Abby Connolly
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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