• Juliette Gordon Low, Founder
• Girl Scout History
• National Executive Director

Affiliations

• World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts [WAGGGS]
• International Collaborations
• National Affiliations
• Religious Recognitions

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts in the United States

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., was born October 31, 1860, in Savannah, Georgia, and died there January 17, 1927.

Daisy, as she was known to family and friends, was the second of six children of William Washington Gordon and Eleanor Kinzie Gordon. Her father's family were early settlers in Georgia and her mother's family played an important role in the founding of Chicago.

A sensitive and talented youngster, Daisy spent a happy childhood in her large Savannah home, which has been purchased and restored by Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Now known as the Juliette Gordon Low Girl Scout National Center, the handsome Regency house was designated a Registered Historic Landmark in 1965.

Young Daisy developed what was to become a lifetime interest in the arts. She wrote poems, sketched, wrote and acted in plays and later became a skilled painter and sculptor.

In her teens, Daisy attended private schools in Virginia and later a French school in New York City. Following her school years she traveled extensively in the United States and Europe, broadening her education.

On the date of her parent's 29th wedding anniversary, December 21, 1886, Juliette Gordon married William Mackay Low, a wealthy Englishman. Although the couple moved to England, Juliette found time to continue her travels, dividing her time between the British Isles and America.

During the Spanish-American war, she returned to aid her country. With her mother she helped organize a convalescent hospital for soldiers in Florida, where her father, who had been a Captain in the Confederate Army, was stationed as a General in the U.S. Army. At the end of the war she returned to England.

After her husband's death in 1905, Juliette spent several years drifting without a sense of direction. All this changed in 1911 when she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, and became interested in the new youth movement. One year later she returned to the United States and made her historic phone call to a friend saying, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight." Thus, on March 2, 1912, Juliette Low gathered 18 girls together to organize the first two American Girl Guide troops. Daisy Gordon, her niece, was the first registered member. The name of the organization was changed to Girl Scouts the following year.

In developing the Girl Scout movement in the United States, Mrs. Low brought girls of all backgrounds into the out-of-doors, giving them opportunity to learn about nature and develop self-reliance and resourcefulness. She encouraged girls to prepare themselves not only for traditional homemaking roles, but also for possible future roles as professional women, in the arts, sciences and business, and for active citizenship outside the home. Disabled girls were welcomed into Girl Scouting at a time when they were excluded from many other activities. This seemed quite natural to Juliette Low, who never let her own deafness keep her from full participation in life.

From an initial 18 girls in 1912, Girl Scouting has grown to nearly 3.3 million in the 1990's. It is the world's largest voluntary organization for girls and has influenced the lives of more than 50 million girls and adult women and men who have belonged to Girl Scouts.

Juliette Low accumulated friends and admirers of all ages, nationalities and walks of life. By maintaining contacts with overseas Girl Guides and Girl Scouts during World War I, she helped lay the foundation for today's World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. After her death in 1927, her friends honored her by establishing the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund, which finances international projects among Girl Guides and Girl Scouts throughout the world.

On July 3rd, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill authorizing a three-cent commemorative stamp in honor of Juliette Gordon Low. The stamp was one of the few dedicated to a woman. During World War II, a liberty ship was named in her honor, and in 1954, the city of Savannah honored her by naming a new school for her.

On October 28, 1979, Juliette Gordon Low was installed in the Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. The purpose of the Women's Hall of Fame is to "honor in perpetuity those women, citizens of the United States of America, whose contributions to the arts, athletics, business, education, government, the humanities, philanthropy and science have been of greatest value to the development of their country."

On December 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill naming a new Federal Building in Savannah, Ga. for Juliette Gordon Low. It was only the second Federal Building in history to be named for a woman.

Girl Scout History

How many of these historical Girl Scout facts do you know?

• Girl Scouts was founded by Juliette Gordon Low on March 12, 1912 in Savannah, Georgia. For the first year it was called "Girl Guides" like the Girl Guides in England, on which it was based. From an original membership of 18 girls, the organization has grown to 3.3 million girl and adult members throughout the country today.
• The first Girl Scout handbook was published in 1913 and was called How Girls Can Help Their Country. In the early years of Girl Scouting there was one handbook for everyone. Today there are five -- one for each age level in Girl Scouting. Over the years the handbook has been published in Braille, Spanish, Japanese, and German editions.
• The first Girl Scout uniform in 1912 was actually blue. The color was changed to khaki in 1914. It wasn't until 1928 that the Girl Scout uniform became green -- the color most people associate with Girl Scouts. Today, there are different uniforms for each of the five age levels, as well as an adult uniform. The colors? Shades of green or blue (or brown and blue for Brownie Girl Scouts), but you should see some of the new styles tapestry vests, patterned tights, shorts and slacks in addition to the always popular sash and vest.
• The first Girl Scout national headquarters was in Washington, D.C. It was moved to New York City in 1916 and has been there ever since.
• The first local Girl Scout council charter was issued by the national organization in 1916 to Toledo, Ohio. In the early days, at one point there were as many as 2000 Girl Scout councils throughout the country delivering Girl Scout program to girls. Resources have been organized and consolidated over the years and there are now 324 Girl Scout councils serving girls in all fifty states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
• A film produced by Girl Scouts in 1918 called "The Golden Eaglet" was shown in movie theaters in the United States.
• Girl Scouts published a very popular magazine for young girls from 1917-1979 called The American Girl (called The Rally from 1917-1920) It is considered a "classic" of its era and is still available on microfilm from the University of Michigan. Girl Scouts still publishes The Girl Scout Leader magazine for all adult members. It began publication in 1921 as Field News. A fiction series, published by Grosset & Dunlap and featuring Brownie Girl Scouts as main characters. began publication in 1993. GSUSA works with Scholastic, Inc. on G*I*R*L*, (Girls for Real Life), a magazine for girls between the ages of 8 and 14. Its first issue was published in 1995.
• Girl Scouts has had a national conference and training center since 1926. Located in Briarcliff Manor, New York and first called Camp Edith Macy after an early Girl Scout pioneer, it is now called Edith Macy Conference Center. Thousands of Girl Scout leaders and council volunteers and staff have received training there in its 70-year history. The center has also been the site of international Girl Guide and Girl Scout conferences, one of which was attended by Eleanor Roosevelt.
• Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts in 1912, was deaf from an early age. She was also multi-talented and could draw, paint, sculpt, and forge iron gates.
• Girl Scouts was founded "for all the girls" and as early as 1917 had troops for physically disabled girls. There are also records of Black troops in New York in the 1920s; American Indian and Asian troops as early as the 1930s and 1940s, probably earlier; as well as a continuing history of innovative special projects involving underserved populations such as migrant girls, Mexican-American girls, girls in the inner-city, girls in rural areas, girls with mothers in prison, girls in Head Start programs.
• Girl Scouts have probably sold cookies as an activity since 1912, but the first sale of commercially-baked Girl Scout Cookies took place in the Philadelphia council in 1936. The two most popular Girl Scout Cookies have always been the shortbread trefoil and the thin mint. Participating in the cookie sale teaches a girl important life skills such as the importance of organization and the need to be responsible.
• During both World War I and World War II, Girl Scouts served their country on the homefront collecting waste fat and scrap iron, growing Victory Gardens, and selling defense bonds. During that time special programs on seafaring and aviation, called Mariner Girl Scouts and Wing Girl Scouts were developed for Senior Girl Scouts.
• Caring for the environment -- whether called conservation, ecology or environmental protection -- has always been part of Girl Scout program. Early handbooks contained information on conserving materials and protecting nature. In 1945, the first Lou Henry Hoover Memorial Forest, was dedicated by Girl Scouts in honor of their twice former President and later honorary president. In 1970, Eco- Action, a nationwide environmental education and improvement program, began. In 1992 GSUSA launched a nationwide environmental service project known as Girl Scouts Care for the Earth.
• Girl Scouting has always worked to remain contemporary and fun for girls of all ages by continually studying the development of girls and their needs and using the results to create changes in its program and publications when needed. Major program or organizational studies have taken place at least every ten years since 1925. A major change occurred in 1963 when four separate age levels for girls ages 7-17 were launched: Brownie Girl Scouts, Junior Girl Scouts, Cadette Girl Scouts, and Senior Girl Scouts. In 1984, a new age level called Daisy Girl Scouts, for girls age five or in kindergarten, was introduced. As recently as 1993-1995 contemporary new handbooks were published for all age levels.
• Over the years, Juliette Gordon Low and the Girl Scouts have been honored by outside organizations in many ways. A World War II Liberty Ship was named in Juliette Low's honor in 1944. In 1948 a three-cent commemorative stamp honoring Juliette Low was issued by the United States Post Office. In 1962 and again in 1987 the US Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Girl Scouts. Juliette Low's portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, and a Federal Building has been named for her in Savannah, Georgia. Girl Scouts of the United States of America was reincorporated under Congressional charter in March 1950.
• The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia, restored in the period of the 1880s, was dedicated as a national program center for Girl Scouts in 1956 and was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1965. It was the first building in Savannah to receive landmark status. The Birthplace each year is visited by thousands of Girl Scouts and members of the general public.
• In 1975 the National Council of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. affirmed that Girl Scout membership would continue to be limited to girls and elected Dr. Gloria D. Scott as its first Black National President.
• A redesigned Girl Scout trefoil was officially launched in 1978 and a three-year campaign to acquaint the public with this new, contemporary identity of Girl Scouting was launched.
• Tune In to Well-Being, Say No to Drugs, the first in a series of program resources on contemporary issues, was introduced in 1985. The following years saw the publication of further books in the series dealing with the contemporary issues of preventing child abuse; growing up female; leading girls to mathematics, science and technology; preventing youth suicide; facing family crises; preventing teenage pregnancy; environmental action; promoting pluralism; literacy; and health.
• Girl Scouts first used teleconferencing technology in 1989 at the National Meeting of Presidents and Executive Directors by Regions.

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., the largest girl-serving organization in the world, has announced the appointment of Navy Rear Admiral Marsha Johnson Evans as its new National Executive Director. She will join GSUSA around the beginning of the new year, succeeding Mary Rose Main, who has retired after 44 years in Girl Scouting.

Rear Adm. Evans is the Superintendent of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Until recently, she concurrently served as director of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch, Germany. Additionally, Rear Admiral Evans has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Navy’s worldwide recruiting organization.

A former White House Fellow and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, she earned a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Medford, Mass., and a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College in Los Angeles. She is married to Gerard R. Evans, a retired Navy jet pilot.

Rear Admiral Evans, who was a Girl Scout during her youth, enthusiastically said that she looks forward to guiding Girl Scouts into the 21st century. "For eight years, I participated in Girl Scouting both in the U.S. and overseas as an American servicemember’s dependent," she recalls. "Girl Scouting contributed directly and significantly to the development of my personal concepts of patriotism, service, and respect for others. I look forward to ensuring that future generations of young girls have the opportunities I had for personal growth, adventure, and fun."

She will be based at GSUSA National Headquarters in Manhattan, where staff members develop resources and program materials to support the work of 320 Girl Scout councils nationwide.

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. is one of 136 member countries of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). Girl Scouts are members of the family of 8.5 million Girl Scouts and Girl Guides the world over. Juliette Low (the founder of Girl Scouting in the United States) and many women like her, worked closely with Robert BadenPowell, the founder of Boy Scouts, to adapt the movement to local conditions and cultures around the world. The spirit of the WAGGGS movement is channeled into several areas: self development, teamwork through the patrol system, community service, outdoor activities, and partnerships between youth and adults. Through these avenues, young people experience moral, physical and intellectual growth.

WAGGGS Mission Statement

"The World Association is a voluntary worldwide movement open to all girls and young women. Based on spiritual values, WAGGGS has a commitment to peace and international understanding.

"WAGGGS offers a dynamic educational program to girls and young women to develop their full potentials as individuals, through concern for others.

"WAGGGS strives for excellence by providing opportunities to enable girls and young women to make informed decisions in a changing world.

"Through the sharing of common values and experiences and enjoying friendships, members develop confidence and skills to shape the future.

"With professionalism, determination and vision, WAGGGS gives a lead to girls and young women today to be the responsible world citizens of tomorrow."

Belonging to a Worldwide Movement

Every Girl Scout is part of an international sisterhood. When Girl Guides and Girl Scouts meet, instead of seeing each other as “different,” they feel the similarities of a common heritage in Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. They share the same Promise and Law, the same symbols, the same belief in active citizenship, the same goal of helping themselves and others grow into the fullest sense of womanhood.

The World Association of Girl Guide and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) makes this international sisterhood a reality since it is the largest and most diversified youth movement for girls and young women today. International travel opportunities give Girl Scouts a chance to see the world, to sample many cultures, and to meet people whose lifestyles may be very different from their own. These opportunities take place in countries all over the globe. In the last several years, girls have traveled from the U.S. to international opportunities in New Zealand, Kenya, Denmark, Singapore and Barbados, just to name a few. Girls are chosen to participate in the following types of projects and activities:

National Jamborees and Anniversary Camps
Patrols of girls live together in primitive settings for these events using their camping skills and meeting girls from other countries.

Community Service Projects
Carried out in cooperation with young people of the host country, these opportunities involve working with people in a village or work camp and require skills in literacy, ecology, child care, aiding people with disabilities, recreation, crafts, hygiene, gardening or construction.

Family Living and Home Visits
These opportunities are focused on home hospitality and joining Girl Guides in their troop, family, and community activities and require girls who can adapt to other cultures and languages.

Visits to the four World Centers
The international gatherings and training sessions held at the World Centers are open to girls and adults from any of the WAGGGS member organizations. The World Centers are popular destinations for girls planning international trips.

• Our Chalet in Adelboden, Switzerland -- Activities are focused on the outdoors and include skiing in winter and hiking in summer.
• Pax Lodge in London, England -- Sessions focus on English history and culture, with a special emphasis on the roots of Girl Guiding/ Girl Scouting.
• Our Cabana in Cuernavaca, Mexico -- The sessions feature community service projects, folk arts, tours to nearby historic ruins and fiestas.
• Sangam in Pune, India -- This center features Indian culture, family lifestyles, religions, and the arts as well as service opportunities in nearby urban and rural communities.

Insights from International Travel Opportunities

International wider opportunities are like a view through the wide-angle lens of a camera because they offer young women unparalleled insights into different lifestyles, heritages, and cultures as well as conveying the fundamental meaning and importance of Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding throughout the world. Frequently, the notion of international travel simply conjures up images of glamour and fun, but in actuality a lot of planning and hard work are the pillars upon which a successful trip are built. From the initial application with its numerous pages to raising funds and researching facts about different regions of the world, girls must expend a great deal of time and effort to make their dreams of an international wider opportunity a reality.

The "snapshot" that results from that view through the "wide- angle lens" remains forever etched in a girl's memory when she returns from her trip abroad. In fact, the following are some highlights recounted by Senior Girl Scout Amy Gamble from her memorable journey to the world center in Sangam and Jenna Capeci, a Senior Girl Scout, from her trip to Kenya.

Tales from a World Center

• Does traveling to a foreign country, sampling exotic dishes, seeing the famed Taj Mahal, learning a new language, and shopping for Punjabi outfits or saris appeal to you? It did to me and nine other women selected to represent their Girl Scout councils at the international opportunity held in Pune, India. As a Senior Girl Scout from Enfield, Connecticut, representing Connecticut Valley Girl Scout Council, I experienced the opportunity of a lifetime!

  After a two-day orientation in New York, we flew to London, England. Our group visited Buckingham Palace, the world center Pax Lodge, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Parliament House. We loved the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, and enjoyed touring Pax Lodge.

  We were very excited about our next destination -- Bombay, India! From Bombay we rode by train and then by rickshaw to the Sangam world center in Pune, where we spent the next two fun-filled weeks. We were joined by 13 other women from seven other countries: Australia, Japan, Denmark, New Zealand, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom.

  Our group's study session, "Women in Today's World," focused on women's role in the Indian culture and on issues concerning the countries we represented. I found that our views varied greatly with regard to education, health, employment, and social problems such as drug abuse, both because of the varied nationalities and the range in ages (from 15 to 68!). One activity that highlighted these differences was the "Women's Rights Auction." Each of us was given a limited sum of money with which to bid for rights, such as education, choice of careers, choice of husband and family, social life, and free time. It was fascinating to learn how different our priorities were in "buying rights" that were important to us.

  Exchanging swaps, tasting Indian foods, participating in a mock Indian marriage ceremony, and decorating our dinner spot with rangoli for our Maharastrian dinner (meal served on a banana leaf) were some of the unique experiences we shared. Learning some Hindi words, decorating our hands with Mehendi, dancing to Indian music, shopping and getting measured for a sari, and touring neighboring villages were some of the highlights of our visit to Sangam.

  We then flew to Delhi and our group toured New Delhi and the surrounding sights. We also made a two-day trip to Agra to see the famed Taj Mahal. The Taj represents the love, peacefulness, and beauty of India's people.

  We boarded the plane for our flight home knowing we had made wonderful friends and had shared many adventures. Visiting a country so very different from the United States was exciting and made this trip quite a learning experience. Girl Scouting has truly been a "world of opportunity" for each of us.

Written by Amy Gamble,
Connecticut Valley Girl Scout Council
From: Wider Ops: 1994 Girl Scout Wider Opportunities (GSUSA)

Out of Africa
A Girl Scout Reflects on the People and Land of Kenya

• Since returning from Kenya a year ago, I have tried to share my experiences with friends and fellow Girl Scouts. Communicating what Kenya was like never fails to drain me, both physically and mentally. It seems like there is some emotional ravine inside of me that cannot be passed by just words, by language.

  I am reminded of a movie I once saw in which a boy tried to describe color to a blind girl. He couldn't do it with his voice and succeeded through touch -- the feeling of a mossy stone, of cool glass.

  I feel like I need to do the same with Kenya -- that I would like the girls to let their fingers sift through the cooled ashes of our group campfires in Africa (ashes that I keep in a marble container in my room); I want them to smell the leather of the belt and the wood of the lion clubs that I bought from Masais in the Mara; I'd like them to drape themselves in the cloths of Nairobi and decorate themselves with the Masai's beadwork.

  There is so much that I cannot bring to them. I can't give them the smell of the night air in the bush, can't bring them so close to a family of elephants that they could hear even the tiniest baby's trunk gently tug, then chew on the grasses, can't let them taste the strong Kenyan tea with fresh honey and digestive biscuits and the breakfast pineapple with juice so sweet your teeth hurt for more to soak-in. I can't let them feel the gentle coolness of a waterfall's mist in the Aberdares or help them poke their heads from a tent one night to discover the glowing eyes and blurred body of a giraffe feeding at Lewa Downs.

  I'll never take them on a rocky drive through the mountains so their faces and hair can feel breezes or early evening's nurturing air. They won't feel their favorite spotter -- a quiet, serene man in his signature worn blue hat -- suddenly touch their arm with the tips of his fingers, and they won't hear him then turning his face to immerse his eyes in the distance and murmur, "Bogo, bogo," at the buffalo on the horizon. And they miss the instant connection made when he returns a strangely vulnerable gaze to theirs and is rewarded with an answering chant, "Bogo, bogo," so his head turns with theirs to watch the buffalo in a silence that's not silent at all.

  The smiles and laughter of Arthur and Joseph, staff members we became close to, are frozen in my pictures; the welcoming songs of the Masai women sink below the least audible whisper, and the dancing Girl Guides are drowned in the photographic solution. All are flattened in the paper and exist behind a distorted glass film through which they cannot touch the strangers who look upon them.

  All expressions and voices are directed to a person whose body these Girl Scouts cannot enter, whose eyes they cannot see through. They'll never feel the African sky surround them through my pictures. I can only take them so far -- Girl Scouting must help them complete their own journeys.

Jenna Capeci
(Senior Girl Scout on trip to Kenya in 1993)
Brooklyn, New York
From: Wider Ops: Adventures for Older Girls 1996 (GSUSA)

A Brief History

The founder of the Girl Guide/Girl Scout movement was Robert Baden-Powell, First Baron Baden-Powell of Gilwell, OM, known universally as B-P. The World Chief Guide was B-P’s wife, Olave Lady Baden-Powell, GBE.

Here is a short history of how the international Girl Guide/Girl Scout movement originated.

• B-P was born in London on February 22, 1857.
• Olave St. Clair Soames was born on February 22, 1889.
• B-P founded the Boy Scout movement in 1908.
• After girls appeared at a Boy Scout rally in 1909, B-P decided it would be best if they had their own movement and own name. Thus the Girl Guide movement was formed.
• In 1910, B-P retired from an army career to devote himself to Boy Scouting and the beginning of Girl Guiding.
• Olave and Robert met in 1912 and married the same year. She soon became actively involved in the Guide and Boy Scout movements.
• In 1912, Juliette Low from the United States met B-P in England and brought the idea for Girl Scouting back home.
• In 1913, Olave gave birth to a son, Peter; in 1915, to Heather; and in 1917, to Betty.
• In 1917, Olave began to organize the Girl Guide movement in Sussex, England.
• In 1918, Olave was appointed UK Chief Guide.
• In 1919, Olave formed the International Council, which became the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
• In 1927, the first Thinking Day was celebrated on February 22, the birthday of the World Chief Guide and the Founder.
• In 1930, Olave was appointed World Chief Guide.
• In 1931, B-P and Olave went on a world tour.
• Because of B-P's failing health, he and Olave moved to the warmer climate of Kenya in 1939.
• B-P died on January 8, 1941.
• Olave dedicated herself to the movement until 1970, when she was forced to stop traveling due to ill health.
• The World Chief Guide died on June 25, 1977 and her ashes were buried alongside her husband in Nyeri, Kenya.

Member organizations of WAGGGS

The World Association is divided into four regions and a regional group:

The Western Hemisphere Region
The Africa Region
The Europe Region
The Asia-Pacific Region
The Arab Regional Group

These are voluntary groupings that enable member organizations to share resources when dealing with common problems and opportunities.

Each national organization must:

1. adhere to the fundamental principles of the original Promise and Law;
2. have membership which is voluntary and open to all girls and women without distinction of creed, race, nationality or any other circumstance;
3. be self-governing, with the freedom to formulate its policy and put it into practice;
4. be independent of any political organization and any political policy.

The types of projects in which Girl Guides and Girl Scouts are engaged vary with the needs in their local communities. Here are samples of community projects being carried out in four different parts of the world.

India
The Bharat Guides of India have made excellent progress in their campaign to combat leprosy. The efforts of these dedicated young people have contributed significantly to the World Health Organization's target of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem by the year 2000.

The Bharat Guides have been carrying out its Leprosy Awareness Program since 1985, the International Year of Youth, when AHM, the German Leprosy Relief Organization launched a project to involve young people in India. Since then, Bharat’s Leprosy Free School Project has inspired initiatives in other countries affected by this devastating, stigma-ridden, but ultimately curable disease.

The Leprosy Awareness Program of the Bharat Guides includes 20 major types of activities, including seminars, awareness marches, exhibitions, street plays, essay competitions, songs, poster making, quizzes, slogan writing, and puppet shows to raise awareness of the issue. So far, 10,000,000 people have been contacted by the project; 2,000,000 people screened; 1.5 million contacts made door to door; and 8,000 individuals identified and cured. The latest project, entitled Dastak, meaning “knock at the door” was launched in 1994 during the International Year of the Family, in Gwalior City, and reports that the number of houses where the message has been delivered has reached the amazing figure of 82,660.

Jamaica
Girl Guides in Jamaica have been forging links with other non-governmental organizations and gaining a high public profile while participating in skills training, primary health, and youth sex education initiatives. For the skills training program, volunteers gave Saturday morning classes in basic record keeping, English, grooming, and sales and service. The lack of these skills can hold women back, even when they have secured employment.

Jamaica's Primary Health Care Project is one of its most recent, having begun in September 1993 with the backing of the government. It is a continuation of a 1989 project. Jamaican Girl Guides attended a workshop run by the Bureau of Health Education which concentrated on peer counseling techniques and information about child immunization. The girls plan to work through church organizations. The have some funding constraints to overcome, but hope to create greater awareness of the importance of immunization.

Jamaica’s Youth for Education in Sexuality project has also ended its first three-year phase. Participating youth groups were organized to offer peer group counseling within their local communities in a bid to create awareness, hence reducing the number of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

Liberia
The Liberian Girl Guide Association has an extensive program of activities to offer the most practical benefits of Guiding to communities in that crisis-ridden country. One particular development has been the strengthening of the Association’s relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the area. Some far-reaching projects are being implemented with WHO, for example, a Guide House for prostitutes and girl drop outs. Another plan is to place older Girl Guides with first aid knowledge at various points where information is disseminated to the community.

Other ways of promoting peace, unity, and reconciliation during this crucial period of Liberia’s transition are being discussed. While talks continue, Guides have taken action and toured refugee shelters to assess conditions for the people living there. The Liberian Girl Guide Association receives continuous requests for the extension of its services to more communities.

United Kingdom
Girl Guides in the United Kingdom are raising funds by recycling cans. The Aluminum Can Recycling Association (ACRA), a non-profit organization, has launched a new fundraising project called Alu Cans for Kids’ Causes. The Guide Association of the United Kingdom is one of the many youth organizations participating. Girls may bring their empty cans to recycling points and donate the money they receive to a charity of their choice. Girl Guides may choose to recycle cans to fund their troop activities too.

The following countries have Girl Guide or Girl Scout organizations that belong to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

• Antiqua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Aruba
• Australia
• Austria
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Benin
• Bolivia
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Brunei Darussalam
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Central African Republic
• Chile
• Republic of China
• Colombia
• Congo
• Cook Islands
• Costa Rica
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Equador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Estonia
• Figi
• Finland
• France
• The Gambia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Greece
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Korea
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Madagascar
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Maldives
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Namibia
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• Netherlands Antilles
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Republic of Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Rwanda
• Saint Christopher and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• San Marino
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Swaziland
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Togo
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• United States of America
• Uruguay
• Vanuatu
• Venezuela
• Western Samoa
• Yemen Republic
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

International Collaborations

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. and WAGGGS maintain relationships with international organizations with similar goals.

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) has consultative status with ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council of the United Nations); UNICEF (UN Children’s Fund); UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization); and FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization). As a result, WAGGGS participates in regular high-level meetings and joint projects.

WAGGGS cooperates with the United Nations and its specialized agencies and works closely with other non- governmental organizations (NGOs) whose activities are associated with youth and women. WAGGGS has teams of volunteer representatives at the UN in Geneva, Nairobi, New York, Paris, Rome, and Vienna.

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., as a member organization of WAGGGS, has affiliations, maintains regular contacts, shares educational resources and participates in joint projects with many of the United Nations specialized agencies. Many UNICEF resources related to girls and young women, for example, are shared with Girl Scout councils because of their educational value and affinity with the Girl Scout mission.

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., along with many other member organizations of WAGGGS, are involved in the Peace Pack Project to benefit refugee children in camps worldwide. Thousands of packs have been assembled by girls in the United States and Girl Guides in other countries. They are currently on their way to children in need. This is another example of collaboration with a UN agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

National Affiliations

Collaborations Help to Make Girl Scouting Possible in Many Communities

The current structure of our economy has made it very difficult for organizations particularly in the not-for- profit sector to continue to fulfill their missions in the traditional way. Scarce resources have constricted budgets, and the growing participation of all Americans in the workforce has limited the availability of volunteers. These factors make it increasingly necessary for groups to collaborate by, sharing members, resources and facilities in order to accomplish their goals. Girl Scouting is no stranger to these trends.

Nationally, GSUSA has found it beneficial to work with other groups in order to accomplish goals related to diversity and membership services. At any given time, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. has national relationships with over 300 not-for- profit organizations. A primary motivation for maintaining these associations is to gain information that may increase opportunities for Girl Scout councils to collaborate with the local or regional affiliates of these groups.

Some of these organizations focus on issues affecting women and girls--for example, the American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters or sorority chapters. Others, such as the National PTA, National School Board Association, or American Library Association, have educational missions. Organizations that serve particular racial/ethnic group--like the National Urban League, Organization of Chinese Americans, and National Council of La Raza--promote issues of key importance to many Girl Scout members.

Organizations as varied as the Children's Defense Fund, Keep America Beautiful, and the American Association of Retired Persons, all have unique advantages to offer Girl Scouts. The first is a rich source of information about the problems that affect children in our society; the second has sponsored clean-up and environmental awareness activities in which many Girl Scout troops and councils have participated; and the third has developed special resources to help Girl Scout councils to recruit members through a nationwide Volunteer Talent Bank.

Persons who are involved in one of these many organizations can hekp to make Girl Scouting available to more girls by joining in our collaborative projects.

Here are some examples:

AARP

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. have worked together for many years, making it possible for millions of Girl Scouts and older Americans to enjoy life-enriching intergenerational experiences.

In 1986, AARP introduced a Volunteer Talent Bank, through which persons 50 years of age and older are matched with a variety of positions available through AARP, Girl Scouts and other selected organizations.

The Volunteer Talent Bank is a computerized volunteer-to- position referral project that not only brings opportunities to older Americans and girls but can help to expand a Girl Scout council’s volunteer base.

AARP members interested in helping the girls in their communities can contact:

AARP Volunteer Talent Bank
601 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20049
FAX: 202/434-6460

Religious Recognitions for Girls and Adults in Girl Scouting

"We, the members of Girl Scouts of the United States of America, (are) united by a belief in God.... We believe that the motivating force in Girl Scouting is a spiritual one."
-Preamble, Constitution of Girl Scouts of he United States of America

Through Girl Scouting, each girl is encouraged to become a stronger member of her own religious group, and every Girl Scout group recognizes that religious instruction is the responsibility of parents and religious leaders. Religious recognition programs are developed and administered by religious groups themselves. Because the Girl Scout organization recognizes that it has no authority to decide whether or not a girl has reached a certain stage of spiritual development, the Girl Scout organization does not grant permission to use the Girl Scout insignia and name on a religious recognition provided by a religious group.

The following list provides information about the religious recognitions for each age level of girls and for adults who are Girl Scouts. Additional information about these recognitions is available from the contact listed.

• Where to Get Information
  Baha'i Committee on Scouting
  Baha'i National Center
  Wilmette, IL 60091
  (708) 869-9039

• Where to Get Information
  P.R.A.Y.
  P.O. Box 6900
  St. Louis, MO 63123
  (800) 933-PRAY (7729)

• Where to Get Information
  Buddhist Church of America
  National Headquarters
  1710 Octavia Street
  San Francisco, CA 94109
  (415) 776-5600

• Where to Get Information
  P.R.A.Y.
  P.O. Box 6900
  St. Louis, MO 63123
  (800) 933-PRAY (7729)

• • Where to Get Information
    Members of Churches of Christ for Scouting
    ACU Station, Box 7618
    Abilene, TX 79699-7618
    (915) 674-2296

  Eastern Orthodox

• Where to Get Information
  P.R.A.Y.
  P.O. Box 6900
  St. Louis, MO 63123
  (800) 933-PRAY (7729)

• Where to Get Information
  P.R.A.Y.
  P.O. Box 6900
  St. Louis, MO 63123
  (800) 933-PRAY (7729)

• Where to Get Information
  North American Hindu Association
  46133 Amesbury Drive
  Plymouth, MI 48170
  (313) 453-5049 or 981-2323

• Where to Get Information
  Islamic Committee on Girl Scouting
  31 Marian Street
  Stamford, CT 06907
  (203) 359-3593

• Where to Get Information
  National Jewish Girl Scout Committee
  33 Central Drive
  Bronxville, NY 10708-4306
  (914) 738-3986 or
  (718) 252-6072

• Where to Get Information
  P.R.A.Y.
  P.O. Box 6900
  St. Louis, MO 63123
  (800) 933-PRAY (7729)

  (Mormon) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Where to Get Information
  Salt Lake District Center
  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  1999 W. 1700 South
  Salt Lake City, UT 84104
  (801) 240-2141

  Protestant and Independent Christian Churches*

• Where to Get Information
  P.R.A.Y.
  P.O. Box 6900
  St. Louis, MO 63123
  (800) 933-PRAY (7729)

  (Quakers) Society of Friends

• Where to Get Information
  P.R.A.Y.
  P.O. Box 6900
  St. Louis, MO 63123
  (800) 933-PRAY (7729)

  Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

• Where to Get Information
  Youth Ministries Office
  The Auditorium
  P.O. Box 1059
  Independence, MO 64051
  (816) 833-1000

  Roman CatholicChurch

• Where to Get Information
  National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry
  3700-A Oakview Terrace, N.E.
  Washington, DC 20017
  Attn: Orders Clerk
  (202) 636-3825

  Unitarian Universalist

• Where to Get Information
  Unitarian Universalist
  25 Beacon Street
  Boston, MA 02108
  (617) 742-2100

  Unity Church

• Where to Get Information
  Association of Unity Churches
  P.O. Box 610
  Lee's Summit, MO 64063
  (816) 524-7414

*The following is a partial listing of some of the denominations that would use religious recognitions listed for Protestant and Independent Christian Churches: African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Assembly of God, Baptist churches, Church of God, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Nazarene, Presbyterian churches, Reformed churches, United Church of Christ, and United Methodist churches. If you have questions about which religious recognition program your church should use, please call P.R.A.Y., (800) 933-PRAY (7729).

Local Religious Recognition Programs

The religious recognition programs listed above are available nationwide. There are also many religious recognition programs not nationally available that have been developed by individual religious groups for local use. Check with your local clergy for information on such programs in your area.

NOTE: Local clergy should always be consulted about their policies and practices in religious recognition programs for Girl Scouts because they are responsible for the religious instruction of the girls and the presentation of the awards.

Questions about religious recognition programs for Girl Scouts may be addressed to the sponsoring religious group, the Girl Scout council in your area, or National/ International Relations, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018-2798.