Observance Daily What day is today, and why are we celebrating it?
Girl Scout Founders Day is observed every year on 31 October to honour Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
History: Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon, nicknamed Daisy, was born on 31 October 1860 in Savannah, Georgia. Inspired by Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement, she joined the Girl Guide movement in England and formed a group in Scotland in 1911. On 12 March 1912 she organised the first American Girl Guide troop meeting in Savannah, with 18 girls present. In 1915 the United States Girl Guides became known as the Girl Scouts, and Low was its first president. She stayed active until her death on 17 January 1927, despite hearing loss that left her largely deaf. Her birthday, 31 October, is celebrated each year by Girl Scouts as Founders Day. The movement aimed to help girls build confidence, character and practical skills — hiking, exploring, cooking outdoors, camping and feeling at home in nature — at a time when women could not yet vote or work outside the home in the same way.
How to celebrate: learn about Juliette Low, share a Girl Scout memory, go for a hike or camp activity, volunteer with a local youth group, and support girls learning outdoor and leadership skills.
Facts: Low dropped pamphlets from an airplane during a New York fundraising campaign; she appeared in The Golden Eaglet, the first Girl Scout movie; in 2012 she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Related: see also https://observancedaily.com/october-31