All Around The Circle: Happy 103rd Birthday Girl Scouts of America!

March 12, 1912 commemorates the day when Juliette Gordon Low officially registered 18 girl members into the Girl Scout organization in Savannah, Georgia.

Image credit: Ingredients of a 20 something edited by Dresden on babble

Just 3 years ago the 100th birthday of the Girl Scouts Of America was celebrated and you can view my blog post from that time here.

Photo found on Pinterest

"On October 29, 1948, a postage stamp was issued to honor Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts organization. Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low was born into a prominent Savannah, Georgia family in 1860. At boarding schools in Virginia and New York, Daisy showed great interest in and aptitude for literature and the arts, as well as a love of animals and nature. After school she traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe, and in 1886, she married British heir, William Mackay Low. After suffering from brain fever as a child, she had experienced severe hearing loss in one ear, only to lose hearing in the other ear when a piece of good-luck rice from their wedding reception pierced her eardrum.

The Lows' marriage lasted 19 years until William's drinking and philandering forced Daisy to seek a divorce. During the process, he died suddenly, leaving most of his estate to his mistress. Wanting to do something productive with her life, Daisy was inspired by a meeting with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, and began to focus her energies on spreading this youth movement to the United States.

In 1812, Daisy started the first Girl Guides group in the United States. The next year, the organization changed its name to Girl Scouts. Daisy Low dedicated the rest of her life to bringing girls from varied backgrounds together, introducing them to the natural world, developing their skills of independence and resourcefulness, and preparing them for futures as professional women involved in their communities. Juliette Gordon Low died of breast cancer in 1927. By 2001, the organization she founded with 12 girls 89 years previously had grown to 3.7 million members."

Information provided by Argo.si.edu

This year marks my daughter Em's 7th year and my daughter Kaye's 3rd year as Girl Scouts. Em is in her 1st year of Cadette's and Kaye is in her 1st year of Brownies. They've both enjoyed many exciting activities and bonding experiences through scouting.

This year is bittersweet because Em is leaning towards not joining scouts next year. She has a lot on her agenda with being involved in her middle school's orchestra and chorus programs, sewing club after school and church choir practice once a week.

(Not to mention the the time it takes to complete the increasing amount of homework middle school doles out.)

I know if she decides to quit scouting, she will miss many aspects of it, but I understand that sometimes you just can't do it all.

Kaye had a Girl Scout birthday party with her troop at her meeting last night and is wearing her Girl Scout vest to school today in celebration of the 103rd birthday. The girls take pride in wearing their vests and talking about all of the badges they've earned.
Below you will see all of the wonderful activities my daughters have participated in by viewing their Girl Scout vests over the years.

Em's Girl Scout Vests

Daisy Scouts