Local Girl Scouts Celebrate Organization’s 100-Year Anniversary

More than 400 people descended onto Ost Field Monday night to commemorate the 100th birthday of the Girl Scout Organization.

Daisy, Brownie and Girl Scout troops and leaders from Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Inverness and parts of Barrington and Hoffman Estates attended the event, along with parents and 50 alumnae.

The celebration included a flag ceremony, the reciting of the Girl Scout Law, songs and a Friendship Circle where everyone locked arms and reflected on the rich history of the organization.

At precisely 7:12 p.m., a moment of silence was observed to honor the exact minute the organization is believed to have begun on March 12, 1912.

The founding principles are to provide learning and leadership opportunities for girls, while helping them positively contribute to society and develop lasting relationships.

Vera Muir is one of the many alumna who attended the celebration,
and whose history with the Girl Scouts dates back to the late 1950s.  

“We learned about team work, how to become leaders and how to do things we wouldn’t have otherwise learned at home; for me the confidence
scouting gave me carried in to my young adult life and has always stayed with me,” Muir said. "I also had so much fun with the friends I made."

“One of the best things to see is when the girls become more independent and able to problem-solve after a campout weekend,” said Pam Maloney, who has been involved as a Girl Scout and troop leader for more than
25 years.

The charitable mission of Girl Scouts also continues.

“The girls set a goal to make a difference in the community, but the projects have to be sustainable,” said Renee Messick, a Palatine Girl Scout troop leader.

Local troops have prepared food for Journey from PADS to Hope, worked on restoration projects at Deer Grove Forest Preserve, collected
food donations for the food pantry and for children in Haiti as well as filling Christmas stockings for Illinois children.

Carlee Svec, a Girl Scout completing her Silver Project decided to combine her love for dance with her goal to give to others.   

“I teach Hip Hop and Jazz to kindergarten through sixth graders-it makes me feel like I am helping people learn and that I have a positive purpose in life,” Svec said.

To mark the 100th anniversary, the Girl Scout organization is sponsoring a 'Rock the Mall’ celebration in Washington D.C. on June 9.                                    

Palatine resident and Girl Scout MaryEtta Brigham is one of 200,000 Girl Scouts across the country who sold at least 2,012 boxes of cookies. Her prize along with the other 199,999 other girls was an invitation to the celebration.

“It makes me feel happy that I wanted this and reached my goal,” Brigham said.

Brigham’s mother Maggie beamed with pride.

“I’m ecstatic for my daughter-she decided she wanted to do this and she did it-I know that Girl Scouts are a very big reason she had the confidence to succeed,” Brigham said.

When asked why she believed the organization has succeeded for a century, a Palatine troop leader embarking on her first year in the role offered her insight.

“I think Girl Scouts have lasted because it fills a need for girls to have the chance to experience new things-we let them explore and that ultimately helps them determine who they will become someday,” said Monica Barclay, a Lake Louise School troop leader.

In Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, there are close to 87,000 girls and 24,000 adults involved.

Daisies are in kindergarten and first grade; then girls then become Brownies until fifth grade.  They can continue moving up in the ranks as Girls Scouts until the twelfth grade at the final stage of ambassador.

Since the first meeting back in 1912, more than 50 million girls have participated in Girl Scouts.

For more information, visit www.girlscouts.org.