"I am now about to speak of a new Patrol, or new members, so it is fortunate that our visitors arrived in time to hear all I have to say.
"I suppose every girl present has a manual: 'Scouting for Girls'?" Everyone nodded in the affirmative, and Miss Mason continued:
"Then you will read on page 44, that every girl who wishes to enroll as a Scout must be at least ten years old and must have attended meetings for a month, during which time she will have passed her Tenderfoot Test. During the first month she is known as a Candidate. When she knows the meaning of the Promise and the Laws, and is sure she understands the meaning of the oath she is about to take, and comprehends the meaning of 'Honor,' she is eligible to be a Tenderfoot.
"My Girl Scouts passed the Tenderfoot class last year, and then took the Second Class Test, which was also passed successfully by them. We are all ready to pass the First Class Scout Test, except that each girl must present a Tenderfoot who has been trained by the candidate. This is our opportunity, as you girls all wish to be Scouts, and my girls can train you, thus giving them the privilege of being First Class Scouts.
"I was going to speak of other things, but since our visitors' arrival, I wish Mrs. James to tell us how many girls she knows on whom we can count for the new Patrol." Miss Mason turned to Mrs. James and waited.
"Natalie knows more about the matter than I, Miss Mason, as she and Janet went about the Corners securing the candidates. Let her tell us about it," replied Mrs. James.
Natalie was called upon to address the audience and so she got up and spoke. "Janet and I called on Nancy Sherman and Hester Tompkins and secured their promise to join our Patrol as soon as we were ready for them. Then we went to Dorothy Ames's house and got her interested. With these girls"--Natalie waved her hand at the four girls sitting on the log,--"we will have eight applicants. Janet has a younger sister Helene, who is not twelve yet, so we are not sure whether we want her to belong to our Patrol. All of us girls are over twelve and it is more fun when girls are nearer an age. I've been thinking that Helene might start a Brownie Troop, a younger Patrol than ours. We might allow them to join us, later on."