Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BROWNIES PATCH

Date Range From

1973

Date Range To

1976

Materials

STIFFENED SYNTHETIC FABRIC, THREAD

No. Pieces

1

Height

0.1

Length

5.4

Width

4.8

Description

RECTANGULAR WHITE PATCH WITH EMBROIDERED IMAGE. PICTURES AN ORANGE BIRD SITTING ON A GREEN BRANCH WITH A WORM IN HIS MOUTH. BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF PATCH HAS THE BLACK OUTLINE OF A CLOVER LEAF WITH "C * C" [OR ARE THEY G'S?] IN THE LEAVES AND "+" IN THE CENTER, WITH A BANNER BELOW. TOP RIGHT CORNER HAS "S.A." IN BLACK. EDGES OF PATCH ARE UNFINISHED.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

History

BELONGED TO DONOR'S DAUGHTER KAREN POTTS NEUFELD. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS INCLUDING SOME DONATIONS MADE BY JEAN JOHNSTONE (NEE POTTS). AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ORIGINAL DONOR JEAN JOHNSTONE WAS CONDUCTED. WHEN ASKED IF SHE REMEMBERED THE ARTIFACT SHE STATED, “[MY DAUGHTER] REMEMBERS BROWNIES, AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER BROWNIE OUTFIT BUT SHE LOVED BROWNIES, BUT YOU HAVE TO “FLY UP” AS THEY SAY AND SO WE DECIDED IT WAS PROBABLY 1972 THAT SHE “FLEW UP.” SHE WAS IN THE BROWNIES IN 1972 AND “FLEW UP” TO GUIDES, PROBABLY 1974 AND SHE LEFT IN 1975. SHE DIDN’T LIKE IT, AND SHE DIDN’T LIKE THE PEOPLE. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS BUT SHE HAD AN AVERSION TO IT AND SHE STOPPED. SHE DIDN’T GO ON - ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. HER BADGES AND EVERYTHING. SHE HAS QUITE A LOT, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY DON’T- THIS IS ALL HER. THOSE ARE THE BLOOMERS THAT GO WITH IT SO THAT WE DON’T SHOW ANYTHING, YOU KNOW WE DON’T SHOW UNDERWEAR, WE HAVE TO HAVE BLOOMERS THAT MATCH THE SKIRT. I DON’T KNOW WHY SHE DID, BUT SHE BECAME QUITE RECLUSIVE. AND IF THAT WAS 1970, I DON’T KNOW. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT AFTER THAT THAT I GOT DIVORCED SO THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON.” “BUT THESE ONES SHE CAN’T REMEMBER, AND I DON’T REMEMBER AND THEY ARE SOUTH AFRICAN. AND IT SAYS GIRL GUIDES AND THIS IS A MYSTERY, THIS ONE. BECAUSE ANDREW’S FAMILY, SOME OF HIS CHILDREN’S AUNTIES AND - AUNTIES AND ONE UNCLE LIVED IN SOUTH AFRICA. WHETHER THOSE WERE- AND IT SAYS GIRL GUIDE IF YOU LOOK AT THE LITTLE CORNER, THAT’S THE GIRL GUIDE SYMBOL, BUT IT’S GOT SA IN THE CORNER, LIKE SOUTH AFRICA AND I THINK SOME RESEARCH WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE TO FIND OUT IF IT WAS USED HERE WITH HER UNIFORM, BUT I JUST DON’T KNOW. IT SEEMS TO ME, IT COULD HAVE COME WITH- WHEN I MARRIED ANDREW THERE WAS A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF AND YOU WEREN’T SURE WHAT OR WHO IT BELONGED TO, BECAUSE HE CAME WITH THREE CHILDREN AND ALL OF HIS STUFF BUT, YEAH. IT COULD HAVE BEEN PART OF BOYS BRIGADE, WHICH WAS PART OF MY HUSBAND’S LIFE. HE WAS IN BOYS BRIGADE, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO BOY SCOUTS BUT HE WAS IN THAT IN ENGLAND. I DON’T KNOW. IT’S A MYSTERY.” ASKED IF SHE WORE THE UNIFORM TO EVERY MEETING SHE RESPONDED, “OH YES. IF THEY WERE SELLING COOKIES WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING SHE HAD TO WEAR THAT UNIFORM BUT NOW - I LOOKED IT UP - THEY ONLY WEAR T-SHIRTS SO THAT IT DOESN’T PRECLUDE GIRLS FROM JOINING - YOU KNOW THE COST OF THE UNIFORM. BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT WAS KIND OF COSTLY FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT BITS AND PIECES THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE. NOW THEY JUST WEAR A T-SHIRT. THERE IS NO UNIFORM LIKE THIS.” THE INTERVIEW AND A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND IN PERMANENT FILE P20030049001.

Catalogue Number

P20000011056

Acquisition Date

2004-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail