[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 43 (Thursday, March 17, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1601-S1602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





SENATE RESOLUTION 406--RECOGNIZING THE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE UNITED STATES 
 OF AMERICA ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD, THE 
 HIGHEST AWARD IN THE GIRL SCOUTS, WHICH HAS STOOD FOR EXCELLENCE AND 
               LEADERSHIP FOR GIRLS EVERYWHERE SINCE 1916

  Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Capito, Ms. 
Baldwin, Ms. Ayotte, and Mr. Schumer) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 406

       Whereas each girl who pursues the Girl Scout Gold Award 
     aspires to transform an original idea and vision for change 
     into an actionable plan with far reaching and sustainable 
     results;
       Whereas for more than a century preceding the date of 
     adoption of this resolution, the Girl Scouts of the United 
     States of America (referred to in this preamble as the ``Girl 
     Scouts'') has inspired girls to lead with courage, 
     confidence, and character;
       Whereas the Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest 
     form of the ideals of courage, confidence, and character;
       Whereas the Girl Scout Gold Award calls on a Girl Scout in 
     grades 9 through 12 to take on a project that has a 
     measurable and sustainable impact on the community of the 
     Girl Scout by--
       (1) assessing a need;
       (2) designing a solution to the need;
       (3) completing the project; and
       (4) inspiring others to sustain the project;
       Whereas the highest award in Girl Scouting honors 
     leadership in the tradition of the Girl Scouts;
       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 group 
     of girls with an opportunity to develop physically, 
     intellectually, socially, and spiritually;
       Whereas the goals of Juliette ``Daisy'' Gordon Low were to 
     bring girls of all backgrounds together 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 shortly after the inception of the Girl Scout 
     movement, it was decided that there should be a special 
     recognition for each girl who--
       (1) represents the very best of the Girl Scouts; and
       (2) through courage, tenacity, dedication, and skill, takes 
     action in her community with an immediate and sustainable 
     impact;
       Whereas, in 1916, the Golden Eaglet was introduced as the 
     highest award in Girl Scouting;
       Whereas the highest award in Girl Scouting has been known 
     as the Golden Eaglet, the Curved Bar Award, First Class, and, 
     for the period of 35 years preceding the date of adoption of 
     this resolution, the Girl Scout Gold Award;
       Whereas although the name of the highest award in Girl 
     Scouting has changed over the years, the conviction, 
     dynamism, and idealism it takes to earn the award have not;
       Whereas the Girl Scout Gold Award, like each girl who earns 
     the award and the project the girl undertakes--
       (1) stands as an enduring symbol of the fortitude and 
     personal strength of a Girl Scout; and
       (2) clearly demonstrates the tangible, real-world impact 
     that participation in the Girl Scouts can have on the life of 
     a girl, and by extension, the community of the girl and the 
     world;
       Whereas earning the Girl Scout Gold Award is comparable to 
     achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of 
     America;
       Whereas a girl who earns the Girl Scout Gold Award--
       (1) joins an elite group of less than 6 percent of Girl 
     Scouts each year; and
       (2) may be eligible for a higher grade when enlisting in 
     the Armed Forces of the United States or for scholarships at 
     certain institutions of higher education;
       Whereas according to a study of the Girl Scout Research 
     Institute entitled ``The Power of the Girl Scout Gold Award: 
     Excellence in Leadership and Life'', recipients of the Girl 
     Scout Gold Award, compared to nonrecipient peers--
       (1) report a more positive sense of self;
       (2) are more engaged civically and in community service;
       (3) have more confidence in their leadership abilities; and
       (4) experience greater life satisfaction and success;
       Whereas the Girl Scout Gold Award acknowledges the power 
     and dedication of each young woman to better herself and to 
     make the world a better place for other individuals;
       Whereas during the century preceding the date of adoption 
     of this resolution, millions of Girl Scout alumnae have 
     positively impacted their communities and the world with 
     creative, effective, and sustainable Take Action projects; 
     and
       Whereas in the centennial of the Girl Scout Gold Award, the 
     Girl Scouts invites alumnae and supporters of the Girl Scouts 
     everywhere to ``Celebrate 100 Years of Changing the World'': 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the remarkable impact that recipients of the 
     Girl Scout Gold Award during the century preceding the date 
     of adoption of this resolution have had on--
       (A) the lives of individuals in the United States; and
       (B) the world;
       (2) recognizes the lasting impact of the projects of 
     recipients of the Girl Scout Gold Award on the communities of 
     the recipients;
       (3) congratulates the Girl Scouts of the United States of 
     America and Girl Scout Gold Award recipients everywhere on 
     the centennial of the Girl Scout Gold Award; and
       (4) joins the Girl Scouts of the United States of America 
     in celebrating 100 years of the Girl Scout Gold Award.

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today not only to recognize the 
104th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, but also the 100th anniversary of 
the Girl Scout Gold Award. The Gold Award is the most prestigious award 
in Girl Scouting, only comparable to the Boy Scouts of America's Eagle 
Scout recognition.
  Approximately one million Girl Scouts have earned this prestigious 
award. Girls who pursue their Gold Award aspire to transform an idea 
and vision for change into an actionable plan with measurable, 
sustainable, and far-reaching results. Since 1916, Gil Scouts have been 
planning and executing significant projects in response to pressing 
community needs. The Gold Award has inspired girls in Maryland and 
across the country to find greatness inside themselves and share their 
ideas and passions with their communities.
  I love the Girl Scouts. I loved being a Girl Scout, especially when 
working on my badges. Those badges I earned served as symbols for 
success, leadership, and service to my community. It was during my time 
as a Girl Scout that I learned about the values and attitudes that 
serve as good guides throughout life, like courage, confidence, and 
strong character to help make the world a better place.
  I also loved the camaraderie of working with other girls on various 
challenges. It really is about friendship. I am so proud to be among 
the more than 59 million women in the United States who are alumnae of 
the Girl Scouts of America. I could not have done it without the 
support of Ms. Helen Nimick, my Girl Scout leader. In fact, I wanted to 
grow up and be just like Ms. Nimick. She seemed to know how to do 43 
different things with oatmeal boxes.
  The Girl Scouts is an organization that has meant so much to me, and 
to this country. What started out as a group of eighteen girls in 
Georgia organized by Juliette Gordon Low has grown into an organization 
of more than 2 million girls and women, with over 800,000 adult 
volunteers. When the Girl Scouts started, women were not allowed to 
vote or have property in their name, and only few ever made it to 
college.
  The founding of the Girl Scouts started a revolutionary movement to 
train and educate girls. Now, it is working to bring gender balance to 
leadership roles, whether it is in business or politics. I believe in 
that mission, and I know we can do it. While we have a long ways to go, 
we certainly have made progress. When I came to the Senate almost 30 
years ago, there were only two women--Senator Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas 
and myself. Today, there are 20 women in the Senate! Nearly 45 years 
ago, there was only one woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company; now there 
are 23.
  I bring the lessons I learned from Girl Scouts with me to the United 
States Senate, every day and in every way. I love the Girl Scout 
promise: ``To serve God and my country, to help people at all times, 
and to live by the Girl Scout law.'' To this day, I still carry the 
Girl Scout law in my wallet. I believe that if you follow the Girl 
Scout law, you're in pretty good shape--it has certainly worked for me. 
``I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, 
considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what 
I say and what I do, and to respect myself and others, to respect 
authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be 
a sister to every Girl Scout, and a sister to every Boy Scout.''
  While I am in the Senate now, in many ways I am still working on my 
badges. But instead of working on my cookie badge, the badges I am 
working on now are called ``ending gender discrimination in health 
care,'' ``guaranteeing equal pay for equal work,'' and ``promoting 
access to quality and affordable child care.''

[[Page S1602]]

  In today's hectic and increasingly uncertain world, Girl Scouts are 
more important than ever before. The Girl Scouts are an important 
contribution to American society--they prepare the leaders of tomorrow, 
and every day they inspire millions across this country to make the 
world a better place. Ladies, let us put on our badges, square our 
shoulders, suit up, and work together to make a change.

                          ____________________