Girl Scouts Celebrate 100 Years with Dedication at Mableton Headquarters Tuesday

Girl Scouts celebrated 100 years on Monday, with many descending upon Savannah, where the organization originated.

There is no doubt the organization has had a positive impact on women throughout its history. Eighty percent of women business owners, 70 percent of female legislators and virtually every female astronaut who has travelled in space were Girl Scouts. There are 50 million alumnae worldwide.

Marietta's Wright is one of the oldest living Girl Scouts and started the first African-American Girl Scout troop, which met in Marietta.

On Tuesday, the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, headquartered in Mableton, will hold its own celebration. Anna Maria Chavez, the national CEO of Girl Scouts, along with GSGATL CEO Marilyn Midyette, will be in attendance, and of course, South Cobb Patch will be there to capture it all.

GSGATL serves approximately 41,500 girls and more than 18,000 adults in 34 counties throughout Metro Atlanta.

The Girl Scouts will bury a time capsule with 100 memories and memorabilia from the area council’s girls and alumnae in its Memory Garden to commemorate the event.

Every female baby born on Monday at Northside Hospital received a declaration, which registers her as a future Girl Scout in 2017. The babies will also be celebrated at Tuesday’s event in Mableton.

The event kicks off the GSGATL's yearlong celebration of girl-centered activities, like Saturday's Green Gala and September's Girl-a-palooza, where girls will perform a specially created "flash mob" dance to a song created just for the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.

The organization has deemed 2012 the Year of the Girl, and has launched its ToGetHerThere campaign, which it calls "the largest, boldest advocacy and fundraising cause campaign dedicated to girls' leadership issues in the nation's history."

As a Brownie, my favorite memory was singing with my friends and honestly, just meeting regularly in such a beautiful, peaceful setting.

We met in this church building set back in the woods off of Franklin Road between Nashville and Brentwood.

I remember my troop leaders had us sing the classic, “Make new friends, but keep the old.” They also wrote a “rap” song just for our Troop, 2011.

I still remember the tune.

Once we had a sleepover at McKenzie Trent’s house; her mother was our troop leader. I think it was the first time I ever played German Spotlight.

I didn’t continue with Girl Scouts because I had so many other activities on my plate like tap, ballet and jazz, but I’ll never forget the times I had as a Girl Scout. They were magical and extremely comforting times for me.

 I think I’ll reach out to my old troop leader, Mrs. Trent, and see how she is.