Happy Girl Scout Day

Whether you were one, raised one or always wanted to be one, chances are good you've known one or two of them. And chances are even better you've enjoyed a few of their famous cookies over the years!

March 12 is Girl Scout Day, an annual event that celebrates the founding of the Girl Scouts of the USA organization. Founder Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low officially registered the first troop on this day back in 1912. 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, took place in that very first meeting more than 100 years ago.

Low's vision helped shape girls' lives for over a century. Not only was a school, federal building and a ship eventually named in her honor, Low was not only inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame., President Barack Obama posthumously awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Juliette Gordon Low died from breast cancer in 1927.

Since its inception, the organization has been making a difference in the lives of young girls. Besides making new friends, the Girl Scout organization also helps girls develop leadership and decision-making skills. According to the mission statement, "girl scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place."

The organization has grown by leaps-and-bounds over the years. From less than 20 girls in 1912, the organization grew to nearly 70,000 in 1920. Today, there are more than 3 million girls and women who are members of the "largest educational organization for girls in the world." More than 59 million girls and women are Girl Scout alumnae and two-thirds of America’s most accomplished women were Girl Scouts.

Happy Girl Scout Day!