[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 310 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 310

 Designating 2012 as the ``Year of the Girl'' and congratulating Girl 
              Scouts of the USA on its 100th anniversary.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 3, 2011

  Ms. Mikulski (for herself and Ms. Collins) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Designating 2012 as the ``Year of the Girl'' and congratulating Girl 
              Scouts of the USA on its 100th anniversary.

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
    Resolved, 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''.
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