Girl Scouts

A Little Brownie

Bunny only spent one year as a Daisy Girl Scout, (they go by grade level, not age, and she started as a five-year-old first grader), so now she’s in her first year as a Brownie.

She’s the cutest little Brownie I’ve ever seen! Ambitious, too–she’s already earned five Try-Its, and is working on another!

At the Ball Game

Sunday was Girl Scout Day at Busch Stadium, so we took the children to their first ever Major League Baseball game, and my first game at the new stadium. Ryan’s parents were able to join us, which was really fun, and also really helpful, since we had two extra pairs of hands and eyes to help out!

Our seats were up in the clouds, which I wasn’t a big fan of, but the children didn’t seem to mind being up so high, or being away from the action on the field. Anyway, we definitely had a great view of the whole ballpark!

Turkey was, not surprisingly, the child most interested in the game. He spent most of the time we were there worrying that the Cardinals weren’t going to win, but come the end of the game, he was a very happy camper. He even decided that the Cards had decided to intentionally play a suspenseful game, so that they could have a big win in the ninth.

Bunny decided she was done with the game around the third inning, and spent the rest of our time there thinking about going home and playing with her birthday presents that she received the day before. She did perk up whenever the crowd got excited, but she certainly didn’t enjoy the game the way her brother did.

I think Moose had total sensory overload, which is a good thing for him, because it kept him occupied. Between all the sights, sounds, and smells of the ballpark, there was no end of things to look at and listen to. His favorite part, though, seemed to be spending so much time with Grandpa!

Ladybug…well, I know she didn’t care about the game, but she loved Fredbird! She also loved all the clapping and cheering and shouting. Oh, and playing musical chairs. If anyone got out of their seat (especially Bunny), she promptly stole it. Couldn’t decide who she wanted to sit by to save her life, so she sat by just about everybody at one point or another. She also got a cute new hat out of the deal!

It was a great way to spend what started out as a stormy Sunday, but ended up being really nice, and not even too hot!

The First Daisy

Daisy Low

From GirlScouts.org

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, was born Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon on October 31, 1860, in Savannah, Georgia.

“Daisy,” as she was affectionately called by family and friends, was the second of six children of William Washington Gordon and Eleanor Kinzie Gordon. Family members on her father’s side were early settlers in Georgia, and her mother’s family played an important role in the founding of Chicago, Illinois.

A sensitive and talented youngster, Daisy Gordon spent a happy childhood in her large Savannah home, which was purchased and restored by Girl Scouts of the USA in 1953. Now known as the Juliette Gordon Low Girl Scout National Center, or often referred to as the Birthplace, the handsome English Regency house was designated a registered National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Young Daisy Gordon developed what was to become a lifetime interest in the arts. She wrote poems; sketched, wrote and acted in plays; and later became a skilled painter and sculptor. She had many pets throughout her life and was particularly fond of exotic birds, Georgia mockingbirds, and dogs. Daisy was also known for her great sense of humor.

On December 21, 1886, her parents’ 29th wedding anniversary, Juliette married William Mackay Low, a wealthy Englishman, at Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia. Although the couple moved to England, Juliette continued her travels and divided her time between the British Isles and America.

Juliette Gordon Low spent several years searching for something useful to do with her life. Her search ended in 1911, when she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, and became interested in the new youth movement. Afterwards, she channeled all her considerable energies into the fledgling movement.

Less than a year later, she returned to the United States and made her historic telephone call to a friend (a distant cousin), saying, “I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we’re going to start it tonight!” On March 12, 1912, Juliette Low gathered 18 girls to register the first troop of American Girl Guides. Margaret “Daisy Doots” Gordon, her niece and namesake, was the first registered member. The name of the organization was changed to Girl Scouts the following year.

In developing the Girl Scout movement in the United States, Juliette brought girls of all backgrounds into the out-of-doors, giving them the opportunity to develop self-reliance and resourcefulness. She encouraged girls to prepare not only for traditional homemaking, but also for possible future roles as professional women—in the arts, sciences and business—and for active citizenship outside the home. Girl Scouting welcomed girls with disabilities at a time when they were excluded from many other activities. This idea seemed quite natural to Juliette, who never let deafness, back problems or cancer keep her from full participation in life.

From the original 18 girls, Girl Scouting has grown to 3.7 million members. Girl Scouts is the largest educational organization for girls in the world and has influenced the more than 50 million girls, women and men who have belonged to it.