Reminiscing about Guymon’s Girl Scout Pioneers

February 6, 2012

Elizabeth Buster Martin of Guymon, first Executive Director of the Yucca Girl Scout Council.

Earlene Schaefer served as the Yucca Girl Scout Council Executive Director for over 20 years, but when asked to tell her Girl Scout Story, the story she chooses to tell is about her mentor and the first Yucca Girl Scout Council Director Liz Martin.
The admiration Schaefer holds for Martin is obvious in every word she speaks while telling the story.
Elizabeth Buster Martin, a Guymon native, became a Girl Scout in the mid 1940s when she led the troop that had daughter Marilyn (Grider).
“Yes, I was the reason my mom started in Girl Scouting,” laughs the quiet spoken Grider. Her mother led the girls until they graduated from High School.
During those years Martin directed a camp for many years at Boiling Springs, near Woodward. Troops from Beaver, Goodwell, Guymon, and Hooker went to the camp and were later joined by troops from Spearman and Gruver, Texas. Later Liberal, Kan., troops asked to be included. At this time all these troops were considered “lone troops” because they did not fall under the umbrella of a Council.
During this time Schaefer says Martin served as camp director, board member, or whatever was needed.
Then this group of lone troops formed the Northwest Oklahoma Council. Martin and Schaefer’s mother, Hilda Hendricks, were two of the leaders in this endeavor along with Ivy Hilte from Hooker and Eva Little from Goodwell.
“It was a group of orphans that came together,” explains Schaefer. In 1961 the Yucca Girl Scout Council was formed and included Baca County, Colo.; Morton, Seward, and Stephens Counties in Kansas; Beaver, Cimarron, and Texas Counties in Oklahoma, and then later Hansford, Lipscomb, Ochiltree, and Sherman Counties in Texas; and in late 1965 Dallam County, Texas, and Union County, N.M.
Liz Martin became the Executive Director of the Yucca Girl Scout Council. “Everybody loved her,” recalls Schaefer. “She was always so much fun. She loved Girl Scouting and she had lots of energy. She just liked people.”
Schaefer gives a little laugh when she tells how Martin drove her Cadillac millions of miles for Girl Scouts. “Glenn, her husband, was very supportive, too. He helped at camp and traveled to a lot of the trainings and meetings with her. Those two put in a lot of their personal resources for Scouts.”
When asked to describe Martin, Schaefer says she was “always fixy. She was always well-dressed and wore her hair in an updo.” In fact, one time during the 26 years Martin served as Camp Director, she dressed as an Indian and put her hair in braids. “The kids didn’t even recognize her,” Schaefer says with a grin.
She continues to describe her mentor as someone very organized in her head, but not so much on her desk or on paper. “When she would be having important visitors, sometimes she would just push things off her desk into a box and put them in the furnace room. When I became Director,” laughs Schaefer, “some of those boxes were still there.”
With the Girl Scout organization, Martin gained respect on a national level. She did trainings throughout the United States and girls from the Yucca Girl Scout Council had a high acceptance percentage for national opportunities. Schaefer tells this with the pride for her mentor showing in every word she speaks.
“I really admired the way Liz could go with the flow,” confesses Schaefer. “She could ride the waves and was very tolerant. Non-judgmental. And she was lots of fun. She could always calm the waters. I think I learned some of that from her.”
After asking Schaefer to describe why Girl Scouting was so important to Martin, Schaefer sat quietly for a moment. “I don’t know why it was for Liz, but maybe if I answer that for myself, it could be a similar answer for Liz.
“I never grew up. I always like being with kids and liked the programs. I liked directing camp and being in charge, didn’t mind responsibility. I guess I always liked to play.”
Martin’s daughter Marilyn Grider gave a similar answer. Grider said she didn’t know why her mother loved Girl Scouts so much, but she guessed shed just loved kids and liked to run things.
Girl Scouting stays strong in what was once the Yucca Girl Scout Council because of many people who have served as leaders, on the board, in trainings, and at camp … and because of the girls who made Girl Scouting their organization. Girl Scouting has it’s 100th birthday this year and we are celebrating in Guymon the afternoon of March 10. Anyone who was ever involved in Girl Scouts is invited and encouraged to attend. For more information, please contact Melyn Johnson at Director@MainStreetGuymon.com or 338-6246.