In Savannah, Ga., on March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low presided over the first Girl Scouts meeting. Low hoped to teach girls resourcefulness and self-reliance, get them out into their communities and into the open air, as well as prepare them as much for work in professional fields as for homemaking. Eighteen girls were present at that first gathering; today, over 2 million young women worldwide are members of the Girl Scouts, with hundreds of thousands more adults volunteering with the organization.
Early Girl Scouts could earn badges in circuitry and aviation. Apropos of skills that are more desirable in the current economic climate, today's Scouts can earn badges in areas such as budgeting, establishing good credit and comparison shopping.
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