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Girl Scouts Celebrates 96th Birthday
More than 50 million American women have been a part
of Girl Scouting since its inception—and that number continues to grow as Girl Scouts continues to inspire, challenge,
and empower girls everywhere. For Girl Scouting, March is the time to celebrate an incredible movement and to reflect
upon its roots and achievements on behalf of millions of girls.
Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low assembled
18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, on March 12, 1912, for a local Girl Scout meeting. She believed that all girls should be
given the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. With the goal of bringing girls out of isolated home
environments and into community service and the open air, Girl Scouts hiked, played basketball, went on camping trips, learned
how to tell time by the stars, and studied first aid.
Within a few years, Daisy's dream for a girl-centered
organization was realized. Today, Girl Scouts of the USA has a membership of nearly four million girls and adults, a significant
growth from its modest beginnings nearly a century ago.
Girl Scouting in Southern California has been active since
the beginning of the national movement and Mt. Wilson Vista Council has long been a vibrant and active partner in making the
program available to all girls. Girl Scouting has grown with the times, and today’s girls are involved with innovative
programs exploring science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); are becoming tomorrow’s leaders through premier
leadership development programs, and are continuing to give countless hours of community service through outstanding Gold
Award projects and other unique grassroots efforts.
Here is brief history of the council’s
evolution:
March 12, 1912: Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. is founded by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah,
Georgia.
1920s - 1950s: Separate “community councils,” run by volunteers are established
in most cities.
March 16, 1950: Girl Scouts of the USA is chartered by the U.S. Congress.
1950s:
The GSUSA Green Umbrella program merges “community councils” into regional councils with paid professional staff.
1950s - 1960s: There are now four regional councils in the west San Gabriel Valley -
Glendale, El Monte, Pasadena and Santa Anita.
March 1, 1968: 10,000 people gather at Pasadena’s
Rose Bowl to celebrate the establishment of a new council, The Sierra Madres Girl Scout Council, formed as a merger between
the Pasadena, Glendale, and Santa Anita Girl Scout Councils.
April 1, 1992: The Council changes
its name to Girl Scouts - Mt. Wilson Vista Council to better reflect its full jurisdiction.
Today:
Girl Scouts - Mt. Wilson Vista Council serves more than 9,000 girls in 23 communities throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
The future of Girl Scouting in Southern California is bright and full of promise.
By December 1, 2008 Girl Scouts - Mt. Wilson Vista Council will merge with five other Los Angeles area Girl Scout Councils
to become a single council serving Greater Los Angeles. This historic transformation marks the beginning of a strengthened
organization committed to building girls of courage, confidence and character well into the next century!
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