The History of the Girl Scouts
In 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, Juliette Gordon Low thought of something that would bring girls all over the World together and she called it Girl Scouts. Then in 1915 scattered troops came together for a Nation wide organization and began holding annual conventions, and established a system of national training schools for the Leaders. Numbers of colleges and institutions of higher learning had offered Girl Scouts Leadership Training Courses for young women and many universities began offering scholarships (money for colleges) for Girl Scouts. The Executive Board inaugurated a fund raising to finance the organization and relieve the burden of Juliette Gordon Low. Then, a National Director position was funded. In 1917, the organization charted the 1st Girl Scout Council in Toledo, Ohio; the first troop for disabled girls met in New York City, New York; the first Girls Scout Troops were formed in Hawaii and the first Black troop began.
Membership further diversified with the establishment of the Native American Girl Scout troop in 1921 outside of Syracuse, New York and the organization of the first troop of Mexican-American girls sometime in 1922 in Houston, Texas.
Then the United States entered World War I. The Girl Scouts served their country on their home front, working in different hospitals, growing vegetables, and selling defense bonds. After the war came, The Golden Eaglet, a feature film about Girl Scouting, shown in theaters across the country and The American Girl, earlier called the rally, a popular magazine for younger girls and women were issued.
By 1929, membership was over 200,000. The Kiaki uniform was replaced with a green uniform, and Girl Scout camps were setting national standards for safety and health. The severe economic hardships of the Great Depression in the 1930's tested the resourcefulness of the organization and it's members. Girl Scouts proved worthy of the challenge as they joined the relief effort, collecting food, toys, clothes, etc. volunteered in hospitals;and worked on community canning projects. In 1936 the national Girl Scout organization baker and produce that would be sold by Girls from their Girl Scout Council. Then in 1937, more than 125 Girl Scout councils reported holding cookies sales. With the coming of the war in the early 1940's, Girl Scout again served on their home front, collecting fat and scrap metal and growing victory gardens.
