She Was A True Trailblazer Who Ended Up Founding The Girl Scouts
Were you a Girl Scout as a kid? Being a Girl Scot is an excellent way for young women to learn survival skills, how to participate in charity projects, and of course, allows them to sell some delicious cookies.
But do you know the woman who founded the Girl Scouts?
Her name was Juliette Gordon Low, and she was quite the trailblazer.
Juliette was born to an affluent family in Savannah, Georgia, in 1860. She was one of six children and commonly referred to as Daisy in her family. Growing up, Juliette loved art and poetry. She participated in performances with her cousins, who founded their own newspaper together.
While she was a student, Juliette founded the Happy Hands Club, which was dedicated to helping others.
In 1886, Juliette married William Mckay Low, who was born in Savannah but lived in England. After they married, she moved to England with him, and they socialized amongst many aristocratic British families.
Although their marriage ultimately failed, Savannah used the money she had received from William to purchase her own home in the early 1900s. William passed away before they could finalize a divorce.
In 1911, at a social gathering in England, Juliette met Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts. She was so inspired by his organization and wanted something similar for young girls. So in Scotland, she ran a troop of “Girl Guides,” who would eventually be known as Girl Scouts.
Juliette ran multiple Girl Guides troops in Europe before bringing the organization to the United States in 1912. She wanted to encourage young American girls to learn self-sufficiency and embrace their passions.
wavebreak3 – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
The first American Girl Guides troop was established in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. The troop consisted of some of her relatives, and 18 girls were inducted in March.
The Girl Guides went against social norms and invited girls of all social backgrounds to join the troops. Juliette began placing the advertisements for the Girl Guide troops, and Lord Robert Baden-Powell put her in touch with others who would work as troop leaders in different parts of the country.
The following year, the organization had a National headquarters set up, and the name was changed to Girl Scouts. The first American Girl Scout handbook, How Girls Can Help Their Country, was published the same year.
Juliette put everything she had into advocating for Girl Scouts and expanding the organization nationwide. By 1925, there were over 90,000 Girl Scouts in the US. Then, after World War I, the Girl Scouts went international. In 1920, the Girl Scouts declared October 31st, Juliette’s birthday, as Founder’s Day.
Throughout the early 1920s, Juliette began her harsh battle with breast cancer. She underwent many surgeries and treatments while continuing to support the Girl Scouts and spread the word about all the outstanding work troops were doing in the world.
She kept working until she succumbed to cancer and died in 1927 at 66. Hundreds of Girl Scouts attended Juliette’s funeral, and her legacy lives on today. In 2012, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Thanks to Juliette, Girl Scouts are still working harder than ever and finding ways to care for others in our ever-changing world.
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