We're 2.5 million strong—more than 1.7 million girls and 750,000 adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to change the world. Since 1912, we’ve built girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
"America’s health starts with healthy children, but what does “good health” mean to kids? To understand children’s attitudes about health – and to ensure that our programs to reach them hit their mark – we must expand the conversation about improving America’s health to include these new voices. At Girl Scouts of the USA, we’re working to bring an important perspective to the table: we know what works for girls."
More so, Westley offers insight into what health means to girls:
"Girls view health holistically, which means they place the same or even greater emphasis on emotional and social health as physical health. Therefore, any plan that strictly focuses on physical health could miss the mark with girls. For example, physical activity needs to be given social relevance; it should be promoted and taught in ways that are meaningful to girls. By emphasizing the emotional and social benefits of physical activity, we will help girls recognize how exercise affects the things they care about, such as their body image, friendships, and confidence in their abilities."
That sounds on the mark to me! Make sure you read the entire post and while you're at it -share with us your thoughts on the matter. What does good health mean to the girls in your community?
The coins will be minted and sold in 2013, marking the end of Girl Scouts’ yearlong centennial celebration and kicking off a new century of leadership and service to girls. The bill, H.R. 621, was introduced by Rep. Jack Kingston and easily passed by a voice vote on Oct. 13. Sen. Susan Collins sponsored a companion bill, S. 451. Instead of moving that forward, the Senate simply passed the House version on Oct. 19 by Unanimous Consent. President Obama signed the bill at 3:15 p.m. ET during a ceremony at the White House that included Connie L. Lindsey, GSUSA National Board Chair, Laurie Westley, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Advocacy & the Research Institute, and girls from the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital.
"This is a wonderful honor for Girl Scouts," said Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. "Congress only allows the minting of two coins a year and this is such a fitting way to honor our Movement and the million of girls and women whose lives Girl Scouting has touched. We are grateful to the President, the House and the Senate for their support."
The act does not contain specific coin design language, which is standard. The coin design will involve collaborative efforts between the United States Mint, the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The main criteria is that the design must be "emblematic of the centennial of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America." The silver coin will include the inscriptions ‘Liberty’, ‘In God We Trust’, ‘United States of America’, and ‘E Pluribus Unum’). Each will weigh 26.73 grams and have a diameter of 1.5 inches.
The Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act includes a provision for a $10 surcharge per coin paid to the GSUSA and made available for Girl Scout program development and delivery.
Head over to The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website to read a very insightful blog post penned by GSUSA's very own Laurie Westley - Senior Vice President of Public Policy/Advocacy and the Research Institute. In the post, titled "What does ‘good health’ mean to girls?", Westley states and asks: