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At the Speed of a Girl - Celebrating 100 Years of Girl Scouting
Girl Scouts of the USA will celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2012, and a new exhibit at the NC Museum of History commemorates this major milestone.
At the Speed of a Girl - Celebrating 100 Years of Girl Scouting opened Friday, Nov. 18, and runs through the end of 2012, in Raleigh. Focusing on the history of Girl Scouts in North Carolina, this small exhibit developed by Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines brings the past to the present. Admission and weekend parking are free.
Juliette Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout meeting on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Ga. Two years later, North Carolina's first troop met in Eden. By the 1920s, troops were springing up across the Tar Heel State. Today, nearly 70,000 North Carolina girls participate in Girl Scouts, the premier leadership organization for girls, with 3.2 million girl and adult members worldwide.
"At the Speed of a Girl will stir up fond memories for former Girl Scouts, inspire current members, and give museum visitors a glimpse of our organization’s past," said Rusine Mitchell Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines. "You'll find wonderful, fun facts; historic artifacts and uniforms; videos; and fun, interactive displays."
Exhibit items range from Girl Scout badges (ca. 1912 to 1928) and uniforms to canteens and the Knife and Axe Skills Book (ca. 1953). Other objects include an official Girl Scout box-type camera from the 1950s and a bugle that was advertised as a "must" for every troop in the 1920s and 1930s.
Of special note is a 1942 thank-you letter from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to Girl Scouts whom she met while visiting Raleigh. Mrs. Roosevelt came to the capital city when serving as one of the first honorary presidents of Girl Scouts. A photograph of the First Lady with Girl Scouts appears in the exhibit.
At the Speed of a Girl explores several Girl Scout themes and activities. From collecting World War II rations to present-day Girl Scout award projects, community service has been a core value in Girl Scouting. Abundant opportunities await today's members, whether it's camping, sailing, volunteering, exploring, or creating scientific projects, to name a few.
"We continue to give every girl access to life-changing experiences that inspire her to achieve her dreams," Sinclair added.
The exhibit also highlights a delicious topic. Find out how Girl Scout cookie sales have helped build self-esteem, sustain troops and create camps. There's even an early cookie recipe to copy.
Come explore At the Speed of a Girl and discover how founder Juliette Gordon Low's vision of creating opportunities for girls to develop physically, mentally and spiritually continues to change lives a century later.
Reservations are required for groups of 10 or more. To schedule a reservation, call the Capital Area Visitor Center at 919-807-7950 or toll-free at 866-724-8687.
For more information about Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines or Girl Scouts of the USA, call 800-284-4475 or visit www.nccoastalpines.org. For details about the Museum of History, call 919-807-7900 or access www.ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook.
About the NC Museum of History
The museum is located at 5 E. Edenton St., across from the State Capitol. Parking is available in the lot across Wilmington Street. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The Museum of History, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.
About the NC Department of Cultural Resources
The NC Department of Cultural Resources annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported symphony orchestra, the State Library, the NC Arts Council, and the State Archives. Cultural Resources champions North Carolina's creative industry, which employs nearly 300,000 North Carolinians and contributes more than $41 billion to the state's economy. To learn more, visit www.ncculture.com.
About Girl Scouts
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the pre-eminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.2 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls' healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls living overseas in 90 countries.
 
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