The Girl Scout Pledge – “Be Ready To Help Out Wherever They Are Needed.”

Girl Scouting in the United States of America began on this day, March 12, 1912, when Juliette Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout troop meeting.  At this first troop meeting in Savannah, Georgia, 18 girls were present.

• 1910 – Robert Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes launched the Girl Guides in the United Kingdom, creating the first organized scouting program specifically for girls and inspiring similar groups worldwide.
• 1910s – In the 1910s, Girl Scouts could earn a “Telegrapher” badge. This badge required girls to learn Morse code and operate telegraph equipment, reflecting the technological skills valued at the time.
• 1912 – Juliette Gordon Low holds the first U.S. meeting for girls in Savannah, Georgia, organizing 18 Girl Guides and planting the seed for what becomes Girl Scouts of the USA.
  • The organization’s original name was the Girl Guides of America
• 1913 – Within a year of its founding, the American organization adopts the name Girl Scouts, publishes its first handbook “How Girls Can Help Their Country,” and opens a national headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• 1914 – During World War I, Girl Scouts contributed by growing and harvesting their own food, canning perishable goods, and assisting the Red Cross. They made surgical dressings, knitted clothing for soldiers, and created scrapbooks for wounded servicemen.
• 1917 – The Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, bakes and sells cookies in a high school cafeteria to fund troop activities, launching what will become an iconic entrepreneurship program for girls.
• 1920 – By 1920 there were close to 70,000 members
• 1920s – Girl Scouts could earn a “Telegrapher” badge. This badge required girls to learn Morse code and operate telegraph equipment, reflecting the technological skills valued at the time.
• 1922 –  A sugar cookie recipe was published in The American Girl magazine as a suggested recipe for Girl Scouts to make.
• 1930 – By 1930 there were over 200,000 members
• 1930s – During the Great Depression, the Girl Scouts participated actively in relief efforts and helping those in need.
• 1936 – The first national cookie program and the licensing of Girl Scout cookies began in 1936 with the Trefoil shaped shortbread cookie
• 1940s – Girl Scouts launched conservation programs, planting trees, cleaning parks, and educating communities about nature. These efforts instilled environmental stewardship values that continue in today’s programs.
• 1950 – The U.S. Congress grants a federal charter to Girl Scouts of the USA, formally recognizing the organization’s role in developing girls’ citizenship, character, and leadership on a national scale.
• 1951 – The Chocolate Mint (or the Thin Mint) debuted in 1951.
• 1970s – The Girl Scouts elected Gloria D. Scott as the first African American president of the board.
• 1990s – As computers become more popular and incorporated into daily life, the ‘Technology’ badge is introduced for Girl Scout Juniors.
• 2005 – By 2005 there were over 3.7 million members
• The Girl Scout mission is to “[build] girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”
• Their pledge to “be ready to help out wherever they are needed.”
• The Trefoil, a three-leafed emblem, represents the three parts of the Girl Scout Promise: serving God and country, helping others, and living by the Girl Scout Law. It symbolizes the organization’s core values and unity.
• When you join the Girl Scouts, you learn a variety of skills that can only be experienced by doing.
• It has been estimated that, since its inception, 50 million girls and women have been members of the organization
• The Girl Scout slogan is, “Do a Good Turn Daily.”
• The Girl Scout handshake involves shaking hands with the left hand while making the Girl Scout sign with the right. The left hand is closer to the heart, symbolizing friendship. This tradition connects Girl Scouts across generations and cultures.
• Several former Girl Scouts became astronauts, including Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
• These amazing women, who are Girl Scout alumnae, include Taylor Swift, Hilary Clinton, Venus and Serena Williams, mother-daughter actresses Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher and more!
• SWAPS stands for Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere. SWAPs are a Girl Scout favorite, with troops all across the country making and exchanging them as they make new friends.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

National Today

Days of the Year