Whereas, for more than 100 years, Girl Scouts of the USA
(referred to in this preamble as Girl Scouts) has inspired girls
to lead with courage, confidence and character;
Whereas the Girl Scout movement began on March 12, 1912,
when Juliette Daisy Gordon Low (a native of Savannah, Georgia)
organized a group of 18 girls and provided the girls with the opportunity to
develop physically, mentally, and spiritually;
Whereas the goal of Daisy Low was to bring together girls
of all backgrounds to develop self-reliance and resourcefulness, and to prepare
each girl for a future role as a professional woman and active citizen outside
the home;
Whereas, within a few years, there were nearly 70,000 Girl
Scouts throughout the United States, including the territory of Hawaii;
Whereas Girl Scouts established the first troops for
African-American girls in 1917 and the first troops for girls with disabilities
in 1920;
Whereas today more than 50,000,000 women in the United
States are alumnae of the Girl Scouts, and approximately 3,300,000 girls and
adult volunteers are active members of the Girl Scouts;
Whereas Girl Scouts live in every corner of the United
States, Puerto Rico, the territories of the United States, 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 the robust program of Girl Scouts helps girls
develop as leaders and build confidence by learning new skills;
Whereas the award-winning Girl Scout Leadership Program
helps each girl discover herself and her values;
Whereas the Girl Scout Leadership Program 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 (referred to in this preamble as STEM),
environmental stewardship, healthy living, financial literacy, and global
citizenship help girls develop a solid foundation in leadership;
Whereas 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 the award-winning STEM program helps 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—
(1)help each Girl
Scout build the skills necessary to maintain a healthy body, an engaged mind,
and a positive spirit; and
(2)teach girls about
fitness and nutrition, body image, self-esteem, and relational issues,
especially bullying;
Whereas through the 100th Anniversary Take Action Project,
Girl Scouts Forever Green, Girl Scouts is honoring the commitment
of Juliette Low to the outdoors by engaging families, friends, and communities
to improve the environment and protect the natural resources of the United
States;
Whereas the financial literacy programming of Girl Scouts,
most notably the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program, helps girls set financial
goals and gain the confidence needed to ultimately take control of their own
financial future;
Whereas the beloved tradition of the Girl Scout Cookie
Program has a proven legacy in the United States, as 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 such as
twinning (where girls in the United States connect with girls in
other countries) and virtual Girl Scout troops;
Whereas Girl Scouts has helped girls advance diversity in
a multicultural world, connect with local and global communities, and feel
empowered to make a difference in the world;
Whereas the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in
Girl Scouting, requires a girl to make a measurable and sustainable difference
in the community by—
(1)assessing a
need;
(2)designing a
solution;
(3)finding the
resources and the support to implement the solution;
(4)completing the
project; and
(5)inspiring others
to sustain the project;
Whereas the Gold Award honors leadership in the Girl Scout
tradition because Gold Award recipients have already changed the world as high
school students;
Whereas two-thirds of the most accomplished women in
public service in the United States were Girl Scouts;
Whereas research by Girl Scouts shows that Girl Scouts
alumnae—
(1)have a positive
sense of self;
(2)are engaged in
community service;
(3)are civically
engaged;
(4)have attained
high levels of education; and
(5)are successful
according to many economic indicators;
Whereas, in addition to the outstanding programs that Girl
Scouts offers, Girl Scouts has evolved into the premier expert on the healthy
growth and development of girls;
Whereas, since the founding of the Girl Scout Research
Institute in 2000, the Institute has become an internationally recognized
center for original research, research reviews, and surveys that provide
significant insights into the lives of girls;
Whereas the research conducted by Girl Scouts not only
informs Girl Scout program development and delivery, but also helps bring the
voice of girls to key issues in the public sphere;
Whereas, by bringing greater attention to the health,
education, and developmental needs of girls, Girl Scouts provides a voice for
girls with policymakers, business leaders, educators, and all other
stakeholders who care about the healthy growth and development of girls;
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—
(1)are brought to
the attention of the public; and
(2)are addressed
through public policy at the national, State, and local levels; 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 Senate—
(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)designates 2012
as the Year of the Girl.