While most people think only of Halloween as October approaches, for us October is chock full of important celebrations. In addition to being the official beginning of a new Girl Scout year, October brings the birthday of our founder, Juliette Gordon Low, and National “Make a Difference Day”, a day when the spirit and impact of community service is amplified all across the country. It’s time for us to do a little bragging, and make sure everyone knows what a difference Girl Scouts makes!
I hope by now you’ve heard that the $10 bill is getting a makeover and that we’re actively trying to convince the U.S. Department of the Treasury to choose Juliette to appear on the new bill. Can you imagine how awesome that would be?? And while the redesigned $10 note isn’t scheduled to roll out until 2020, the time for us to act is NOW.
While there are hundreds of trailblazing women throughout American history who would make great choices for the bill, here’s why I believe the Treasury should choose our founder.
Juliette built the world’s largest leadership organization for girls, and there is no other organization in our society which has had as great a lasting impact on the advancement of women than Girl Scouts. 59 million American women are alumnae, and they bring the values and life lessons they learned through Girl Scouts to their families, workplaces and communities each day. The impact of Juliette’s work has transformed and will continue to transform lives.
In addition, the Girl Scout Movement’s proud tradition of inclusion has left its mark on American history. From our earliest years, all girls were welcomed at Girl Scouts. Girl Scout troops were desegregated before many other institutions in American society, building bridges across racial divides in our nation. Juliette made sure early Girl Scout troops welcomed girls of all faiths, girls with disabilities, and girls from across the social and economic spectrum. She envisioned a world where a girl who came from an orphanage in Savannah could belong to the same sisterhood and have the same opportunity as a girl from one of the city’s most prominent families.
Juliette was known for shattering stereotypes, and she helped to reframe the lens through which our country saw the role of women and girls. She was a role model, and against the conventions of her time, traveled the world alone, visiting India and Egypt. She also encouraged girls to study topics like aviation, electrical systems, and other subjects considered “taboo” for girls. She believed that all girls matter, and that being part of Girl Scouts would help them find their and accomplish their potential. And, she made it happen!
Now it’s up to us, to make this happen – and ensure that generations to come will know and celebrate Juliette with us! Share your support for putting Juliette on the new $10 bill through your social media by posting on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #TheNew10 today. If we start a wave, the Treasury can’t help but pay attention!
Lastly, if you know of some special Girl Scout activity connected to “Make a Difference Day”, please let us know because we’d love to share your story. We know that Girl Scouts make a difference through their dedication and service every day, and this is an opportunity for us to ride the public relations wave around Make a Difference Day and share that community impact.
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