GIRL RESERVE has been preserved

These lovely little ladies date back to 1940. They were place cards at a Girl Reserve dinner held on March 15, 1940 for a "Mother-Daughter Banquet", which is what it says under the lace of the little fan. 

Click on images to see them larger.

Inside the little fan there are three pages of typed copy. The first page reads:

"A mother is a mother still--

The holiest thing alive."

                   --Coolridge

Next page, the menu:

• Fruit cup
  
• Baked Ham
  
• Horseradish Sauce
  
• Stuffed Baked Potato
  
• Vegetable Salad
  
• Rolls
  
• Butter 
  
• Coffee
  
• Ice Cream 
• Cookies
  

And the final page: 

Toastmistress------------------------- Betty Jo Scheafer

G-rateful Hearts----------------------Mrs. Potadle

I-nspirational Melody---------------Jean, Lucille, Judith

R-estful Moments--------------------Alice Peck

L-oving memories-------------------Rosamond Hancock

S-olo-----------------------------------Miss Johnson

Song - Nebraska Girl Reserve

This was purchased at the same estate sale where I purchased the lovely wedding paperdolls. These were on a table in a little plastic bag. I thought they were fascinating and more than likely few others have survived since this big wing ding took place. 

Now, I'd never heard of the Girl Reserves, but a little googling gave me some information. Click on the link below in the source to see some of the paraphernalia associated with the group, ie. armbands, booklets, photos, rings, etc. 

Officially the Girl Reserves of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) began in 1918. However, like many clubs - it evolved from many informal girl gatherings under the YWCA program and from the Patriotic League of the YWCA. The Girl Reserves sought to help girls 12-18 develop a well-balanced personality, grow physically and take on social responsibility.

By 1921 there was a Girl Reserves handbook  to outlined the program.  It was a uniformed group, although by the 1930 there was a great deal of discussion on the merits of uniforms. (SOURCE: Vintage Kid Stuff)

And here's the Foreword to the aforementioned handbook along with a link in the source to the rest of the book:

FOREWORD 

THE Young Women's Christian Association is a fellow- 

ship of women and girls. The value of the fellowship 

lies in whatever it may contribute to self-expression, dis- 

cipline and growth of the whole life of each of its members and 

in the effectiveness of that group as it functions in the life of 

a community. It offers, therefore, to advisers of g'irls a place 

of leadership which has the greatest value. 

There is a standard toward which the development of all the 

membership both girls and advisers is set. The standard 

is expressed in the name "The Christian" and makes the teach- 

ings of Jesus the informing and directing principles of any of 

the Association's programs. His example of growth in wis- 

dom and stature and in favor with God and man is consciously 

followed. Any girl may enter this fellowship; there is noth- 

ing selective about its membership. The possibility of ful- 

filling this standard of achieving -this growth, is in direct 

proportion to the gift of self of those advisers who have ac- 

cepted places of leadership in the " Association movement. 

The Girl Reserves are a cross section of the whole fellow- 

ship. They are a movement within the movement of the whole. 

All the resources of the organization, general and specialized, 

lie back of the Girl Reserves, and are available for their de- 

velopment. The Girl Reserves are to the Young Women's 

Christian Association, of which they are a part, the fresh 

stream which feeds into the main current of the movement at 

its source or along itsl course the very youth of its youth. 

They have its future in their keeping. 

MABEL CRATTV. 

Office of THE GENERAL SECRETARY, 

National Board, Young Womens Christian Associations, 

United States of America. 

June 1921. (SOURCE: Archive.org)

I basically gather it was like Scouts and Campfire Girls. Now, did they sell candy or cookies? I don't know. Girl Reserve Cookies just doesn't roll off your tongue like "Give me a box of thin mints!"