Letters: Time to celebrate: turning girls into leaders

A revolutionary dream began in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low founded the first Girl Scout troop. At the time, women couldn’t vote, own property or even work outside the home if they were married, but Low envisioned a time when women were dynamic leaders who made the world a better place.

In 1916, Low created a leadership experience known today as the Gold Award.

A Gold Award winner must identify a critical need in her community, present her solution to a committee and spend 80 hours researching, planning and executing a sustainable project.

Eighty-one percent of Gold Award recipients think of themselves as leaders, compared with 50 percent of non-alumnae. Most Americans believe our country is facing a leadership crisis in government and the private sector. Multiple studies show that companies with diversity in their leadership ranks have a higher return on investment.

We invite you to celebrate past and future Gold Award recipients at our statewide Gold 100 Gala at the State Museum on Friday. Call 1-800-849-GIRL to learn more and share the award history of someone you know.

This story was originally published October 30, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Letters: Time to celebrate: turning girls into leaders."