I have been reading a thought-provoking book entitled Finding Betty Crocker, the Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food, by Susan Marks. Of course, Betty Crocker started off as a ficticious homemaker hocking Gold Medal Flour for the Washburn Crosby Company. Despite this foible, I have found it fascinating how a corporate spokesperson could improve the lives of so many women for so many decades. Enough about that, though. There was something in the book that I found fascinating. In 1944, when we were in the midst of World War II, "Betty" put together an "American Home Legion Program." It was free to join, and fellow legioneers received Betty's "Homemakers Creed."
" Homemakers Creed
Of the Home Legion
I believe
homemaking is a noble and challenging career.
I believe
homemaking is an art requiring many different skils.
I believe
homemaking requires the best of my efforts, my abilities, and my thinking.
I believe
home reflects the spirit of a homemaker.
I believe
home should be a place of peace, joy and contentment.
I believe
no task is too humble that contributes to the cleanliness, the order, the health, the well being of the household.
I believe
a homemaker must be true to the highest ideals of love, loyalty, service and religion.
I believe
home must be an influence for good in the neighborhood, the community, the country.
This is to verify that _______ is a member of the Home Legion dedicated to Good Homemaking for a Better World.
General Mills, Inc. Betty Crocker "
In an interview for Twin Cities magazine after Margaret Child Husted (the woman behind Betty Crocker) retired, she stated,
"It is very interesting to me to look back now and realize how concerned I was about the welfare of women as homemakers and their feelings of self-respect. Women needed a champion. Here were millions of them staying at home alone, doing a job with children, cooking, cleaning on minimal budgets - the whole depressing mess of it. They needed someone to remind them that they had value."
How very intriguing.
I am not of the opinion that one must be a stay at home mom to be a homemaker, nor do I believe that the role is reserved for women only. There are people of every walk of life making their homes places of refuge and love. I believe that this applies to the single working woman, the widower, the young mother, the couples and on and on. What a wonderful world it would be if we would focus our efforts on creating an uplifting home atmosphere. So, corporate though you are, I say to the Betty Crocker of yesteryear, more power to you!
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4 comments:
Hi! I'm Susan, the author. Thanks for posting about my book. (My google alert let me know about your blog.) It's interesting to note that the Homemakers Creed doesn't have gender specific language. Perhaps it because "homemaker" implies woman. Or maybe it was intentional? Curious.
Marjorie Child Husted was an amazing woman, completely under appreciated in her time. And very unBetty!
Susan
That is great! Thanks for sharing. Homemaking is really important but seems to be undervalued these days.
I love this! I'm trying to figure out how best to display it in my house. It really goes along with what they discussed in the worldwide broadcast last week, the difference between homemaking and housekeeping.
Wow, you got a comment from the author! How cool!!
I totally love the creed. I feel a kinship to good ole' Betty here in Indiana - being a homemaker really isn't trendy, and I always hope that someone else can see that I really do love it, so that they will have the guts to be a homemaker, too, if that's her secret wish.
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