After 100 Years, Girl Scouting Continues to Grow

"Come right over! I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!" -- Juliette Gordon Low, phoning her cousin Nina Anderson Pape in 1912

Girl Scouting teaches empowerment and encourages young women to be all that they can be. Some of our nation’s brightest stars are former Girl Scouts. Thanks to the vision of one incredible woman, 100 years ago, local Girls Scouts are experiencing opportunities that will help them reach their fullest potential.

On March 12, 1912, Girl Scouts founder Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low brought together 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, for the first ever Girl Scout meeting.  Believing that physical, mental and spiritual growth are very important, Low opened her door to all girls, regardless of their socioeconomic statuses. Her goal was to bring girls out of isolated home environments and introduce them to community service and the great outdoors. Over the years, she taught girls how to play sports, take long hikes, camp in tents, tell time by the stars and even how to save lives. In the process, she helped create some of America’s finest women leaders.

Juliette Gordon Low’s vision is alive and flourishing today. Girl Scouts of the United States of America now has more than 3.2 million girl and adult members. The organization's growth from the initial 18 girls a century ago is amazing. Right here in Saucon Valley, there are more than 250 girl and adult members.  Membership is open to all girls in the attending kindergarten through 12th grade. Adult membership is open to anyone over 18 years of age. Adult membership is open to both men and women, and adults do not need to have a daughter in scouts. Some of our volunteers have boys, some volunteers have grown children and some volunteers have no children at all!

The 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting begins on Oct. 1, 2011 and will last through Sept. 30, 2012. To celebrate the achievements of Girl Scouting over the past 100 years, and to encourage growth over the next century, the Saucon Valley Girl Scout Service Unit will kick off the year that--in the words of Juliette Gordon Low--will “blossom with green leaves and life” (from A Tree for the Future, a poem by Low).

Thanks to the , ‘Landscapes by Us’ of Bethlehem, and monetary donations from the community, the garden will be located in for the entire community to enjoy. Design and planting will begin later this month. In October, to kick off the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting, a ribbon cutting ceremony for the garden is being planned.

Please become a part of our celebration and our future by sponsoring a perennial flower in our garden. By sponsoring a flower, you will become a part of Girl Scout history in the Saucon Valley and that of all Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Your $5 donation will ensure that local scouts continue to grow and blossom today and in the future. For flower sponsorship information, please contact Carrie Garippa at 610-392-0845 or Cindy Hallock at 610-838-2622.

Some famous Girl Scouts alumni:

Madeleine Albright—Former U.S. Secretary of State

Lucille Ball—Actress

Candace Bergen—Actress

Bonnie Blair—1994 Olympics Gold Medal Speed Skater

Laura Bush—Wife of President George W. Bush (43rd U.S. President)

Mariah Carey—Singer

Linda Chavez-Thomson—Executive Vice President, AFL-CIO

Hilary Rodham Clinton—U.S. Senator/U.S. Secretary of State

Eileen Collins, Lt. Col.—Astronaut, First Woman Space Shuttle Commander

Katie Couric—Anchorwoman, CBS News

Sheryl Crow—Singer/Songwriter

Jan Davis—Astronaut

Elizabeth Dole—Former President, American Red Cross

Rita Dove—1993 U.S. Poet Laureate

Ricki Tigert Heifer—Former Chair, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Dakota Fanning—Actress

Mary Hatwood Futrell—Former President, National Education Association

Mae Jemison—Astronaut

Dr. Tamara Jernigan—Astronaut

Karen Katen—Vice President, Pfizer

Ann Landers—Advice Columnist

Patricia McGuire—President, Trinity College

Erin Moriarty—TV Reporter, CBS “48 Hours”

Sandra Day O'Connor—Associate Justice, US Supreme Court

Jane Pauley—TV Reporter

Nancy Reagan—Wife of Ronald Reagan (40th U.S. President)

Janet Reno—former U.S. Attorney General

Condoleezza Rice—Former U.S. Secretary of State

Elizabeth Watson—Houston Police Chief

Myrna Williamson, Gen. (Ret.)—Retired Army General