On Monday, Girl Scouts turned 106—that’s over a century’s worth of amazing G.I.R.L.s (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™—and it all started when Juliette Gordon Low officially registered Girl Scouts’ first 18 members in Savannah, Georgia. Though Girl Scout Week wraps up this Saturday, there’s still time to show off your Girl Scout spirit and celebrate our shared sisterhood! Here are a few activities you can do with your troop.
Learn more about our founder
What better way to pay tribute to Girl Scouts than to honor the woman who started it all, and the place where it all began? In 1953, Juliette Gordon Low’s birthplace was saved from potential demolition and was restored. It now stands as a National Historic Landmark. Dorothy Stratton, the national executive director of Girl Scouts at the time, envisioned the birthplace as an opportunity “for girls to talk about their dreams, their ambitions. Here, girls from all parts of the USA and from neighboring countries to the north and south, as well as from distant lands, may play and work and think together.” You can visit the birthplace in person to learn more about Juliette’s life (troop trip, anyone?). For those who can’t make it down to Savannah, explore the legacy of Juliette Gordon Low online through the Georgia Historical Society.
Write a letter to Daisy
Juliette (aka “Daisy”) loved literature and understood the power of being able to tell one’s own story. The history of the beginning of Girl Scouts is preserved in many letters, diaries, and poems that Juliette Gordon Low wrote and collected throughout her life. Write a letter to Daisy. How are you living out the Girl Scout Promise and Law? How do you envision the next 106 years of Girl Scouts?
Be an innovator
Girl Scouts is Juliette Gordon Low’s most famous “invention,” but did you know that she also filed a patent for something called the Pluto Bag? It was meant to be a stand-up trash can for liquids (who knew?). See Juliette’s original patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Use their template to recreate the original Pluto Bag yourself. What practical applications would the bag have today? How could you improve on the Pluto Bag? Looking for more ways to be an innovator? Work on a STEM badge, and check out our council’s STEM events!
Explore and preserve the outdoors
Girl Scouts and the outdoors go hand-in-hand. Juliette believed that developing outdoor skills was an integral part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. She established the first Girl Scout camp in 1922 in Cloudland, GA (she got there by mule train!). Curious about what some of the first Girl Scout troops brought with them to camp? See a packing list from the 1930s. Head outside (feel free to leave those heavy wool blankets at home!) and preserve our natural treasures through the Girl Scout Ranger Program.
How did you show your Girl Scout spirit this week? We’d love to hear from you—share your storyies and photos with us!
Lily Yu – Lily is a Volunteer Resource Specialist at River Valleys. She earned her BA in comparative literature and Japanese from Hamilton College and has a background in publishing and advertising. Though she wasn’t a Girl Scout growing up, Lily is making up for lost time by leading her daughter’s Daisy troop (who’s more excited to work on petals and Journeys—it could go either way!). In her free time, she enjoys going for long walks, reading, and spending time with her family.