WRITTEN BY DANA BARBEE AND MELINA DE LA CRUZ
Did you know that on March 12th of 2023, the Girl Scouts organization turned 111 years old? Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, Girls Scouts has helped to inspire young girls to pursue leadership skills with ambition and confidence now for over a century. The organization was initially inspired by Juliette’s friend, Sir Robert Baden-Powell, who had founded the Boy Scouts earlier that year. Seeing the inspiring effect it had on the boys who joined scouting, Juliette decided that girls deserved a space like this as well. The first-ever Girl Scout troop only consisted of 18 girls yet made a huge difference. Today, Girl Scouts are most well-known for selling cookies. That being said, most people don’t know that this activity is pursued with the intention of teaching girls valuable life skills. Before the start of cookie season, troops decide where and how many cookies they want to sell. By setting goals, troops plan out trips they want to take, badges they want to earn, and organizations they wish to support. Along with learning to be financially responsible during cookie season, the girls also have the opportunity to earn certain awards based on leadership and service to their community. The various awards are called the Bronze Award, Silver Award, and Gold Award, which is the highest honor for a Girl Scout to earn. Girls also work towards earning badges to put on their uniforms. Earning these badges teaches them lifelong skills such as responsibility, friendship, and resourcefulness. Juliette Gordon Low (also commonly known by her nickname, Daisy) imagined a community where all girls could come together and embrace their unique strengths and passions. Girl Scouts today still follow the same values as the very first Girl Scout troop in 1912. Values like connecting with their communities, getting outdoors, challenging themselves, and finding ways to make the world a better place are all things that have lasted through the 111 years of girl scouting. Juliette Gordon Low’s ambition has and will continue to inspire generations of girls, giving them new levels of confidence and friendships to last their whole life. Comments are closed.
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AuthorDana Barbee Archives
May 2023
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