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House Passes Resolution Commending the Girl Scouts of the USA

On March 12, the House passed, by voice vote, a resolution (H. Res. 136) commending the Girl Scouts of the United States of America on the occasion of their 95th anniversary for providing quality age-appropriate experiences that prepare girls to become the leaders of tomorrow, and for raising issues important to girls.

Sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), the resolution has a number of findings, including:

  • at all levels of the Girl Scouts, girls participate in activities that build self-confidence, responsibility, integrity, creative decision-making skills, and teamwork, helping them take steps toward becoming the leaders of tomorrow and developing real-world leadership abilities that will last them a lifetime;
  • the Girl Scouts recognize that approximately 9 million children over the age of six are obese; that obesity is highest among girls coming from families with low-income levels, and that fewer than 1 in 3 adolescents participate in an acceptable amount of physical exercise, with girls getting less exercise than boys overall; and
  • the Girl Scouts are focusing on promoting healthy living for girls during 2007 and recognize through a recent study, “The New Normal: What Girls are Saying About Healthy Living,” that girls define “health” as a combination of diet and exercise as well as emotional well-being and self-esteem.Rep. McCarthy said, “March marks the 95th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, with only 18 members, Girl Scouts is now the finest organization for girls in the world, with close to 4 million active members and more than 50 million former members, and I am proud to say I am one of them.” Rep. McCarthy added that Girl Scout programs “are girl-driven and provide girls with a wide variety of leadership building activities that promote teamwork and the development of strong decision-making skills…Girl Scouts recognizes the importance of giving a voice to girls by sharing original research reviews that have helped change the dialogue among the media, policymakers and community leaders on issues important to girls. They have released numerous reports that have helped shape policy discussions in this country.”

    Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) said, “The Girl Scouts are woven into the fabric of American life and have affected girls’ lives, as well as their families, in virtually every community in the country. Girl Scout programs continue to expand, taking into account the diverse population of America today. They have initiated outreach programs that strive to include all cultures as part of their mission to foster the qualities on which the United States depends. The Girl Scouts not only reach out to girls in the United States, but through U.S.A. Girl Scouts Overseas, it is committed to helping girls worldwide become leaders of tomorrow.”