Girl Reserves
Norman Rozeff
September 2010

Organized in 1918 to foster patriotic war work for the World War, the Girl Reserves were sponsored by the World Young Women's Christian Association, known in America as the Y.W.C.A. Over the next two decades the organization would be active in the Valley. The chapters that were active in the Valley included Harlingen, Primera, Tri-City, Rio Hondo, Mission, Lyford, Weslaco, and Mercedes. The latter city appeared to have the greatest membership and did include Latins. Across the country chapters were often formed as clubs in public schools. In 1921 a guidebook for the organization as published. This 825 book was titled "The Girl Reserve Movement, A Manual for Advisors Y.W.C.A."

In the spring of 1938 an idea was conceived to honor Harlingen's Miss Paul Hill, who had been an ardent supporter of the organization in the Valley. Donors were solicited to contribute to a fund which would be used to erect an outdoor fireplace in honor of Miss Hill. She was characterized as "untiring of time, effort and money" on behalf of the organization. Iona Mae Hottal of the Wilson Tract School was one prime mover of the solicitation. A list of donors found in a small booklet donated to the Harlingen Library Archive Room indicates that almost all of the supporters in the area were Anglos. While this reflects the predominating social mores prevailing in the Valley at the time, it does not mirror the organization in other parts of the country.. Elsewhere the Y.W.C.A. helped accommodate the needs of women and girls of color. African-American, Japanese, and Chinese girls organized themselves into Reserves, often finding a sponsor among women in their churches or schools to guide and encourage them. One might speculate that with Latins in the Valley, being mostly of the Catholic faith at this time, they considered the Y.M.C.A. either anathema or out of bounds. Of course, the Great Depression prevailing at this period and family earnings also played a role on who could afford to contribute. Initiated by Bishop Bernard J. Sheil of Chicago in 1930, the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) did fulfill social needs for Catholic youth seeking to better themselves and the community.

In June 1938 a beautiful stone fireplace was dedicated at the YWCA camp at Rio Hondo. Camp Rio Hondo with its sizeable swimming pool sat where the Rio Hondo Civic Center now exists. When the area was cleared for construction of the center some thoughtful individual salvaged the concrete nameplate of the fireplace and donated it to what is now the Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum. With the inscription "To Miss Paul Hill in Appreciation 1938" cast in it, the marker presently sits embedded in front of the Lon C. Hill House at the museum.

Despite using the slogan "Best Big Sister in the World" as early as 1919, the Y.W.C.A. could not keep up with the social changes in female teenagers after World War II. It tried by changing the Girl Reserves into the Y-Teen organization that had more of a focus on co-ed activities and socializing.

The essence and focus of the organization can be summarized by its mottos:

AS A GIRL RESERVE

I WILL TRY

Slogan
TO FACE LIFE SQUARELY

Purpose
TO FIND AND GIVE THE BEST

I WILL TRY TO BE

Code

Pledge

I will do my best to honor God, my country and my community, to help other girls and to be in all ways a loyal true member of the Girl Reserves.

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