United States Youth Group: Girlm Scouts USA

Figure 1.-- Here we see a Girl Scout troop participating in a Memorial Day parade. The are wearing the summer uniform of beret, white blouse, and skirt with a cross tie rathrr than a kerchief. Notice the white gloves fo formality. A Boy Scout troop follows them. The square format snap shot is not dated, but it looks like the late-1960s to us, perhaops the early-70s.

As in Britain, as soon as the Boy Scouts of America were founded (1909) girls were also found to be interested in joining a scouting-type youth group. In Britain the girls group was called guides to reasure parents that were skeptical about a rough scouting type organization for their daughters. Americans were haopy to retain the scouting name for a girl's youth organization. Juliette Low would be the the main force behind organizing girls' scouting in America. Juliette was an adventuresome girl, but lost most of her hearing in chilhood. She married the wealthy William Mackay Low (1886). Theu lived in both America (Georgia) and Britain. hile in Britain she watched the grouth of both boy scouting and girl guiding. Shemet with Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting (1911). She proceeded to found the Girl Scouts of merica (1912). Unlike the Voy Scouts, gierl scouts groups had not begun to organjize before the nationsl organization was founded. One element from the bginning that the BSA was slow to adopt was to make room for children with disabilities in the organization. She saw the GSUSA as a way to empower girls at a time that women did not yet the right to vote in many states. Girl Scouts offered a program to prepares girls to empower themselves and promotes compassion, courage, confidence, character, leadership, entrepreneurship, and active citizenship through activities involving camping, community service, and learning first aid. Like the BSA, an important part of the program was earning merit badges by learing practical skills. Girl Scouts' achievements are recognized with various special awards, including the Girl Scout Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards. Girl Scouts are age groups with activities designed for each level. GSUSA is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and accepts girls of all backgrounds. The BSA in the late-20 century showed itself interested uin merging with the Girl Scouts. The GSUSA has, however, adanently insisted onm mntaining separate identity. The BSA in recent years has increasigly become a church sponsored organization. GSUSA has not shifted to the same extent as the BSA.