The Girl Scouts of the USA is a youth organization for American girls founded in 1912. There are six levels of membership based on age, and activities include camping, earning badges, and community service. Girl Scouts celebrate special holidays and can participate in travel programs called Destinations.
The Girl Scouts of the USA is a youth organization for American girls living at home and abroad. It was founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low as the female counterpart of the Boy Scouts of America, and similar organizations exist around the world. A Girl Scout has the opportunity to participate in many activities that allow her to develop personal skills, values, and self-esteem. Some common activities for Girl Scouts include camping and other outdoor activities, earning badges and awards for completing tasks, and community service.
There are currently six levels of Girl Scout membership, based on age. The Daisies are in kindergarten or first grade, the Brownies are in second or third grade, and the juniors are in fourth or fifth grade. Senior members include Cadets in sixth, seventh, or eighth grades, Seniors in ninth or tenth grade, and Ambassadors in 11th or 12th grade. Girl Scouts of different levels have different activities open to them.
Girl Scouts of all skill levels can sell Girl Scout cookies and participate in outdoor troop activities, though Daisies can only camp with a parent present. As the Girl Scouts progress through different levels, earning badges and rewards becomes more challenging. Daisies and Brownies, for example, earn Petals and Try-It respectively, which don’t require them to show skill at an activity, just to learn or try something new. Older Girl Scouts can earn higher awards, including Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, the three highest awards in Girl Scouts.
Girl Scouts of all ages attend troop meetings and participate in outdoor, community service, and cultural activities with other Girl Scout members. Girl Scouts share a number of traditions, one of the best known being selling Girl Scout cookies. The Girl Scouts also share the Girl Scouts handshake and the Girl Scouts signal for silence. They participate in ceremonies called bridging when they move up a level in Girl Scouts. Another Girl Scout activity is the short Scouts’ Own service, which includes prayers, readings and music and is often centered around a theme such as equity or fellowship.
Girl Scouts also celebrate special holidays. Thinking Day, February 22, is a day for Girl Scouts to think about girls from other cultures and countries, and sometimes to collect donations for international projects. Halloween is also Juliette Gordon Low’s birthday, and the Girl Scouts celebrate by dressing up in costumes and eating birthday cake.
Cadets and Seniors can participate in Destinations, travel programs where Girl Scouts from around the country take a trip together. Destinations are usually in the United States, but sometimes take place in other countries. To participate in a Destination, a Girl Scout must submit a reference application and be interviewed. The selection process for Destinations can be very competitive.
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