The Girl Scouts were founded on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia. What began as 18 girls grew into a movement that today encompasses more than three million members and 50 million alumnae. For 100 years, the Girl Scouts of the USA has been helping girls build the courage, confidence, and character they need to become outstanding leaders in their communities. I am very happy to wish the Girl Scouts a happy 100th anniversary, and I wish them many more years of community service projects, cultural exchanges, environmental stewardships, and all of the other programs that the Girl Scouts offers girls across the country.
Yesterday, I was thrilled to join the Girl Scouts for a 100th anniversary celebration on the Westport Town Hall Green. The celebration included nearly 100 scouts and 30 adults; we raised the flag, sang a song together, and listened to a proclamation read by Selectwoman Shelly Kassen. It was a fantastic event that allowed us to take a moment to reflect on all of the work that the Girl Scouts has done over the past 100 years, and look forward to more successes in the future.
The Girl Scouts has declared that 2012 is the “Year of the Girl” – a celebration of girls, recognition of their leadership potential, and a commitment to creating a coalition of organizations and individuals to support balanced leadership in the workplace and in communities across the country. I’m very happy to cosponsor legislation in support of this effort. H.Res 460 expresses support for the Year of the Girl, congratulates the Girl Scouts on its 100th anniversary, and recognizes the importance of empowering girls to lead with courage, confidence, and character.
Once again, congratulations to the Girl Scouts for a century of helping girls achieve excellence.