[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 18 (Friday, February 3, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING CENTENNIAL OF GIRL SCOUTS

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor the 
centennial of our Nation's Girl Scouts. For 100 years, the Girl Scout 
experience has enriched the lives of millions of girls and their 
families through innovative and progressive programming that embraces 
the rich diversity of communities across our country. A cornerstone of 
the Girl Scout movement, community service, allows girls to exercise 
their leadership skills on a variety of levels and at any age.
  Each year, thousands of service hours are provided to communities. 
Cleaning parks, organizing food and toy drives, planting trees and 
clearing forest trails, tutoring young students in migrant camp summer 
schools, collecting basic essentials and backpacks for children 
entering foster care, sending school supplies to Third World schools, 
visiting the elderly, and helping deliver food to homebound citizens 
are just a few of the important activities that Girl Scouts do every 
day to make the world, our world, a better place. That is something 
from which each of us can and should learn.
  I would like to personally honor the Girl Scouts of northeastern New 
York, which serves 12,000 girls and their families in a 15-county 
region. I look forward to dozens of these girls coming to visit 
Washington, D.C., in early June, where they will join others in song 
along the National Mall.
  From their individual efforts to hosting the Women of Distinction 
Award, thank you to our Girl Scouts and their leaders, and a very happy 
and healthy centennial celebration.

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