A long time ago I was a Brownie. For the most part I really enjoyed it, although I think it was mostly because we made crafts! At the time I had no idea that I was part of an organization so widespread and ingrained in the life of so many young girls in this country. Today there are 2.3 million girls involved and over 50 million American women participated in Girl Scouts in their youth.
The first Girl Scouts meeting was held on March 12, 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low. At that time, the group was known as American Girl Guides. The following year the group's name was changed to Girl Scouts.
Juliette, or Daisy to her family, was from a very prominent family in Savannah. After the death of her husband in 1905, Juliette returned to Georgia from England, where she had been living for several years. She was searching for something useful to do with her life when, at the end of 1911, she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boys Scouts and Girl Guides. This turned out to be exactly what she was looking for.
The Girl Scouts, led by Juliette's vision, aimed to help girls of all backgrounds and abilities find their calling in life. She wanted these young women to know more than just how to keep a house. She encouraged these girls to follow their interest in the arts, sciences or even business. The Girl Scouts also included girls with disabilities, when most other organizations kept them out. Juliette, who had many physical challenges of her own, never let them stop her from a full life and she wanted the same for other young girls.
So, while you are buying those Girl Scout Cookies from your neighbor or from the group selling cookies at your local grocery store, don't forget that your purchase is helping to support today's young women to become better people and better citizens.
For some additional reading, check out these titles:
Juliette Gordon Low: The Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts by Stacy A. Cordery
Juliette Low and the Girl Scouts : The Story of an American Woman, 1860-1927 edited by Anne Hyde Choate
Daisy and the Girl Scouts: the Story of Juliette Gordon Low by Fern G. Brown
Here Comes The Girl Scouts! by Shana Covey
And if you get a chance to visit Savannah make sure to stop by and visit the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace.
-- Post by Tracy
No comments:
Post a Comment