The Girl Scout organization was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 in Savannah, Ga. In 1911, Juliette 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 the entire 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 disabled girls 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.

Local Girl Scout History: Following the start-up of the first troop by Juliette Gordon Low, the second troop in the country was formed right here in our eight-county jurisdiction in the city of Tampa. At Hyde Park United Methodist Church in 1913, the second national Girl Scout troop was led by Jessamine Flowers Link.

The first Girl Scout handbook, How Girls Can Help Their Country, was written by Professor Walter J. Hoxie, a resident of Pinellas County. Professor Hoxie’s gravesite is located at the Sunnyland Cemetery in Pinellas County where it is maintained by local Girl Scouts. The first Girl Scout troop in Pinellas County was led by a local teacher, Mary Russel Day, whose father was Professor Hoxie.