[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3277-3279]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        CELEBRATING GIRL SCOUTS

  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, I rise today during the 
celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., 
to express my support for this respected organization.
  The mission of the Girl Scouts is to help all girls grow strong. Girl 
Scouting empowers girls to develop to their full potential and to 
develop values that provide the foundation for sound decision-making. 
Scouting teaches girls to relate positively to others and to contribute 
in constructive ways to society.
  Through Girl Scouting, girls acquire self-confidence, learn to take 
on responsibility, and are encouraged to think creatively and act with 
integrity. Girl Scouts take part in activities that teach them about 
science and technology, finance, sports, health and fitness, the arts, 
global awareness, and community service. These experiences allow Girl 
Scouts to develop the qualities that are essential in developing strong 
leaders.
  Perhaps the best proof that Girl Scouting has had an important impact 
on women leaders in our country is the fact that over two-thirds of our 
doctors, lawyers, educators, and community leaders were once Girl 
Scouts.
  I also would like to thank the many volunteers who make the Girl 
Scouts such a successful organization. These mentors and role models 
are essential in providing support to girls and empowering them to 
realize their potential and to achieve.
  I think it is important to take this time today to celebrate and 
recognize the contribution Girl Scouting has made to our society by 
providing positive role models for girls and by encouraging them to 
become good citizens and effective future leaders.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
recognize the Girl Scouts of the USA, as they are celebrating their 
90th anniversary this week. Today, as the result of founder Juliette 
Gordon Low's vision, 2.7 million girls in more than 233,000 troops are 
learning the skills and building the character necessary to make a 
positive impact in the world. It is the Girl Scouts mission to help all 
girls grow strong by empowering them to develop their full potential, 
relate positively to others, and contribute to society. The Girl Scouts 
recognize the importance of training girls to become effective leaders 
by instilling in them strong values, increasing their social awareness, 
giving them responsibilities, and encouraging them to think creatively 
and act with integrity. The Girl Scouts also provide experience and 
instruction through a wide range of activities related to science and 
technology, money management and finance, sports, health and fitness, 
the arts, global awareness, and community service.
  This significant undertaking would not be possible without the 
commitment and sacrifice of Girl Scout adult members. I would like to 
note that 99 percent of the nearly one million adults involved with the 
Girl Scouts are volunteers. Their willingness to invest in the girls of 
America is highly

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commendable and is the kind of service that President Bush has been 
praising and encouraging. It provides a perfect example of the good 
that can be accomplished when dedicated people get involved in their 
communities. More than 50 million Girl Scout alumnae are a testament to 
their success. Over two-thirds of our doctors, lawyers, educators, 
community leaders, and women Members of Congress were once girl scouts, 
as were 64 percent of the women listed in Who's Who of American Women.
  Another facet of the Girl Scouts that makes them so admirable is the 
diverse membership they embrace. Troops can be found in every kind of 
community; girls are not limited by racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, or 
geographic boundaries. The Girl Scouts continue to expand, with troops 
now meeting in homeless shelters, migrant farm camps, and juvenile 
detention facilities. And because of a Girl Scouts initiative, called 
Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, girls can meet in prisons where their mothers 
are incarcerated. In addition to creating more troops, the organization 
has also established a research institute and has received funding to 
address violence prevention.
  The Girl Scouts is an organization that we in this country are very 
proud of. The combination of educational and service-oriented programs 
and exemplary leadership produces the caliber of responsible citizens 
America needs, especially in this time of uncertainty. So today I would 
like to thank the Girl Scouts for their outstanding contribution to our 
society, and I want to express my firm support and congratulations as 
they strive to carry out the mission that was begun 90 years ago.
  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, often when we think of Girl Scouts, we 
think of those delicious cookies that come to our door every year, 
delivered by smiling-faced girls. But we may not realize the positive 
impact Girl Scouts has had on so many women in our society.
  Established by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, Girl Scouts has evolved 
from a group of 18 girls in Savannah, GA to a national membership of 
3.8 million. This week Girl Scouts celebrates its 90th anniversary and 
I want to recognize these exceptional girls and women who work so hard 
to become leaders in our society.
  Currently, more than 50 million women are Girl Scout alumni, over 
two-thirds of which are doctors, lawyers, educators, and community 
leaders. Today, there is even a ``Troop Capitol Hill'' which is made up 
entirely of congresswomen who are honorary Girl Scouts.
  In a time when more positive role models are needed, Girls Scouts 
often become good citizens and strong leaders through learning self-
confidence, responsibility, and the ability to think creatively and act 
with integrity. They also participate in activities that teach them 
about science and technology, money management, sports, health and 
fitness, the arts, global awareness, community service, and much more.
  In my State of Oklahoma, the Girl Scouts--Red Lands Council has 
launched an initiative to serve girls who have special financial and 
educational needs. This project has allowed many girls to become Girl 
Scouts who might not have otherwise had the opportunity.
  Please join me in recognizing this outstanding organization for its 
role in giving today's girls a chance to become tomorrow's leaders.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the Girl 
Scouts of America on celebrating 90 years of making a difference in the 
lives of millions of girls and young women. Founded by Juliette Gordon 
Low on March 12, 1912, the Girl Scouts of America has a long and 
storied tradition of providing girls with the tools they will need to 
be successful members of our communities. America is a better country 
because this organization has led the way in preparing girls for 
leadership roles.
  I have long supported efforts and organizations that help our young 
people deal with the very unique challenges they face. The Girl Scouts 
is an organization that is doing just that. In fact, that is exactly 
the mission of the Girl Scouts. I am proud of the efforts that the Girl 
Scouts has made in understanding and addressing the needs of girls.
  As you know, I believe that we need to do better in teaching math and 
science to our young people. This is particularly true when it comes to 
our girls and young women. I am told that women constitute only 22 
percent of our scientists and engineers in spite of making up 46 
percent of our work force. The Girl Scouts is working successfully to 
change this through the Girls at the Center program, the National 
Science Partnership, the Elliott Wildlife Values Project, and one of 
the newest initiatives, Girls Go Tech. These programs have been very 
successful in helping girls realize their full potential in the areas 
of Math and Science and I look forward to the continued success of 
these programs.
  Another feature of the Girl Scouts that I am excited about is its 
volunteer component. I believe that the Girl Scouts is exactly the type 
of organization that the President has referred to in his call for more 
volunteers. I don't think anyone could disagree when I say that this 
organization is only successful because of the efforts of its 
volunteers. Over 99 percent of the adults involved in the Girl Scouts 
volunteer their time.
  In closing, I want to thank the women who came by my office yesterday 
to share with me the exciting things that the Girl Scouts of America is 
doing in my state of New Mexico. Based on the quality of women who made 
the long trip to our nation's capitol, I am confident in predicting 
much continued success for this organization in our state and in this 
great country.
  Mr. MILLER. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 
contributions an extraordinary organization has had on the lives of 
young women in America. In 1912, the Girl Scouts of America was founded 
in my home State of Georgia by a visionary young lady named Juliette 
Gordon Low. Juliette's hope was to bring girls together in the spirit 
of service and community. Within a few years of the establishment of 
the first troop, the Girl Scouts had expanded to many different cities 
across the country, and had opened their doors to girls of all races 
and backgrounds. Since that time, the Girl Scouts have been a symbol of 
leadership in this country, from their involvement in relief efforts 
during the Great Depression to their activism for civil rights and 
environmental responsibility in the turbulent 60s and 70s. The Girl 
Scouts have celebrated traditional values like volunteerism and have 
taught young women the importance of leadership, financial literacy, 
good health, and global awareness.
  Today, Girl Scouts organizations across America play a role in the 
lives of over 3.7 million young women. On this, the 90th anniversary of 
the creation of the Girl Scouts in Savannah, GA, I wish to recognize 
the vision of Juliette Gordon Low and the contributions of the Girl 
Scouts of America to the development of the intelligent, self-confident 
young women who play such an important role in America today.
  Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, today I would like to take the 
opportunity to honor the Girl Scouts of the United States of America 
for all that they have accomplished for America's young women. This 
week, the Girl Scouts is amazingly celebrating its 90th anniversary, 
and I believe it appropriate that we congratulate all involved with 
this storied institution for having the courage and capability to 
withstand and conquer the hands of time.
  March 12, 1912, Juliette ``Daisy'' Gordon and 18 girls from Savannah, 
Georgia gathered for what was to become the first official meeting of 
the Girl Scouts. Like most great innovators, Juliette Gordon began her 
journey with a very simple and progressive idea. She thoroughly 
believed that every young woman deserves the opportunity to fully 
develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. Today, the Girl Scouts 
of the United States of America has a membership of 3.8 million--2.7 
million girl members and over 900,000 adult members. That small 
southern group of 18 Savannah women has grown over the last 90 years 
into

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the largest organization for girls in the world. Through its membership 
in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Girl Scouts is 
part of the worldwide family of 10 million girls and adults in 140 
countries. They even received a charter from the United States Congress 
in 1950 officially establishing the Girl Scouts of the United States of 
America.
  By enrolling in the Girl Scouts, a young women is afforded the unique 
opportunity to enhance her communication and social skills, to develop 
a strong sense of self, to participate in innovative programs, and to 
foster her creative side. At the different levels of Girl Scouting, 
girls learn relevant and applicable skills relating to science and 
technology, money management and finance, health and fitness, community 
service, sports, and global awareness. These young women are learning 
how to be productive and pro-active citizens, who will some day have 
the chance to change the way the world works. In fact, over two-thirds 
of women doctors, lawyers, educators, community leaders, and members of 
Congress in the United States were once proud participants in the Girl 
Scouts. In 1999 ``Troop Capitol Hill'' was founded to honor those women 
members of Congress who were in the Girl Scouts. Furthermore, 64 
percent of the women listed in the Who's Who of American Women were at 
one point Girl Scouts. The Girl Scouts has found a successful way to 
bring out the best in its young women, and I personally thank the 
leaders and supporters of this great organization for continually 
producing strong and bright young women committed to making this 
country a better place to live.
  I would now like to pay a special tribute to the Girls Scouts of 
Kentucky. In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, over 43,000 girls and 13,000 
adult volunteers participate in the Girl Scouts. In fact, all five of 
my daughters were Girl Scouts and six of my beautiful granddaughters 
are currently learning what it means to live by The Girl Scout Law. 
Girl Scouts of Kentucky has made a substantial effort to reach out to 
young girls who typically might not be able to be involved in the 
program due to monetary issues. They have even gone as far as to 
establish troops in homeless shelters and low-income housing projects. 
The women of Girl Scouts of Kentucky have gone above and beyond their 
call of duty to ensure that every young woman in the Commonwealth has 
the opportunity to realize the vision Juliette Gordon set out in 1912. 
I ask that my fellow colleagues join me in applauding their selfless 
efforts.
  Finally, I would like to share with my colleagues the timeless words 
of The Girl Scout Law.

     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 do and to
         respect myself and others,
         respect authority
         use resources wisely
         make the world a better place, and
         be a sister to every Girl Scout.

  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary 
of the Girl Scouts, I want to take this opportunity to discuss the 
exciting work of the Girl Scouts in New York State. I am proud to 
report that over 190,000 girls participate in New York Girl Scout 
troops, with the help of over 50,000 adult volunteers.
  For 90 years, the Girl Scouts have been hard at work building the 
self-esteem of girls, raising awareness about the importance of public 
service, building character, and developing leadership skills. Today, 
as scouting enters the 21st century, Girl Scouts in New York are 
involved in a series of new projects and outreach efforts.
  Immediately after September 11th, New York troop leaders quickly 
revised a curriculum on tolerance and diversity to include the attack 
on New York and our country. The revised curriculum helped to provide 
local leaders across the State with the tools they needed to help girls 
deal with our national tragedy.
  New York Girl Scouts are reaching out to new members in underserved 
communities. Troop leaders are working through the schools and through 
housing programs to recruit girls who may not be familiar with 
scouting, and to create opportunities for new experiences and 
challenges.
  The Genesee Valley Girl Scouts offer an innovative conflict 
resolution program that provides anger and conflict management training 
for middle school girls referred by school guidance counselors. Role-
playing is used to teach girls a range of peaceful solutions to 
different situations. This program has been a huge success: 88 percent 
of participants maintained or improved school attendance, 72 percent 
maintained or improved their GPA and 82 percent reduced disciplinary 
problems.
  From Buffalo to Chappaqua, from Elmira to Long Island, Girl Scout 
troops across New York are committed to public service projects that 
help instill in our youth the importance of helping others. And girls 
across the State are learning the value of hard work and commitment 
through their efforts to meet the requirements of merit badges.
  Every year in New York, a small number of girls are honored with the 
Gold Award, the highest achievement award given by the Girl Scouts. In 
order to be eligible for a Gold Award, a Girl Scout must first meet the 
requirements of a series of awards that require leadership and work on 
behalf of their community. Gold Award recipients must also design and 
follow through with an extensive community service project. I want to 
take this opportunity to congratulate the New York Gold Award honorees 
for their great public service accomplishments and commitment to 
scouting.
  As a member of the Honorary Congressional Girl Scout Troop and a 
former Girl Scout, I encourage my colleagues to support Girl Scouts in 
the 21st century. I look forward to working with New York Girl Scouts 
to help create opportunities for girls and to encourage youth 
involvement in public service.

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