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The Salvation Army’s ministry has always been focused upon both the spiritual and social regeneration of the individual. This philosophy has been evidenced in all aspects of Army programming, including youth. This is certainly true of the Guarding program.
Girl Guarding did not originate with The Salvation Army, but is a modification of the Girl Guide program begun in England. Endeavoring to meet the needs of teaching young girls domestics and life-skills, Mrs. Bramwell Booth was greatly impressed with the character and skill developing impetus of the Girl Guide program.
Thus in 1915, she promoted Salvation Army involvement in sponsoring its own troops. In that same year, Mrs. Booth inaugurated the first troops of 120 girls at Regent Hall in London.
In 1916, the Guard movement came to the United States. The first official troop was registered on February 16, 1916 as the “Evangeline” troop of Newport, RI.
Because Girl Guards was for older girls, the younger girls felt left out. In 1922, Mrs. Booth inaugurated the Sunbeam movement for girls ages 6-11.
In the Western Territory, the first troop to be registered was from Los Angeles #1 Corps on March 10,1922, a Girl Guard troop. The first Sunbeam troop was registered in August 1923, from the Seattle #2 Corps with 15 Sunbeams.
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