Vashon Girl Scouts celebrate 100 years

CALLING ALL GIRL SCOUTS!

A group of former Vashon Girl Scout leaders have planned a celebration in honor of the 100th anniversary of Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low’s very first Girl Scout meeting in her Savannah, Georgia, home on March 12, 1912. Please join us at the Vashon Sportsmen’s Club on Sunday, October 28th, 2012, from 1pm to 4pm to share memories of your time as a Girl Scout on Vashon Island and elsewhere. Everyone is welcome!

For more information please contact Carol Slaughter at 463-2274 and Becky Baumgartner at 463-5767 or visit our anniversary page on Facebook, Vashon Girl Scouts.

www.facebook.com/pages/Vashon-Girl-Scouts/299979793369926?sk=wall&filter=1

In 1912, those eighteen brand new Girl Scouts had no way of knowing that they had just paved the way for millions of American girls by showing them a new way to have fun while learning life skills. Within a few years Juliette received requests from women all over the United States asking how to start their own troops and today Girl Scouts USA is home to over 3.2 million girls and adults. For every ten women you know one or more is a former scout. Collectively they will have hundreds of tales to tell about campfires, stargazing, crafts, badges and cookies. Seasoned Scouts can even tell your era by what cookies you sold.

Oh yes, Cookies! It all started with the Trefoil because a woman wanted to make life better for girls.

Scouting has left its mark on American women, thanks to a European’s dream. Sir Robert Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes Baden-Powell, founders of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in Europe, met Juliette Low in 1911. Juliette was immediately inspired and, with the Baden-Powell’s guidance, channeled her considerable energy into the fledgling movement; the cookies came about as the girls earned money for field trips and community projects. Juliette’s vision has left millions of women with fond memories and practical experience. Cookie sales taught my daughter valuable skills that she applies in her life today and for me it was always a pleasant experience to bring a little sweetness to our neighbors and earn money for campouts; Girl Scout cookies literally sell themselves on our little Island. Once baked by hand, Girl Scout Cookies are now made by "Little Brownie Bakers," a collection of bakeries all over the United States that contract with Girl Scouts USA to provide us with the delicious varieties that we all know and love.

More than 50 million women in America are Girl Scout alumnae and some women remain Scouts for a lifetime; Vashon is home to two of them. In 2011 Carol Slaughter and Becky Baumgartner received their 70-year and 55-year pins, respectively, and Vashon Island is home to hundreds of former scouts.

So everyone who spent a year or decades camping, selling cookies and making friends is invited have your cake and cookies too and we’d love to hear about your experiences and share pictures. Dust off your memorabilia, your pictures, your uniforms and come spend an afternoon with the Girl Scouts.

Celebrate a job Well Done!