The Girl Scouts of the USA has empowered millions of young women since its founding, creating a legacy of leadership, courage, and community service that continues to this day. Behind this transformative organization stands a remarkable visionary whose determination forever changed how girls view their potential and place in society.
Juliette Gordon Low: The Founder and Visionary
Juliette Gordon Low, affectionately known as “Daisy” to her friends and family, founded the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1912. Born in Savannah, Georgia, on October 31, 1860, Juliette came from a family that valued education and civic responsibility—values that would later become cornerstones of the Girl Scout movement.
Imagine this scene: a woman in her fifties, partially deaf due to a freak accident years earlier, returning from England with an audacious idea that would challenge the limited roles available to young women at the time. That was Juliette in 1912, filled with purpose and vision after meeting Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts.
The First Meeting and Early Growth
On March 12, 1912, Juliette gathered 18 girls for the first Girl Scout meeting in Savannah. “I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all America, and all the world,” she reportedly said. And indeed, she did.
What started in her carriage house with those 18 pioneering girls has blossomed into an organization with millions of members. By 2025, experts project Girl Scout programs will have influenced more than 50 million women in America alone since its inception.
A Progressive Vision for Her Time
What makes Juliette’s story so remarkable is the context in which she operated. In 1912, women couldn’t even vote in national elections. Yet here was Juliette, creating an organization that taught girls they could do anything—from traditional homemaking skills to wilderness survival, from science to citizenship.
I’ve often thought about how radical this must have seemed. While society told girls to prepare for domestic life, Juliette was organizing hiking trips and teaching them how to change tires and understand business principles.
The Legacy That Continues
Juliette passed away in 1927, but her vision endures. The organization she created has evolved with the times while maintaining its core values of courage, confidence, and character.
When you see Girl Scouts selling cookies today, you’re witnessing Juliette’s entrepreneurship lessons in action. Those cookie sales aren’t just about raising funds—they’re teaching business skills, goal-setting, and public interaction.
Beyond the Founder
While Juliette Gordon Low unquestionably invented the Girl Scouts, the organization’s continued relevance speaks to how subsequent leaders have honored her vision while adapting to changing times. By 2025, the Girl Scouts will have introduced new badges in cybersecurity, space science, and environmental stewardship—fields Juliette could never have imagined but whose exploration perfectly embodies her forward-thinking spirit.
The next time you encounter a Girl Scout, remember you’re seeing the living legacy of a woman who believed girls deserved every opportunity to develop their talents and serve their communities. In that way, Juliette didn’t just invent an organization—she helped invent a new future for generations of young women.
