[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 26, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CONGRATULATIONS TO U.S. GIRL SCOUTS PRESIDENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 26, 1997

  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my congratulations to 
Elinor Johnstone Ferdon, of Alpine, NJ, on her selection as national 
president of the Girl Scouts. Her leadership of this most esteemed and 
revered organization is the crowning achievement of a lifetime of 
selfless dedication by Ellie Ferdon to young girls and the communities 
of interests they serve.
  Ferdon began her career in Scouting in 1947 in Frankfurt, Germany, 
where her father was stationed with the Army. On March 7 of that year, 
10-year-old and 6 other young girls became the founding members of 
Frankfurt Girl Scout Troop No. 1.
  The Manhattan native was a member of the Frankfurt troop for 3 years 
before her family returned to the United States and she was sent to a 
boarding school in Massachusetts.
  Ferdon resumed her involvement in scouting in 1968 after moving to 
Alpine as an adult and becoming a troop leader when her daughter showed 
an interest in scouting. All 3 of her daughters eventually became Girl 
Scouts and a 3-year-old granddaughter is expected to do the same as 
soon as she is old enough.
  Once back in uniform, Ferdon rapidly rose through the ranks. She 
served two terms as president of the Girl Scout Council of Bergen 
County and has been on the organizations national board of directors 
since 1978. She was elected national president in October 1996. As 
such, she is in charge of all 3.4 million Girl Scouts and adult 
volunteers in the country.
  The Girl Scouts still teach self-esteem and self confidence, grooming 
girls to be leaders in their communities. But the organization has gone 
beyond camping and selling cookies to develop programs in science and 
the use of the Internet, for example. Members volunteer their time at 
homeless shelters, foster homes, and even juvenile detention.
  Ferdon this year is overseeing a major fundraising effort, seeking 
donations from the 50 million adult former Girl Scouts. Too many Girl 
Scout councils rely too heavily on annual cookie sales for their 
revenue, she says.
  The Girl Scouts serve well their goal of inspiring young girls with 
the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism, and service that 
they may become contributing and resourceful citizens. Girl Scouting 
seeks to accomplish this by providing girls opportunities to develop 
their potential and have fun with their peers in a supportive setting.
  The qualities of character, perseverance, and leadership instilled by 
the Girl Scouts helps thousands and thousands of girls prepared to meet 
the challenges of the future. There could be no finer, more dedicated 
leader than Ellie Ferdon to provide the inspiration for young girls of 
today and women leaders of tomorrow.

                          ____________________