[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 40 (Monday, March 12, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1580-S1581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DESIGNATING 2012 AS THE ``YEAR OF THE GIRL'' AND CONGRATULATING GIRL
SCOUTS OF THE USA
Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary
Committee be discharged from S. Res. 310 and the Senate proceed to its
consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 310) designating 2012 as the ``Year
of the Girl'' and Congratulating Girl Scouts of the USA on
its 100th anniversary.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts. Mr. President, as a cosponsor of Senate
Resolution 310, which designates 2012 as the ``Year of the Girl,'' I
rise today to celebrate not only the centennial anniversary of the Girl
Scouts of the USA but the efforts of the Girl Scouts of Massachusetts.
The Girl Scouts, a non-profit organization founded in 1912 by
Juliette Gordon Low, has a longstanding dedication to empowering girls
to become the leaders of tomorrow. From Daisies to Ambassadors, Girl
Scouts have been learning, through hands-on activities, the importance
of community service, goal-setting, and personal development for 100
years. Our two councils, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts and
the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, must be honored
for their exemplary success and dedication to providing generations of
girls with the tools they need to succeed in our rapidly changing
world.
Throughout the Bay State, the Girl Scout program has provided over
50,000 girls with the opportunity to develop leadership skills,
including in science, technology, engineering, and math. Girl Scouts in
Massachusetts have partnered with educational institutions in the
Commonwealth and the Society of Women Engineers to create activities
that would encourage girls to pursue education in science and
technology. For example, Girl Scouts teamed up with an engineer to
build a looping roller coaster using household items. Additionally,
Junior Scouts designed a space station and launched mini-rockets. Such
learning experiences are essential to inspiring future generations of
our State's innovators.
Mr. President, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I ask
my colleagues to join me in congratulating Girl Scouts in Massachusetts
on their accomplishments. On their 100th anniversary today, it is an
honor and a pleasure to recognize the valuable contributions that Girl
Scouts have provided in Massachusetts, across the Nation, and across
the world. I wish their continued success in empowering our Nation's
future leaders.
Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or
debate, and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in
the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 310) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 310
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
[[Page S1581]]
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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