[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''.

                          ____________________