Isn’t it funny how old memories find their way back into our consciousness of today? As I recently hiked the Grand Canyon, visions of Boy Scouts earning their badges flooded my mind. With these visions and thoughts of pride on my Boy Scout skills of today, I remembered my own Scout story of youth. In all actuality I would probably need to call it my non-story; since that was part of the problem leading up to the ultimate events and the story that I am sharing. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was participating in a couple of mini-revolts in my small town by pushing the envelope on equal activities available to the girls of Remsen. And the irony of both situations was that I had no idea of what equal rights, Title IX, or even what a mini-revolt was. In my mind, I was only asking the obvious.
My Boy Scout story hinges on the popularity of membership into this organization in Remsen. The enthusiastic Scouts wore their brown vests proudly around town decorated with various patches; boasting their notable outdoor achievements. Jeannie Sanow was unwavering as the main Cub Leader. I watched as a spectator as the many Scouts followed their leader single file through my little town. I was never too sure what they were planning at their many meetings at the city gym or what they were studying so intently at the park behind in my house. I was curious to say the least. It looked like fun, but with neither of my brothers Scouts; I lacked insider information. So I continued to watch contently as an observer, until my world was widened with outside news on the Scouting world. This news came from my beloved Aunt Kathy. Kathy made the move from Remsen to Omaha as a Creighton University college student. With Kathy’s big leap to the the big city, she came back with this news from a world outside of my universe of Remsen. It was a shock to say the least.
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| Aunt Kathy and my mom on a visit home |
As a college student, Kathy began doing volunteer work in Omaha. Her main passion was as a volunteer Scout Leader to the “Girl” Scouts of America. “GIRL” Scouts? Really?? I had never heard of such a thing. Scouts could be girls? We had girls in Remsen. Why did we not have Girl Scouts? I asked Aunt Kathy this very question on her first visit post-Scout leader back to Omaha. She didn’t have an answer for me, but thought it was a great question. After a bit of research, she wrote me a letter from Omaha with information and addresses on the corporate leaders to the Girl Scouts of America. My ever-resourceful aunt encouraged me to write a letter to the Girl Scouts leadership and pose my very valid question directly to them. So that is what I did.
In the 70’s this entailed a handwritten note with no benefit of the speed of e-mail or the posting capabilities to websites and Social Media outlets. So I used the best communication means available to me by sending a letter expressing my interest in their great organization. I noted the leadership role of my Aunt Kathy and the great stories she shared on this obviously wonderful organization. I then asked the question as to why the boys had a Scouting group in Remsen, but there was no Girl Scout option available. After attaching the stamp to my letter and mailing it from our corner post office, I had no serious visions of a response. Instead I reveled in a feeling of satisfaction for being “heard”.
About a month later, I received a phone call from a neighbor. “Sandy, that was a very nice letter you wrote in the paper. I hope you get your Girl Scout Troop.” I was confused as I continued to receive calls and comments as I meandered around town that day. Finally a trip to my Grandma Gib’s led to her pointing out my published letter to the Girl Scouts of America in my town newspaper. They had forwarded my letter to the editor with a plea for a leader volunteer to organize a much needed Girls Scout Troop in Remsen. I would love to tell you that someone stepped up and took on the role and that we did get Girl Scouts in Remsen. But I really don’t know the answer to that question. I enjoyed my short-lived notoriety and the ensuing conversations on the need for the girls to be attended to, but my attention was soon caught on the next cause. And as opposed to the Boy Scouts revolution, this one really got the boys attention.
In Remsen baseball was a big deal. In fact, it was a really big deal and rightfully so. Our little town produced State Championship baseball teams and Professional League baseball players. As a feeder to our top notch high school baseball programs, we had a very competitive and highly popular boys’ little league summer baseball program. The boys played each other at a baseball diamond strategically placed next to our public swimming pool. There was no girls’ softball program. The girls’ role was ogling over and cheering on the baseball boys while juggling time laying out at the pool with taking mandatory ten minute water breaks from swimming.
The girls’ laid back days of summer activities took a dramatic change one summer when a coach decided to recruit Kim Schorg to play in the boys’ little league program. The ever athletic and talented Kim was a welcome addition from the boys’ perspective. She was as good, if not better, than her male counterparts. Her coach was feeling brilliant in adding her as the crown recruit of his team. What he didn’t anticipate was the reaction of the other girls of Remsen. Previous to Kim’s enlistment, I don’t think it had ever crossed our minds that we were being slighted in any way by not having the opportunity to play a summer sport and we certainly never thought of joining the boys’ league as an option. I can honestly tell you that I have no recollection who “rallied the troops” or who was the first to push the envelope on equal rights for all Remsen Girls. What I can tell you is my clear recollection of masses of us going to City Hall to sign up for the boys’ league. If Kim could play, why couldn’t we?
The baseball commissioner conceded to our requests to participate. How could he rebut with the pathway of adding Kim? That summer all the girls who signed up were sprinkled on the various boys’ teams. And note the small detail that not only were we girls <gasp>, but we were also girls who never played summer ball of any kind before. I have to admit it was a disaster to say the least. As the girls were many times getting out of the way of fast balls and tossing arrant throws, the boys were wondering how they got dealt this hand of cards in what should have been their glory days of competitive summer ball. So the moral of the story is that as Kim continued on with the boys’ league to complete her successful run in baseball which prepared her for a spectacular high school softball career, the rest of us were given the honor of participating in the first ever Remsen Girls' Softball League the next summer.
Dads and moms volunteered as coaches and a program was organized similar to the boys. We signed up at City Hall and were given a team and a name. I was a “Live Wire” and now had to balance my precious summer time between the pool and my team’s softball practice and game schedule. And although one may have visions of Madonna playing in a Remsen version of "A League of Her Own", this was not the case. I didn’t follow in the footsteps of Kim Schorg and there was no glimmer of talent for me on either the baseball or softball front (at all), but it sure was a fun way to spend the summer.
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