Whereas for more than 100 years, Girl Scouts of the USA
has inspired generations of girls to lead with courage, confidence, and
character;
Whereas the Girl Scout Movement began on March 12, 1912,
when Savannah, Georgia, native Juliette Daisy Gordon Low gathered
18 girls to provide them the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and
spiritually;
Whereas Daisy Low’s goal was to bring together girls of
all backgrounds to develop self-reliance and resourcefulness as well as prepare
them for future roles as professional women and for active citizenship outside
the home;
Whereas within just a few years, there were nearly 70,000
Girl Scouts nationwide, including the territory of Hawaii;
Whereas the first African-American troops were established
in 1917, and by 1920, troops for girls with disabilities were
established;
Whereas today, more than 50,000,000 women in the United
States are Girl Scout alumnae, and 3,300,000 girls and adult volunteers are
active members;
Whereas Girl Scouts live in every corner of the United
States, Puerto Rico, United States territories, and more than 90 countries
overseas;
Whereas Girl Scouts is the largest member of the World
Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, a global movement comprised of more
than 10,000,000 girls in 145 countries worldwide;
Whereas Girl Scouts’ robust program helps girls develop as
leaders and build confidence by learning new skills;
Whereas the award winning Girl Scout Leadership Program
helps girls discover themselves and their values, connect with others, and take
action to make the world a better place;
Whereas this leadership model helps girls develop skills
such as critical thinking, problem solving, cooperation and team building,
conflict resolution, advocacy, and other important life skills;
Whereas core programs around Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math (STEM), environmental stewardship, healthy living,
financial literacy, and global citizenship help girls develop a solid
foundation in leadership;
Whereas Girl Scouts’ STEM programming, first introduced in
1913 with the electrician and flyer badges, offers
girls of every age science, technology, engineering, and math activities that
are relevant to everyday life;
Whereas these award-winning programs help girls build
strong, hands-on foundations to become future female leaders and meet the
growing need for skilled science and technology professionals in the United
States;
Whereas healthy living programs help Girl Scouts build the
skills they need to keep their bodies healthy, their minds engaged, and their
spirits positive and teaches girls about fitness and nutrition, body image,
self esteem, and relational issues, especially bullying;
Whereas through the 100th Anniversary Take Action Project,
Forever Green, Girl Scouts is honoring Daisy Low’s commitment to the outdoors
by engaging families, friends, and communities to improve the environment and
protect its natural resources;
Whereas Girl Scouts’ financial literacy programming,
notably, the iconic Girl Scout cookie sale, helps girls set financial goals and
gain the confidence they need to ultimately take control of their own financial
future;
Whereas this beloved United States tradition has a proven
legacy, more than 80 percent of highly successful businesswomen were Girl
Scouts;
Whereas Girl Scouts has also helped millions of young
girls become good global citizens through international exchanges, travel, take
action and service projects, and newer programs like twinning and
virtual Girl Scout troops;
Whereas Girl Scouts has helped girls advance diversity in
a multicultural world, connect with their communities, locally and globally,
and feel empowered to make a difference in the world;
Whereas the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in
Girl Scouting, requires girls to make a measurable and sustainable difference
in their community, assess a need and design a solution, find the resources and
the support to make it happen, complete the project, and also inspire others to
sustain it;
Whereas the Gold Award honors leadership in the Girl Scout
tradition and Gold Award recipients have already changed the world as high
school students;
Whereas two-thirds of the Nation’s most accomplished women
in public service were Girl Scouts;
Whereas Girl Scouts’ research shows that Girl Scouts
alumnae have a positive sense of self, are engaged in community service, are
civically engaged, have attained high levels of education, and are successful
on a number of economic indicators;
Whereas beyond its outstanding program, Girl Scouts has
evolved into the premier expert on girls’ healthy growth and
development;
Whereas since its founding in 2000, the Girl Scout
Research Institute has become an internationally recognized center for original
research, research reviews, and surveys that provide significant insights into
the lives of girls;
Whereas Girl Scouts’ research informs not only Girl
Scouts’ program development and delivery, but also helps bring girls’ voices to
key issues in the public sphere;
Whereas by bringing greater attention to girls’ health,
education, and developmental needs, Girl Scouts is the voice for girls with
policymakers, business leaders, educators, and all other stakeholders who care
about girls’ healthy growth and development;
Whereas Girl Scouts ensures that issues, such as STEM
education, bullying prevention, unhealthy perceptions of beauty as portrayed by
the media, and many other important issues, are brought to the public’s
attention, and addressed through public policy at the national, State, and
local level; and
Whereas Girl Scouts of the USA is recognizing its 100th
anniversary by designating 2012 as the Year of the Girl: Now,
therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)recognizes the importance of empowering
girls to lead with courage, confidence, and character;
(2)congratulates Girl
Scouts of the USA on its 100th anniversary; and
(3)supports the
Year of the Girl.