya Smith if you wish to partner with the Library or book a group tour for your school or organization. She can be reached at [email protected].
Left: Peggy Sue Salwen's building tour. Middle: Sayer Holliday's hopscotch board. Right: Craft table.
