According to the Juneau Empire, Girl Scouts of America is celebrating its 100th year this year, and in Juneau, Alaska Girl Scouts created the state's first honorary troop, number 49, and inducted its first members. Inaugural members of the troop include many Alaska women serving in the Legislature, as well as First Lady Sandy Parnell. "The honorary Girl Scout Troop will allow us to harness that power and share it with girls and women around the state as we continue to build girls of courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place," said Marge Larson, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Alaska. Read much more, here.
Readers of this entry might also be interested to know that today the U.K.'s Telegraph reports that in Britain for the first time girls outnumber boys in the ranks of "Scouts." In 2007, the country made it law that all such groups be open to both sexes, but girls as young as six were allowed to become Scouts starting in 1990. Chief Scout Bear Grylls (yes, the ultimate TV survivalist), noted about the recent membership numbers, "Being a Scout represents all that is great about life: adventure, life skills and friendship -- and it is no surprise that so many girls are wanting to be part of that." Read more, here.