[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 3325-3326]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE GIRL SCOUTS ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR 90TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 14, 2002

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to pay tribute 
to the Girl Scouts on their 90th Anniversary.
  The Girl Scouts are the world's preeminent organization dedicated 
solely to girls--all girls. In a nurturing environment, girls are able 
to build character and skills for success in the real world. Girl 
Scouting began on March 12, 1912, when founder Juliette Gordon Low 
assembled 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, for a local Girl Scout 
meeting. She believed that all girls should be given the opportunity to 
develop physically, mentally, and spiritually.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, that small group of 18 girls from Savannah has 
blossomed into 3.8 million Girl Scouts nationwide. The Detroit Metro 
Girl Scouts currently have 32,000 girls

[[Page 3326]]

involved and it just keeps growing. Not only have the Girl Scouts 
continued their dedication to building good citizens and leaders, but 
their organization has established a research institute, received 
government funding to address violence prevention and is addressing the 
digital divide with activities that encourage girls to pursue careers 
in science, math and technology. The Detroit Metro Girl Scouts have set 
up a program with Lawrence Technological Institute in Detroit, Michigan 
to further the involvement of young women in the field of technology.
  In the Girl Scouts, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of 
girls together, through a myriad of experiences, such as extraordinary 
field trips, sports skill-building clinics, community service projects, 
environmental stewardships and numerous other character building 
activities. They provide young women with the opportunity to build a 
strong mind, body, and spirit through various programs dealing with 
nutrition, diet, exercise and several other health campaigns including 
the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Child Health Day.
  Mr. Speaker, the Girl Scouts are an asset to communities all over the 
United States. I want to thank them for their tireless effort to 
provide young women with the personal, emotional and intellectual 
foundation that is essential for building good citizens and leaders. On 
the occasion of their 90th Anniversary, I would like to ask all my 
colleagues to salute the Detroit Metro Girl Scouts and their fellow 
Girl Scouts across the country.

                          ____________________