Sisterhood on the Fort—Social Enjoyment and Civic Engagement

On Saturday, October 4, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast and the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe National Monument held an opening reception for a new exhibit, Sisterhood on the Fort, about the history of Girl Scouting on Fort Monroe. This exhibit, which will be on display through April 2015, represents the first time that the Casemate Museum has partnered with a community organization to create a historical display.

GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller, Girl Scout Cadette Sianna,
Casemate Museum Director Robin Edward Reed, Nicole Stuart
and Chris Stuart, owners of Top Guard Security

During the reception, Girl Scout Cadette Sianna helped with the ribbon cutting to officially open the exhibit, along with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller and Chris and Nicole Stuart of Top Guard Security, the sponsors for the exhibit and reception. Girl Scout alumnae and friends from the community had the opportunity to view the exhibit and share memories from their own experiences in Girl Scouts. 

“I really enjoyed my time in Girl Scouts,” Eola Dance, chief of visitor services and resource management at Fort Monroe National Monument. said. “I think it really played a part in my interest in history, nature and service organizations and helped me get to where I am today.”

Eola Dance, right, and her mother Elvena Lewis

The exhibit explores the formation of Girl Scouts on the military installation in 1926, 14 years after the organization was founded in Savannah, Ga. Through photographs, letters and stories, as well as vintage uniforms and handbooks, the exhibit examines the development of the Girl Scout Movement in the unique setting of Fort Monroe, a place that many military families have called home over the years.

The display also includes accounts of the Girl Scout experience on Fort Monroe during World War II, as well as the troop activities and community service projects in the decades that followed. As girls moved on and off of Fort Monroe with their families, Girl Scouts offered a familiar activity that allowed girls to make new friends and be involved in their community.

Items from the collections of both Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast and the Casemate Museum are featured in the exhibit.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast has also recently partnered with Fort Monroe National Monument to create a Junior Ranger patch for girls to earn while visiting the site. More information about Girl Scouts can be found here.

Admission is free for self-guided tours of the Casemate Museum, which includes the Girl Scout exhibit. The Casemate Museum is open Tuesday- Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information about museum hours and location, call 757-788-3391.