CARYL

MCNEILL

WOMAN
A BRIEFHISTORYOF ^ANHMR.AOR.DIN^ARY
"A WOMAN BEFORE HT.R ITVIE" ' 'LffTLE BUT MIGHTY" I "A JEIyEL" ; 'TAIYESOME'
"'A WONDERflIL WOMAN' ; "A GREAT RESOURCE" ; "MY GIIIL SCOUTHERO"

Thesewords werc used by many friends to describe Caryl McNeill, the namesd(eof our senice unit
Eere is a brief history of the woman behind the name.

Caryl Mook McNeill was born on June 5, 1930 in New York City. Shewas the youngestof three
daughtersof Rnth and Cherles Moolc Both of her parcnts were well educated,with degreesin several ar€as
of science.Car-rl grtw up and attended schoolin Metuchen, NJ and lived in a big old houre surrounded by
many trreesand a large garden 0ften, Caryt could be found high in a tree, reading a favorite book
Mrs. Mook was active in church and comrnunity activitie$ including Girl Scouts.Caryl joined Brownie Girl
Scoutsand movedup to Intermediates (as the level was called then), and possibly into Senior Scouts.
Her high schooleducationwas internrpted by polio Paralf'zcd on her left sidc, Ceryl spentmany months in
a rehabilitation hospital and made an almost{omplete necovery.She attended Skidmore Collegein New
Yorlq majoring in nuning. As was conmon for the women of her time, she quit collegewithout completing
her nursing program to manT William McNeill in 1950.
Bill McNeill was a nese&rchchemist His work at the Franldord Arsensl brought the couple to
Philadelphia Caryl soonbecameactive in Philadelphia Girl Scoutsas an rssistant Brownie leader in the
Franldord sectionof the city.
Soonafter their first chilfl, $stsy, was bom in 1951, Caryl was diagnosedwith juvenile diabetes.
F'rom her nursing bec}ground, sheknew this wurld be a lifelong condition, but could control it with twice
daily injections of insrlin Caryl made up her min{ tq be as active as ever; no diseasewould hold her baclc
In 1955,shortly after their seven-weekold son,Johnnie, died withont neiilnn, the McNeiils movedto
Somerton Their white ctep- board home at 615 East Bybenl Road was coal heatedand srrrouded by a
double lot filled with trees, vegetablegardens and neighborhmd children Ceryl loved childrcn and tmk in
many foster chilflpn. One of them was a boy named Ch&deq who was adopted by Bilt and Caryl in 1959.A
seconddaugbtcr, Mrggre, bom in 1962,completedthe McNeitl fanily.
Caryl and a neigbbor, Doris Reese,begrn a Brownie Girl Scmt troop in 1957for their daq[ters
and the neighborhoodgirts They met at Somerton Methodist Church, but also had neny planning sessions,
meetingsand cenemoniesin the McNeill houseand backyard. As the girls got older, Caryl foraed nert level
trrops ( Intermediate Troop #130 and Senior Trup #3641,leading both of them for a time. Her troops were
very active in Council pnograms,service projects and advenbre trips Shetaught her scoutsabout
leadership, equality and community responsibility. She had a love for camping and being outdoorsin all
seanns. Caryl especiallyloved primitive camping, which r former scurt describ6fl 1s r'lnking to an open
area, with only a spigot of cold water. We pitched our tents, dug our latrines and learned to survive."
Camprngtrips were often week-long adventrrcs that included canoeing,hiking, mountsin climbing,
learaing to rccognize phnts and animals in nahrr€, and, of coune, singng. Ceryl had a talented voice and
usedit to teach many songsto her scoutg Caryl and her husbandoften volunteered as week+nd site
directors at Camp Laughing Waters. Bill was a nember of the Council'sCimping Committee and was one
of the dadswho helped to build the famous ilrrolh{r bridge- He was a devoted "honorary Girl Scout" who
often accompenid Caryl and her troops on mary adventures
Caryl McNeill taught her tmop memben to put their heart into the Girl Scout program" If a girt
was intenestedin something,Caryl encouragedher to go after it Shewas always therc to help make drcans
cornetme and provide every oppornrnity for her scoutsto rcach their goals Caryl was a verT private
person who stmggled with the efrectsof her illnggs, but she never let diabetesstop her. Shebelievedthe Girl
Scouterperience was vital to every grrl" She hdped other leaders vilft flaining and trmp planning. She
improved her own leadership abilities by taking many lraining sessionsherself and treasurcd her twoweek
counrcat the Edith Macy National Training Center in New York In 1967,Phileddphia Council presented
her with the William Pmn Awerd.
She remained active in scoutinguntil her condition worsened.Her last role was asAdvisor of Senior
Troop #36.1.The diseaseatrected many parts of her body; sheeventually lost her eyesight Shedied in Eoly
RedeemerHospital on November 20,1969. Sheis buried in the Williarn Penn Cemetery in Somerton She
was only 39 years old and left behind a wondertully srpponive husband, thr€c young children and hundreds
of Girl Scoutswho are better hr.mar beingsbecausetheir lives were touched by this extraordinary womarr.
The Caryl Mcltteill Service Unit was establishedin her honor in 1976.Becauseof her enthwiasm,
inspiration, and dedication, Eily women todey fondly rcmember Caryt McNeill rl & womrn who positively
influenced their lives and consider her their "Girl Scout hero."
 Corgl J4. ,fu\c9'leill
"A wonderfulwoman", "little but mighty", "a jeweltt,"a driven person",
"awesome!", "an incredibleresource", "my Girl Scout hero"

These words were used by many friends to describe Caryl McNeill, the namesakeof our service unit.
Here is the life historv of the woman behind the name.

Caryl Mook McNeill was born on June 5, 1930 in New York City. Shewas the youngestof
three daughters of Ruth Raeder and Charles Craig Mook. Her parents were bolh very intellectual
people, each having earned severalcollegedegreesin the various sciences.Mr. l\iook was a noted
paleontologistand Mrs. Mook studied geology.She was very active in her community and church, as
well as in Scouting,serving on the Metuchen Girl Scout Council. This gave CarTl her role model for
her own active life. Caryl grew up in Metuc hen,New Jersey in an early American house(built in 1735
and restored, room by room, by her parents). It sat on two acres of land, surrounded by many trees
and Mr. Mook's favorite vegetablegarden. She loved to read and, as a child, could often be found
sitting high in a tree, reading one of her favorite books.
Caryl joined Girl Scoutsas a Brownie and moved up the levelsto Intermediates (as they were
called in the early days),and possiblyinto Senior Scouts.She attended grade and high schoolin
Metuchen and was an excellentstudent.Her high school educationwas interrupted by a bout with
polio, paralyzing her left side. She spent severalmonths in a rehabilitation centerand made a great
recovery. The only lasting effect was a slight loss of muscle tone in her left hand that was often
undetectedby others.She was a petite woman with dark black hair, but friends rememberher
beautiful smile and hearty laugh. "A kind and gentle spirit, she had a quiet manner about her."
Caryt attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, majoring in nursing. As was
common for the women of her tirne,she quit collegewithout completingher nursing program to
marry William McNeill in 1950,whom she had met on a blind date.
Bill McNeill was attending Colgate College,studying chemistry. After graduating, he got a job
as a researchchemistat the Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia.They moved here and lived in the
Frankford sectionof the city. Caryl soon becameinvolved in the Philadelphiascoutingprogram as an
assistant Brownie leader at St. James Lutheran Church, where the McNeills belonged. Their first
chitd, Betsy, was born in October of 1951.It was soon after this that Caral, at age 22, warsdiagnosed
with juvenile diabetes.From her nursing background, Caryl knew this would be a life'long condition,
but it was controlled by twice-a-dayinjectionsof insulin. She made up her mind to get over her
disappoiritment,get on with her life, enjoy it and be as active as ever.
After their son Johnnie (born in October, 1954)died suddenly at 7 weeksof age (probably
from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome),the McNeills moved to the Somertonsectionof northeast
Philadelphia in 1955. Their white clap- board housewith black shutters at 615 East ByberrA Road
was heated by coal.At that time, it was the third house eastof BustletonAvenue on the north side of
Byberra Road. Like her childhood home, this housewas also surrounded by treesand large vegetable
gardensthat Bill and Caryl lovingly tended.Many young families were moving to this rural
neighborhoodand the McNeills befriendedrnany of them. Often, neighborhoodchildren gathered in
the McNeill's backyard to hear Bilt read storiesaround a campfire, swing on their swing set or play in
the big pile of sand that Bill had deliveredevery Spring.
Cai,yl loved children very much and decidedto take in foster children. One of them was a boy named
Charles,who was arloptedby Caral and Bill in 1959.A seconddaughter, Maggie (born in August of
1962)completedthe McNeill family. Caryl and Bill often enjoyed penny poker gameson Friday nights
with Dr. Ted and Nancy Offner, closeneighborhoodfriends. Nancy remembersthe beautiful needle
work Caryl did. She was also active in the Junior Women's Club of Somerton.Bill and Caryl were
membersof the Gloria Dei Church in l{untington Valley and sang in the church choir.

In 1957,Caryl and her neighbor,Doris Reesestarted a Brownie troop with their daughters
and many neighborhoodgirls. The Junior Women's League of Somertoil were their sponsorand
meetingswere held at the SomertonMethodist church. Ilowever, many meetings,ceremoniesand
planning sessionswere held in the McNeill's kitchen or backyard and, especiallyas Caryl's disease
worsened,at the lVl:illoy home next door.
As their daughtersgot older, Caryl and Doris formed new troops for the next Scoutinglevels,
(IntermediateScoutsand Senior Scouts)but Caryl often helped out with her former troop as well as
leading the new one. It was said that Caral's greatestwork in scoutingwas openingup new troops in
Bustleton/Somerton to provide many adventures to the girls in that area. Caryl's troops were verlr
active in the PhiladelphiaCouncil Girl Scout program; they earned many badges,did numerous
serviceprojects and had great adventures.She took her girls canoeing,hiking, mountain climbing,
and sight-seeing.She loved to sing and could read rnusicwell. She shared her accuratepitch and
clear, talentedvoice with her scouts,teachingthem many songs.One former scout rememberssinging
all the time with Mrs. McNeill - at meetings,at camp, in the car going somewhere.Someof her
favorite songs,rememberedby her husband and former scouts,were "The Ash Grove", "This Land
Is Your Land", "\4then e'er You Make A Promise", "Our Chalet", and "Put a WatermelonUpon
Your Chest". She loved songsabout nature and the traditional Girl Scout songs,especiallyrounds.
Caryl taught her scoutsthe Indian stick game "Lemmi Sticks" and the chant that went with it. This
was a cooperative and fun ,but noisy, activity frequently enjoyed by the girls. Everything she did was
girl-oriented; she was totally devotedto her scouts.She was also very "by the book" and committed
to the Girl Scout program ans laid out by council.Her girls wore full uniforms to their meetingsand
events.As Carol Cruickshank, another former scout,stated, "Caryl believedthe Girl Scout
experiencewas vital to the girls to get a feel for their community and be in touch with suburbia
(camping and outdoor life). Shewas an incredible resource!"

Caryl's greatest love was camping and being out-of doors, with her family and with her scouts.
Bill was very devoted to and supportive of Caryl and her work in Girl Scouting. He was affectionately
called "Mr. Girl Scout". Severalcamping trips to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, somelasting
a week or more, were fondly rememberedby Mr. lVlcNeilland former scouts.Caryl's troops camped
in all seasons- eyen in the winter. Caryl's favorite was primitive camping , especiallyat the Conestoga
site of Camp Laughing Waters. One of her former scoutsdescribedthe experience:"We took to the
open area-with only a spigot of cold water. We pitched our tents, dug our latrines and learnedto
surrive". Caryl and Bill were both very active at Camp Laughing Waters, often servingas volunteer
site-directorson week-ends.Caryl often lrroughth few Senior Scoutswith her to give them the
learning experienceof site directing. Bill was part of the Camp PropertiesCommitteeand servedon
the PhiladelphiaGirl Scout Council Camping Committee. He lvas one of the dads who helpedbuild
the famous "D0 DAD" bridge and often volunteeredto build and/or restorecamp facilities.With
their troops, Caryl and Bill often did servicework at CLW - painting, restoring,repairing,
decorating.It is said that the PennsylvaniaDutch stencilingaround the fireplacein the
Administration building was done by one of Caryl's troops. Bill renrembersmaking 90 wooden
cubbiesin one weekendfor usein the cabins . Maybe someof them are still there !?!
The old boat dock at CLW (no longer in existence)was a favorite gathering placefor the McNeill
family hnd troops. Bill recalleda specialtime when a troop of blind scoutsfrom the Overbrook
SchoolcAmedown to the dock for their boating time. Caryl, Bill and severalSeniorScoutseachtook
three blind scoutsinto a boat and rowed down thc creek, "showing" them by touch the different
foliagealong the banks. "They were excitedto be able to recognizehemlock treesand back on shore
they thought it was great to touch the patchy bark on the sycamores."The Overbrook scoutsthen
invited Caryl and her group to their baseballgame, played with a beach ball with bellsinside.At
night, Caryl taught all the girls many songsaround the campfire.
From the many camping trips Caryl's troops experienced,one former scout(Evelyn
Zebrowski McClave) says,"We becameexpertsat lashing tables,putting storm lineson tents,
assemblingchuck boxes,baking cakesover the campfireswith reflector oveps,waterproofingmatches,
and digging latrines,when we weren't "luxury" camping in one of the cabins....We carried snakebite
kits and knew how to use them, even though we never had to." Caryl often brought her entire family
with her on their camping expeditions.It was not unusual to have cribs coveredwith netting at the
camp site and baby bottlesand bottlesof insulin kept cool in a near-by stream.

Caryl was totally dedicatedto the Girl Scout program and took many training sessionsto
improve her abilities as a leader.She treasured her trvo-weekcourseat the Edith Macy National
Training Center in New York This coursewas, most likely, one that dealt with primitive camping.
During the 1960's,Macy was used as a training center wltere many troop leaderscould sharpentheir
skills and learn about a variety of topics related to Girl Scouting. Caryl received a small pin, shaped
like an Aladdin's lamp, from this trnining sessionthat she kept as n cherishedmemento.She also
helped other leaders and Senior Scouts with troop planning and management,with camping,andsite
directing. She was awarded the William Penn Alvard in L967for her many servicesto the scriuting
program.
Caryl McNeitl had a deeplove for and conrmitmerrtto her girls and individualizedeachgirl'sr,1
program. If a girl was interestedin something,Caqyl taught them to go after it. Shewas alwaysthere
to help make dreamscome true and provide every opportunity for her scoutsto reachtheir goals.
Even though her illnesswas always with her and often took her strength iwtlr Caryl never let it stop
her, she kept pushing onward for her girls. She was a very private personand neverlet her young
scoutsknow shewas sick. (Shewas not as secretivewith her Senior scouts;many of them were aware
of Caral's illness.)Beth McCauley Haarlander recalleda r;pecialadventure : "(Caryl) could seethat I
had a very strong interest in canoeingand hooked up with the Appalachian iVlountainClu! to
provide many canoeingexperiencesfor me. One Saturday, ...the lVlcNeills(drove)just Janice and I to
Delaware to canoe on the Brandywine River... It was one of my greatest adventures,white water at its
finest with class4 and 5 rapids. At the end, Caryl and Bill were there to dry us off and take us home."
She always treated eachgirl fairly and would not lllow any discrimination from anyoneinvolved in
her troops. Evelyn Zebrowski McClave stated, "Before th,aCivil Rights movement gathered force and
long befori the Women's Movement, Caryl modeledthe idealsof racial and genderequality,so that
thoseof us in her troop identified such principleswith scouting...Caryl reinforcedthe valuesI was
learning at home. From her and my parents I learne{ that discrimination is intolerable,women can
do anything, a diseaseneed not be the central focus of one'slife, and one pensoncan make a r'l

difference.Caryl McNeill embodiedthe idealsof scouting."

One tif Caryl's specialqualitiesas a leader,which she unknowingly passedon to many of her
scouts,was teachingher girls "to put their heart into the Girl Scout Program". Becauseof this
quality, one of her scouts,who shared many memoriesof this wonderful woman, has ,t
remained in scoutingfor almost40 years.Her name is Beth McCauley Haarlander, now involved in t,,

Girls Scoutsof New Hampshire.

l
it .'
Beth states,"Caryl gave me the keys to developingan extraordinary working relationshipbetweena
leadei and a troop of girl scouts- involve the girls, plan with and for them only." Beth recalledthat
after she and two other Senior Scouts attended Caryl's funeral, drcsr;edin their full Girl Scout
uniform, they were dropped offat their high schoolto finish their da.r.Beth felt that if they could
make it through the day, dealingwith the teasingfrom other studentr;,they could do anything. Beth
summarized,"Even in death, Caryl helped us to be stronger and starrdup for what we believein
above all odds. After that day, I felt as though I could do anything; rnd f was never afraid to let
anyone know that I was, aboveall, a Girl Scout." There are many women today who fondly
remember Caryl McNeill as a very important person in their lives,someonewhoseextremelypositive
influencewent far beyond troop meetingsand Girl Scout days.

In his remembrancesof his wife's scoutingdays, Bill McNeill JroignantlycapsulizedCaryl's

essenceas a Girl Scout leader." I think that Caryl's enjoymentsand successas a leaderwere rooted
in a very deep commitment to the idealsof scouting,rnd an ability to communicatethis to girls who
were at an impressionableand idealisticstagein their lives. She didn't lecture them, but got the idea
acrossin other ways. On hikes,it wasn't enoughthat you didn't litter', but if you saw something
someoneelsedropped, it was your job to pick it up and disposeof it Jrroperly...It was up to you to use
your head to find ways to be helpful. It ryasn't drudgery, the idea thitt scoutingwas fun was always
there. But as the girls moved through the program, many of them progressedfrom the fun of
playing gamesto a deeperenjoymentand personalpride in service,companionshipand an
appreciation of nature." Caryl's last role in scoutingwas as the lelder/advisor of Senior Troop 364.

Her last big camping trip was in the Spring of 1968when she took her Senior Girl Scoutsto
Mt. Chocorua in New Hampshire. Accompanying her were her husband Bill, and Eflie and Gardner
Dean, who also loved mountain hiking. (Effie was a friend in Scoutingwho remainedactive in the
Philadelphia council for many years).They camped at the baseof the mountain and climbed to the . .
'
top the next morning. Along the way, Caryl grew very tired and barely made it back down. Upon
returning home, Caryl's problemsfrom her diabetesgrew worse.She neededto be hospitalizedmany
times. Her eyesightsteadilydeteriorateduntil she was nearly blind, b:rrelyable to even distinguish
between light and dark. The diseaseaffected many parts of her body :rnd finally, in Holy Redeemer
Hospital on November20, 1969,Caryl lVlcNeilldied. She was only 39 years old. She left behind a
wonderfully supportive husband,three young children and hundreds of Girl Scoutswho were better
peoplebecausetheir lives were touched by this extraordinary worn:ln.She is buried in William Penn
cemeteryin Somerton.Her gravesite, in Section9, is not far from the houseon Byberly Road ( now
occupiedby the law officesof Ratner & Richter) where so much of her influenceoccurred.

Befdre her death, Caryl askedBeth McCauley, the presidentof her Senior scouts,to promise
to keep the troop together,no matter what. Even though Beth was only 17 at the time and too young
to becomea troop leader herself,she kept her promise to Caryl. She recruited one of her high school
teachersas the troop's leaderfor the next year. DeSpitesomeoppositionand with total girt-planning ,
Beth and another Senior scout,Janice Cheney,kept the troop active.When sheturned 18, Beth
becamethe leader and remainedthe advisor of Senior Troop 364 until 1981,when she moved to
New Hampshire.
When the Girl Scoutsof Greater Phil:rdelphiaCouncil was re-organizingits troops in 1976,a
new serviceunit was to be establishedin the Bustleton/Somertonare:I.Beth was :r sectionchairperson
for the council and suggestedthat the new unit be named after her former leaderand friend, her
"Girl Scout hero". Her suggestionwas acceptedand the Carol McNeil ServiceUnit was established.
 . It wasnrt until extensiveresearchwas done for this patch program, in the summer of 1997,by
JeanneBenkert (current leaderof Junior Troop 658 and co-managerof the serviceunit) and Janice
Murset (current leader of SeniorTroop 364 and serviceunit treasurer),that the corrcct spellingof her
name -Carvl NlcNeill - was discovered.lVloreimportantly, the dedication,Ieadership,influenceand
charisma of this renrarkablewoman was re-discoveredby and for the Girl Scouts(young and not-so-
young) of our serice unit and council.As she positivelyinfluencedso many girls during her lifetime,
Caryl McNeill's story of commitment,courageand the true Girl Scout spirit will, hollefully, continue
'" '':.".'.'.'::._:...::...:.....:.:._.:_::.::..::.....,,*,.**,,************,,,,**,,

This has been a project of love.Since 1989,I have been involved with Girl Scoutingrvith my two
daughters,being membersof the CarTl McNeill ServiceUnit. At first, the name didn't mean much to
me. I askeda few times , but not many others knew who this personwas. As my involvement
progressedfrom involved parent to assistantleader to troop leader and co-managerof thc seruice
unit, the questions"Who was Carol McNeil ? and Why is our serice unit named after her?" burned
stronger.I wanted the scoutsofour area to learn about her, too. I decidedto createa patch program
for our serviceunit. Finally, in the summer of 1997,I took it upon myself to begin rescarchingthis
person.With the help of JaniceMurset, we began our search. Asking anyoneand everyoneinvolved
in scouting,our contactswidened,until I hit the jackpot ! I locatedand contactedCaryl's husband,
Bill McNeill and he respondedwith information and pictures beyond my greatesthopes. At last,
CarTl McNeill rilasnrore than just a name. By talking to friends of Caral's and reading their written
memoriesof her, I got to know her, too. f am eternally grateful for that and only wish I could have
met and befriendedCaryl while shewas alive. I believeshewould still be involvedin the scouting
pfogram today and contribute much to its success.
Many peoplehelped createthis story. Their memoriesand tributes were collectedand
compiled by me, but this is truly a loving tribute BY THEM, for us. Specialthanks are given to
Bill lVlcNeill, Beth McCauley Haarlander, Nancy Offner, Bill Malloy, Jr., Louisa Malloy, Evelyn
Zebrowski McClave, Ed Zebrowski,JeannieMurphy, Carol Cruinshank, Doris Reese,Trudy
Murphy, Janice CheneyQuinn, and Sally Barber.
Their fond rernembranceshelpedCarAl come alive for thoseof us who did not have the privilege to
know this wonderful woman.It has been my pleasureto bring this program to all of you.

Our Caryl McNeill ServiceUnit Patch program was approved by the Girl $couts of
SoutheasternPennsylvania Council (Peg Szczurek and Cathy Malkemes) in February, 1998. The
patch itself was designedin Novemberof 1997by Nicole Vito, a Cadet Girl Scout in Troop 535. Her
original design,anonymoulyselectedby the leadersof the Caryl McNeill ServiceUnit from entries
submitted by many scouts,neededto be slightly changedto be in accordancewith the National Girl
Scout'slicensingrequirements.Carolyn Kushner and RoseIloezel were alsohelpful in bringing this
'
patch program to reality. *
The program and patch were ofTiciallyprescntedon June 5, 1998at a special"Caryl McNeill Day"
celebration,held at llustleton NlethodistChurch for all troops of the Caryl McNeill ServiceUnit,
council staff and friends of the NlcNeill family.

'(/+*"+.-
r.,- /L--e^7,
i

v
fu"^^:- /4"or('-,t
u ,3//s