March 23, 1965

In praise of Bernie Moore

March 23, 1965

Stop in the Name of Love - Supremes

No rehearsal today! I stayed home and watched T.V. and had a blast. Ahhhh. Next week I'll be able to watch "The Man from U.N.C.L.E again - at last.

I found out I can't go to the Camp Weekend. It's during a school week. Rats! I was hoping I could show Bernie how good (?) I am at camp craft. Then again, maybe it's better that I don't go.

March 23, 2006

Bernie was the camp name of Bernice Moore, the director of Northwestern Connecticut Girl Scout Council and of its summer camp, Maria Pratt, in Goshen. She still stands out as one of the very best people I ever met, and certainly a role model. She was not conventionally attractive, especially by the standards of the 50s and early 50s. Tiny eyes, large nose and short wavy gray hair, with a sense of style that can only be described as grown up tom boy. But she represented an image of female success and power that was unlike anything else I knew. She was commanding and authoritative, but warm and approachable even when in "boss" mode. She had a handsome husband who was willing to living in a cabin at a Girl Scout camp two months a year. Every girl at that camp adored her, and she seemed to genuinely adore every single one, without playing favorites.

I wrote to her several years ago, when I was running a day camp for our local council. She wrote me back a lovely letter, full of news about other "girls" from Maria Pratt. As far as I can tell, she's still alive and kicking, now in her 80s.

Go, Bernie.

March 23, 2023

Of course, Bernie is now long gone. She died in 2007, at the age of 92. Her obituary gives some idea of what a magnificent human she was. She was my inspiration for saying “yes” to being the Cookie Mom and then the troop leader for my daughter’s Brownie Troop, leading those girls until the last one graduated from high school. When I fell away from organized religion, Girl Scout values stuck with me until I found a new spiritual home. Thanks, Bernie, for the best summer of my life.