Were you a Girl Scout? Yeah, me too, along with millions of women all over the country. Monday, March 12 marks a special day for us as the Girl Scouts celebrate 100 years. In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization’s first 18 members in Savannah Georgia.
The Girl Scout Birthday will be commemorated with special events throughout the month of March and beyond. Six Flags will host all former and current Girl Scouts and their families & friends with a party March 12, including a chance to participate in a flash mob and a performance by singer/songwriter Sara Hickman. An “International Women in Aviation” conference will be offered to girls 10-17 March 10th, and Girl Scouts will receive discounts at the Museum of Nature and Science March 10-12. Studio Movie Grill will welcome Girl Scouts wearing uniforms in for free on March 15, and Dallas Heritage Village will host “Girl Scouting Across the Ages – A Ticket Through Time” March 31. Events with the Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers, Frisco Roughriders are also planned, and numerous “Days of Service” have been scheduled. The Girl Scouts will also host a centennial exhibit at the State Fair of Texas. You can see a complete list of events and view details here.
Former members are invited to visit the website and join the Alumnae Association, which will offer educational, service and mentoring opportunities. There’s no charge to register (though they’d be happy to receive your donation in support of programming for current Girl Scouts). You can also “like” them on Facebook and learn about their newest projects and badges, such as the Digital Movie Maker badge, the Web Designer badge and the Novelist badge.
The list of famous and high-achieving Girl Scouts is too long to list here, but every female Secretary of State was a member and 68% of U.S. Congresswomen were, too. Somewhere in Lake Highlands, perhaps selling cookies door-to-door right now, another such girl is dreaming big dreams. The Girl Scouts organization builds courage, character and confidence and is the largest pipeline for female leaders in the world. I’m proudly wearing my 100-year pin today.