History

Although the history of Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is a short one, it comes from a long and rich heritage of service to girls and adult volunteers in southern Illinois. The Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois began operation on Oct. 1, 2009 when the Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council and the Girl Scouts of Shagbark Council merged to form the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. This merger was part of the Girl Scouts of the USA’s national realignment to strengthen the Girl Scout Movement by creating high capacity councils capable of providing more opportunities for girls, enhanced services, and stronger community partnerships. The Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois serves approximately 14,500 girls and 5,100 adult volunteers in 40 ½ counties throughout southern Illinois.
The Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council served girls and volunteers from 1961 to 2009 and the Girl Scouts of Shagbark Council served girls and volunteers from 1963 to 2009.

Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts’ membership has grown from 18 girls in Savannah, GA, to 3.4 million members throughout the United States, including U.S. territories, and in more than 90 countries through USA Girl Scouts Overseas. In Girl Scouting, girls Discover their values and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world, Connect by caring about, inspiring and teaming with others locally and globally, and Take Action to make the world a better place.