Juliette Gordon Low - A Hero to All People: By CEO Loretta Graham
Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon Low is remembered as an icon of American history. Each October, Girl Scouts worldwide celebrate Founders Day, which marks her birthday on October 31. She is also widely honored during Girl Scout Week in March. Hear from CEO Loretta Graham about why Low is an incredible woman, and why her legacy is still invaluable today.
Known as the founder of Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low was born on October 31, 1860. She created the largest and most successful organization for girls in the world. She is best remembered for her determination and tireless efforts to promote and sustain the organization through the early part of the twentieth century.
She started by enrolling a group of 18 girls. Ahead of her time, Low broke many social taboos by accepting girls from different ethnic, economic, and social groups, including anyone with a disability.
Her focus from the outset was to impart leadership skills and personal growth for each and every girl. Low was an energetic person with a wide range of contacts, and she used all her resources to raise awareness of the movement. The movement multiplied, and Low continued working to promote the organization.
So, when an organization has been around for more than 100 years, it’s natural to look back to its humble beginnings and see what progress has been made towards its mission during that time. In 1908, Henry Ford’s company drove its first Model T automobile off of his Detroit, Michigan assembly line…and changed the world forever. The cost of a 1912 model was an affordable $859 and gas prices ranged from 18 - 21¢ per gallon. These prices really put into perspective how long ago 100 years was, don’t they?!
But the Girl Scout mission hasn’t changed since 1912. It remains to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. And it’s still the premier leadership organization for girls and experts on their growth and development.
Founder Juliette Gordon Low firmly believed that EVERY girl should be able to become a Girl Scout and it went without saying that diversity, respect for differences, and inclusiveness were important aspects of the Girl Scout program. Decades before the civil rights movement, African American girls were active Girl Scouts. Despite immigration controversies, Hispanic and Asian girls earned badges and joined troops all over the country.
With Girl Scouts in nearly every residential urban, suburban, and rural zip code in this country, membership reflects the rich diversity of our nation. It is socioeconomically diverse and inclusive of all racial and ethnic groups.
Just like in the time of Juliette Gordon Low, the world is being recreated. And now as we look at diversity, let us all embrace it. Girl Scouts serves as the foundation to break down societal barriers that are hindering us from being that One Nation Under God with Liberty and Justice for all.
Low’s impact continues to have a ripple effect that is still felt today. She has been awarded numerous posthumous awards for her efforts. Low was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and in 2012, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
All of our lives have a purpose, and it is not about what we do for ourselves; it is about what we are doing for others.
Thank you, Juliette Gordon Low, for being a hero to ALL people.
