Girl Scout Cookie season is underway. Troops are out selling their iconic cookies in neighborhoods and at stores across the country. It’s an annual tradition for the troops, who raise most of their money selling the sought-after treats.
Sunday marks National Girl Scout Day, which is observed annually on March 12 in honor of the group's founder Juliette Gordon Low, who organized the first troop meeting on March 12, 1912.
There were 18 girls at the first meeting in Savannah, Georgia. Low created the group so girls could take part in service projects, enrichment programs, outdoor activities and adventures, according to the Girl Scouts.
More than 100 years later, the group has grown from that original 18 to more than 2.5 million strong.
“Today we continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place,” the organization said in its mission statement on its website Girlscouts.org.
>> Need something to lift your spirits? Read more uplifting news
“Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to do something amazing,” according to the site.
The Girl Scout motto, which was published in the 1947 Girl Scout Handbook, is still relevant today: “Be prepared.”
That means, "A Girl Scout is ready to help out wherever she is needed. Willingness to serve is not enough; you must know how to do the job well, even in an emergency."
