[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4119]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               ON THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GIRL SCOUTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2002

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations 
on two momentous occasions for an organization that has made a 
difference in the lives of girls and women around the nation. In the 
same year that the local Black Hawk Council chapter of the Girl Scouts 
in Madison, Wisconsin celebrates 75 years of scouting, the Girl Scouts 
of the USA are celebrating 90 years of ``helping girls grow strong.''
  Girl scouting began on March 12, 1912, when Juliette Gordon Low 
assembled 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia for a local Girl Scout 
meeting. Low believed that all girls should be given the opportunity to 
develop physically, mentally and spiritually. Today, 3.7 million 
strong, the Girl Scouts continue to carry out their goal by encouraging 
girls to discover and develop their full potential. They focus on 
empowerment of girls by engaging in cultural exchanges, going on field 
trips, participating in community service projects, and learning about 
non-traditional fields for women such as science and technology.
  The Girl Scouts emphasize that their mission is to help all girls 
grow strong. They emphasize that Girl scouting is available to every 
girl in every community, reaching beyond racial, ethnic, socioeconomic 
and geographic boundaries. I experienced this first-hand when I was a 
girl scout in the Black Hawk Council as a girl in Madison. I continue 
to support the Girl Scouts as a member of ``Troop Capitol Hill.''
  While the main focus of Girl Scouts is to help girls grow, there is 
something for everyone to learn from the Girl Scout Law, which states:

       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 . . .

  I wholeheartedly congratulate the Black Hawk Council of Madison for 
75 years of empowering girls, and the Girl Scouts of the USA for 90 
years of community service, education, and leadership.

                          ____________________