October 31st is the 149th birthday of Juliette Gordon Low (the founder of Girl Scouts)
In the early 1900s Juliette had lived in England and had met Robert Baden Powell (the founder of Boy Scouts) and had helped him start Boy Scouts. According to legend, it had never occurred to him that girls would be interested in the outdoor skills that Scouting offered, so he definitely need Juliette's help.
At one point, Juliette was talking to some Scottish teen girls who were facing a life of servitude, essentially the same life their parents had led. She asked them what they would rather do. They wanted to raise chickens and sell the eggs. Juliette had lived a privileged life with a family that appreciated her curiousity, so she showed them how to get the information they needed to start their business. This helped Juliette to realize that many girls simply did not know HOW to pursue their dreams.
When Juliette returned to Georgia, she decided to create Girl Scouts in this country. She had already done some amazing things in her life, and she wanted other girls to have the opportunities she had had
"Less than a year later, she returned to the United States and made her historic telephone call to a friend (a distant cousin), saying, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!" On March 12, 1912, Juliette Low gathered 18 girls to register the first troop of American Girl Guides. Margaret "Daisy Doots" Gordon, her niece and namesake, 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, Juliette brought girls of all backgrounds into the out-of-doors, giving them the opportunity to develop self-reliance and resourcefulness. She encouraged girls to prepare not only for traditional homemaking, but also for possible future roles as professional women—in the arts, sciences and business—and for active citizenship outside the home. Girl Scouting welcomed girls with disabilities at a time when they were excluded from many other activities. This idea seemed quite natural to Juliette, who never let deafness, back problems or cancer keep her from full participation in life"
She created a curtained basketball court in the yard of her home, so that girls could get exercise. The first Girl Scout handbook was written with the assistance of W J Hoxie, a naturalist. If you read this book there are many household/health hints (as badge requirements) which are commonplace today, but would have been revolutionary in 1913. Once example would have been using the sun and fresh air to keep germs out of your house.
So, as we prepare to celebrate Juliette Gordon Low's 149th birthday; I appreciate the opportunities that both my daughter & I have had through Girl Scouts. I still don't enjoy camping...but I can do it. Cindy has competed in robotics and will be a "ball kid" for the USF women's volleyball team this week. She's taught classes and worked at summer camp. She has also earned her religious awards and many badges...Girl Scouts has broadened her world!
Feeling blessed, how about you?