Today we celebrate our 109th year of Girl Scouting!
In honor of our birthday, we thought it would be fitting to share a little bit of history about our founder, Juliette Gordon Low. As you celebrate our Girl Scout birthday today, we encourage you to share this history with your troop and others who would like to know more about how Girl Scouts started!
Juliette Gordon Low was born Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon on October 31, 1860, in Savannah, GA. She was the second of six kids for William Washington Gordon and Eleanor Kinzie Gordon and was called “Daisy” by all her family and friends.
Daisy always had an adventurous side, and she loved animals and active pursuits. She also enjoyed the arts and would write poems and play, and eventually became a skilled painter and sculptor. As a child, she suffered from multiple illnesses and injuries. As a child and young adult, she experienced several ear injuries, resulting in almost total hearing loss.
In 1886, she married William Mackay Low and they divided their time between Great Britain and the United States. Daisy became known for her hostessing and organizing skills, as well as her charitable work. Her husband passed away in 1905.
In 1911, Daisy met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Boy Scouts. The two had a shared passion for the arts and the outdoors. Baden-Powell suggested Daisy should become involved in Girl Guides, the sister group to Boy Scouts. Daisy quickly agreed and started troops in London, England, and in Scotland.
Soon after, Daisy decided that America needed Girl Guides, and in 1912, she returned to Savannah to start it with a group of local girls – including her niece, “Daisy Doots” Gordon. and started with a group of 18 girls from diverse backgrounds. By 1913, the program was growing rapidly and girls themselves decided they wanted to be “Scouts,” so the name was officially changed to Girl Scouts.
There were other girl groups with similar missions, but thanks to the connections Daisy had made, she was able to gather support for Girl Scouts and make it a nationwide effort. By 1923, Girl Scouts were in every state in America – including Alaska, Hawaii, and even Puerto Rico!
On January 17, 1927, Juliette Gordon Low passed away from a long and private struggle with breast cancer. Her legacy has reached millions of girls across multiple countries. Today, Girl Scouts still stands strong and helps girls prepare for leadership!
We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about the amazing woman who founded Girl Scouts! Let us know how your troop is celebrating 109 years of Girl Scouts today by emailing communicationsdept@gsmidtn.org. We would love to share your story!
You can also test the knowledge that you learned about Juliette Gordon Low with this fun trivia quiz!
How Well Do You Know Daisy? Take the Quiz!