A special message from Anna Maria Chávez, CEO, Girl Scouts of
the USA
The
sun is shining, barbeques are fired up, and the Stars and Stripes are flying
over every house; for Americans everywhere that can only mean one thing: the
Fourth of July!
Today
our nation turns 237 years old. From the
very beginning, this great country has been on a mission to spread the
frontiers of human liberty to every corner of the globe. We are committed to the ideals of freedom,
justice, and equality, providing every person the right to work to reach his or
her fullest potential. The Girl Scout
Movement has played a major part of that history. As we celebrate today, we
should remember that our Movement came into existence before women had the
right to vote or own property, and before women took active part in the work
force.
Girl
Scouts have helped guide and shape the course of our country and our world for
101 years. We have forever changed the
nature of what it means to be a female leader in America. Women have achieved success and respect as
leaders in everything from business to science, academia and professional
sports. There are role models for young
girls in virtually every walk of life. With nearly 60 million living alumnae, we
have played a hugely important role in shaping that reality over the last
century.
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It’s
staggering to think about everything America has accomplished in such a short
amount of time. From the cast-iron stove
to the space shuttle, American ingenuity, creativity and vision has been the
engine that has propelled our world forward since our founders signed the
Declaration of Independence all those many years ago. And the Girl Scouts have been there along the
journey, championing and cultivating the unique talents of girls, and developing
so many women who have made a profound impact on our country.
So
let’s celebrate our country, our Movement, and everything that we have
accomplished to make our world a better place.