Girl Scouts of America

Most famous for their fundraising cookie sales, the Girl Scouts of America counts 50 million American women as alumnae and boasts a current membership of 2.7 million girls. Nearly 1 million women volunteer as leaders and mentors within the organization. Troop Capitol Hill is an honorary Scout troop comprised of members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate who are former members. Important leaders of this group include Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Barbara Mikulski.

The history of the Girl Scouts mirrors the social, economic, and political progress women have made in America since the beginning of the twentieth century. Inspired by the founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low (1860–1927) organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia. In 1915, the organization was formally incorporated. As early as the 1920s, members could earn badges in areas such as Economist and Motorist. Also during this time, troops for Native Americans and Mexican Americans were founded.

The 1930s saw the division of the group into three age divisions: the now widely recognized Brownie group as well as Intermediate and Senior ranks. Also [Page 372]during this time, the first cookie sales took place. During World War II, Girl Scouts volunteered to assist with war efforts on the home front. During the 1950s, the Scouts continued to grow in membership and formed racially integrated troops.

In the 1960s, the Girl Scouts advocated civil rights and passed resolutions banning discrimination. In the 1970s, feminist leader Betty Friedan served on the Girl Scouts' national board of directors, and in 1975, Dr. Gloria Randall Scott became the Girl Scouts' first African American president. The 1980s saw the introduction of the Daisy Scout age rank, which serves girls of kindergarten age. Moving into the present, such badges as Global Awareness, Adventure Sports, Stress Less, and Environmental Health were established to reflect current concerns.

In 2000, the Girl Scouts Research Institute was formed with the goal of producing research and programs focusing on the developmental and social needs of girls. The Girl Scouts have avoided the controversies regarding sexual orientation of its members and leaders that plagued the Boy Scouts organization.