Elaine Scholl is an Honor Bee

A group of Bee-Hive Girls is called a Swarm and their leaders are Bee-Keepers.
Membership is open to girls of fourteen years of age, and also to girls of twelve and thirteen whose parents are willing for them to enter.
Day of the Swarm, usually May 31 is when honors are conferred.
Ranks: Builder in the Hive, Gatherer of Honey, Keeper of the Bees, Bee Keeper

 Elaine journal entry:  On November, 18, 1936 we went to St. George, Utah.  We lived at George Worth’s, the patriarch across from the tabernacle.  I attended the Dixie Junior High School.  I was in the sixth grade when I left California but started in the seventh there.  Newell R. Frei was principal and while mother was working in the St. George Temple that winter, she found that she and his father had the same grandfather.  Harold Snow who later became president of the temple was my Social Science teacher.  During the winter on Saturdays I did baptisms.  While there I did 400 baptisms.  I graduated from the Primary in May (1937) and we then went to Farmington and spent the summer at Luella Hess’.   I picked cherries and raspberries in July and earned $7.  In September we returned to St. George and rented a room and slept in a tent at Roland Blake’s.  We found she had the same lines as grandmothers lines.  We attended the South Ward.  Margaret Little and Mary Jarvis were my Bee Hive teachers. (St. George)


Elaine:  In September 1938 we came back to our old home at 1636 Golden Gate and I attended the Thomas Starr King Junior High School and finished the ninth grade.  We attended the Hollywood Ward at 1552 N. Normandy.  Mary Russon was my Bee Keeper in the second year.  (Los Angeles) We spent the summer of 1939 in Utah.  I stayed one month with Uncle Joseph Bachman, my mother’s older brother and he was very ill.  I bought a bicycle and the longest trip I took was three and one half miles and back.  When we returned in September I started John Marshall High School in tenth grade. (1939) May 4th was the Bee Hive graduation at the Stake House.  I gave a talk and received a ring and pin for being an Honor Bee Hive girl.  I also received a Junior Girl pin for the best Honey Comb.

Timeline:
1936
1937 May, graduated from Primary, 12 years old, Margaret Little and Mary Jarvis were my Bee Hive teachers.  
1938  September, Thomas Starr King Jr High, Mary Virginia Russon was my Bee Keeper (When a girl has earned seven merit badges (which may not be one for each field) she is entitled to buy and wear the ring denoting her position as Keeper of the Bees, providing she earns or saves the money for it.  A Pin is also provided for Bee-Keepers - a small gold been which signifies the wearer's position.  Bee-hive girls may not wear this pin unless they are chosen Bee-Keepers or Assistants.
1939  May 4th, Beehive graduation at Stake House
          1.  Gave a talk
          2.  Received a ring and pin for being an Honor Bee Hive girl (Keeper's ring $2.00)
This is the highest honor in the Bee-Hive program.  The time spent on five honor badges to become a Worker Bee must total 50 house; thus the total of 100 hours must be spent on ten honor badges to become an Honor Bee.
          3.  Received a Junior Girl pin for best Honey Comb
1943 Mary Russon - Elaine's former Bee Keeper gives Elaine a bridal shower.

Beehive ring owned by J. Langlois

This Bee Ring was the highest honor a Bee Hive Girl could earn until the metal shortages of WWII, then a special felt award was introduced.

Bee Hive Girls continued to have various charms and pins to earn and wear for many years. In March of 1949 a charm bracelet was introduced, with 7 charms to earn, one for each field of study, plus one charm for Honor Bee.

 

Bee-Hive Girl Promise:

On my honor each day I will
Have Faith
Seek Knowledge
Safeguard Health
Honor Womanhood
Understand Beauty
Know Work
Love Truth
Taste the Sweetness of Service
Feel Joy

Best Honey Comb:
Dear Kent,

The Honey Comb was a book that young women would record their achievements as they worked in the Beehive organization. Are you familiar with the Personal Progress program currently implemented in Young Women? The young women have a series of goals which they strive to achieve within the eight values of faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, integrity, and virtue. A similar concept existed in the 1930s (actually began in 1915) and it was called the Beehive program. The young women developed talents and abilities in seven "fields": religion, home, health, domestic art, out-of-doors, business, and public service. At that time, they recorded their accomplishments in a Honey Comb book, which was similar to a scrapbook. Just as Personal Progress typically takes our girls today several years to complete, the same is the case then. There were three ranks that you would earn (1) Builder of the Hive, (2) Gatherer of honey, (3) Keeper of the Bees. The program typically took about three years to complete, if not more. If you have additional questions, please return my email to request more information. I will be out of town next week, but am happy to answer any other queries when I return. You absolutely have a treasure! 
Sincerely,

Brittany Chapman Nash
Church History Library

In 1913 the girls were all called Beehives. In 1950, the Beehive girls became the first two years of Young Women. The next age-group was called Mia Maids. At that time, the 16- to 18-year-olds were called Junior Gleaners. Activities included sports, speech contests, dance festivals, plays, and service projects.

1944 Bee Keepers Beehive manual:

 

Excerpt from the 1944 Bee Keepers Handbook

Honor Badges:

 

1n 1934 these changes were approved:

Membership: 12,13 and 14 year old girls

Ranks changed to: Builder in the Hive (age 12), Gatherer of Honey (13) and Guardian of the Treasure (14). Honor Bee Hive Girl was the highest honor a girl could earn.

1940 was the Silver Jubilee of the Bee-Hive Program, celebrating 25 years. Since the program officially began in 1913, it is curious that it was celebrated in the 27th year.

In 1950 the program changed to a 2-years program with 2 ranks; Gatherer (age 12) and Guardian (age 13). Girls who wished to could work on additional honors as Worker Bee and Honor Bee.

After 1951 the rank titles were dropped, and girls were simply first or second year Bee Hive Girls.

Uniform: Azure Blue Sash over a white blouse, dark blue skirt. This was modified later to allow white skirts, as long as all the girls of the group wore the same color skirt.

1933 Beehive manual:

 

Donna Lee Jeffries is is both photos:

Photo: Honor Bee Hive girls of 1939.  LtR 1. Elaine Scholl,  2. Betty Lou Jeffries, 3. Verula Wanless, 4. Donna Lee Jeffries, 5. Erleen Seaman, 6. Kathleen Seaman, 7. Edna Mae Callaway, (The eight person is absent.  Elaine is fourteen.

1940 census:

Mary Russon: marriage photo, July 15, 1944

 

John Russon: from FS

Long active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he has served as Bishop of the Hollywood Ward, President of the Los Angeles Stake, President of the Swiss Mission headquartered in Zurich. Upon his return to the U.S. he was called to be a member of the General Welfare Committee and subsequently served as a Regional Representative of the Quorum of the Twelve of Apostles for the Los Angeles, California and El Paso, Texas Regions.

He is survived by his loving wife Ethelyn "Lynn" Cardon Tanner, (affectionately known to her family as "Nani"); children: Ann (Ted) Everett, Marcia (Rick) Everett, Mary Ellen Barton, John Henry, Stephen Paul, Ronald Tanner, Karma Lynn Stockstill and Michael Tanner; 43 grandchildren and 37 great-grand-children. He was preceded in death by his beloved first wife, Mary Virginia Anderson, sons Jon Kimball, David Stanley, James Ray, Kevin Anderson, daughter Jane Elizabeth and sister Alta (Bruce) Ellis.