Girl Scouts

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Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low assembled 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, on March 12, 1912, for a local Girl Scout meeting. She believed that all girls should be given the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. With the goal of bringing girls out of isolated home environments and into community service and the open air, Girl Scouts hiked, played basketball, went on camping trips, learned how to tell time by the stars, and studied first aid.

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Girl Scouts

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Within a few years, Daisy's dream for a girl-centered organization was realized. Today, Girl Scouts of the USA has a membership of over 3.2 million girls and adults, a significant growth from its modest beginnings nearly a century ago. In fact, more than 59 million women in the U.S. today are Girl Scout alumnae. We invite you to learn about our robust organization and its rich history. From our willingness to tackle important societal issues, to our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness—Girl Scouts is dedicated to every girl, everywhere.

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1912-1919
•On June 10, 1915 the organization was incorporated as Girl Scouts, Inc. under the laws of the District of Columbia•During World War I, girls learned about food production and conservation, sold war bonds, worked in hospitals, and collected peach pits for use in gas mask filters.•After the war came The Golden Eaglet, a feature film about Girl Scouting shown in theaters across the country, and The Rally (later called The American Girl), a monthly magazine for girls published by Girl Scouts.•A troop for physically challenged Girl Scouts was established.•Girls could earn more than 25 badges, including Child Nurse.

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1920s
•The first Girl Scout Troops on Foreign Soil (TOFS) were established in China, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Syria for American girls living in other countries.•The first Native American Girl Scout troop was formed with girls of the Onondaga Nation in central New York State, and a troop of Mexican American girls was formed in Houston, Texas.•Field News, originally a supplement to The American Girl, becomes Girl Scout Leader (later called LEADER) and is distributed as a separate publication.•New Girl Scout badges included Economist and Interpreter, and revisions already were being made to the Journalist and Motorist badges.•Girls in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania formed a Girl Scout Radio Troop, in collaboration with pioneering radio station KDKA.•By the end of the decade, there were more than 200,000 Girl Scouts.

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1930s
•Girl Scouts led community relief efforts during the Great Depression by collecting clothing, making quilts, carving wood toys, gathering food for the poor, assisting in hospitals, participating in food drives and canning programs, and providing meals to undernourished children.•Girl Scout resources were transcribed into Braille, and the Helen Keller Scholarship was established for training leaders who work with blind girls.

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1940s
•During the war, Girl Scouts operated bicycle courier services, invested more than 48,000 hours in Farm Aide projects, collected fat and scrap metal, and grew Victory Gardens.•A publication, Senior Girl Scouting in Wartime, was created to encourage older girls to perform war-related service projects, like Hospital, Child Care, and Emergency Outdoor Aide.•Girl Scouts sponsored Defense Institutes, which taught 10,000 women survival skills and techniques for comforting children during blackouts and air raids.•Girls collected 1.5 million articles of clothing that were then shipped overseas to children and adult victims of war.

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1950s
•Girl Scouts of the USA was re-incorporated in 1950 under a Congressional Charter.•The March 1952 issue of Ebony magazine reported: "Girl Scouts in the South are making steady progress toward breaking down racial taboos."•Bought in 1953 and later restored, the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia, was opened as a house museum and national program center for girls in October 1956.•In November 1957, Girl Scouts of the USA moved its national headquarters to 830 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y., staying there until July 1992.

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1960s
•The social unrest of the 1960s was reflected in organization actions and Girl Scout program change, including introduction in 1963 of four program age–levels for girls: Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior Girl Scouts.•The National Board went on record as strongly supporting civil rights. Senior Girl Scout Speakout conferences were held around the country and the "ACTION 70" project was launched in 1969, both as nationwide Girl Scout initiatives to overcome prejudice.•The Piper Project, headed by actress and Girl Scout troop leader Debbie Reynolds, was launched to retain girls so they could benefit from the program for each age–level, as well as to recruit Girl Scouts in populations that were under-served.•The Senior Girl Scout Handbook was translated into Spanish, and the Brownie Girl Scout Handbook was translated into Japanese.

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1970s
•Girl Scout members elected the first African American National Girl Scout President, Gloria D. Scott, in 1975. •Girl Scouts helped Vietnamese refugee children adapt to their new homes.•Girl Scouts contributed to a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health.

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1980s
•Girl Scouts immersed themselves in a Global Understanding project on five topics: health care, hunger, literacy, natural resources, and cultural heritage.

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1990s
•Girl Scouts received federal funding for P.A.V.E. The Way (Project Anti-Violence Education).•Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, the first and only mother-daughter prison visitation program, was formed.•The first Asian American National Girl Scout President, Connie Matsui, was elected.•Nearly four million Girl Scouts, girls and adult leaders, tackled illiteracy alongside First Lady Barbara Bush in the Right to Read service project.Girl Scouts inaugurated a health and fitness national service project, Be Your Best, to promote different ways of being healthy, keeping fit, and eating right.

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2000s
•Girl Scouts took to the World Wide Web via the organization's Web site (www.girlscouts.org), local Girl Scout council Web sites, and online troop meetings.•New badges include Global Awareness, Adventure Sports, Stress Less, and Environmental Health.•Girl Scouts responded to the September 11 attack on America by performing community services, hosting remembrance ceremonies, and writing thank-you letters to rescuers.•Encouraged by President George W. Bush, Girl Scouts donated a personal gift of $1 each to help support the children of Afghanistan.

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