On this day in 1912, Juliette Gordon Low, nicknamed “Daisy,” gathered the first Girl Scout troop with 18 girls from Georgia. Today, there are approximately 3 million Girl Scouts across the nation.
“Being a Girl Scout is about helping communities and building friendships,” said Alex Olson, a senior at Centennial High School and a Girl Scout. In central Maryland, there are 30,000 girls in almost 2,500 troops.
“I?ve been in Girl Scouts for about 11 years. A lot of it has to do with leadership. It teaches you how to become a better person, and to help others,” said Gina Nastase, a senior at Mount de Sales Academy, who is putting together a dance camp for underprivileged children as part of her Girl Scouts Gold Award project.
The objective of Girl Scouts is clear: to help girls develop “courage, confidence and character.”
On April 19, the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland will honor five Maryland career women who will then be paired with Girl Scouts to spend a day at work with them.
“They will be getting hands-on experience on how these women handle and manage their day-to-day business,” said Danita Terry, spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland.
No matter what her interests and hobbies are, any female can become a Girl Scout.
“The hope is that through the Girl Scouting experience, girls will come out having a respect for each other, and a willingness to be a resourceful and active citizen,” Terry said.
Girl Scout members are, without a doubt, making a large impact on their communities and have been since this day in 1912.
Tina Zou is a senior at Centennial High School. She is an intern with The Baltimore Examiner.
