History of Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts of the USA
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Girl Scouts of the United States of America

Headquarters New York, New York
Country United States
Founded March 12, 1912
Founder Juliette Gordon Low
Membership 2,504,962 youth
896,298 adults (2008)[1]
CEO Kathy Cloninger
Affiliation World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
Website
http://www.girlscouts.org/
Scouting portal
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls."[2] The Girl Scout program, which developed from the concerns of the progressive movement in the United States, sought to promote the social welfare of young women and was formed as a counterpart to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and is based on the Scouting principles developed by Robert Baden-Powell.

GSUSA uses the Scout method to build self-esteem and to teach values such as honesty, fairness, courage, compassion, character, sisterhood, confidence, and citizenship through activities including camping, community service, learning first aid, and earning numerous badges by acquiring other practical skills. Girl Scouts' achievements are recognized through rank advancement and by various special awards. GSUSA has programs for girls with special interests, such as water-based activities.

Membership is organized according to age group with activities designed appropriately for each level. The GSUSA is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), and has a long history of accepting girls from all backgrounds.

In 1994, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, an industry publication, released the results of the largest study of charitable and non-profit organization popularity and credibility conducted by Nye Lavalle & Associates. The study showed that the Girl Scouts was ranked as the 8th "most popular charity/non-profit in America" of over 100 charities researched with 41% of Americans over the age of 12 choosing Love and Like A lot for the Girl Scouts .[