Happy Mother’s Day to all the Girl Scout moms in our Council! It is cliché, but yes, You Rock! As I reflect on our 111-year history, I find it amazing that Juliette Gordon Low, who never had her own children, was such an incredible mother figure to her niece Daisy Gordon Lawrence who became the first Girl Scout signing the register on March 12, 1912. The rest is, as we say, history, and Juliette became a mother to 50 million alumni in so many ways.
Coming off another successful cookie season which is close to Mother’s Day this year because of our cookie season delay, it has given me so much to reflect on both the power of our cookies and the power of our mothers. Indeed, we know the power of the cookie—it fuels our movement. It inspires so much good, from international travel to funding camp to funding all the programs our Girls accomplish. Without our moms, we never would have the power of cookies. Moms carry a lot of cookie boxes, moms give up their garages to store a lot of cookies, and moms stand watch at a lot of booths. Certainly, our dads help too, but our moms are the backbone of our movement. They are the backbone of our volunteer force.
This was so true to me when on one of the many Sundays it rained, I watched a mom help and protect her Girl Scout who was trying to sell in the wind and the rain at State Line Walmart. She was a strong woman and had a constitution Juliette would admire. And that strength willed itself to the Girl Scout, and the sale continued. Our moms follow in Juliette’s footsteps, and they pass on her traits. They love the outdoors—see the example of all the moms who did advanced wilderness training at Camp Four Echoes in the rain last weekend. They have vision—Girl Scouts is all about goals, whether it be cookie goals or badges. Moms have the vision to help inspire those goals. They are cosmopolitan. Juliette saw the world. Our moms help our Girls do the same. Take note of all the international travel this summer and the power of the cookie, which made it possible.
So this Mother’s Day 2023, I cheer for all the mothers in our Council who make us a Council where Girls grow strong. The power of the cookie is one of our best vitamins we use to propel us forward, but the mom is our Juliette foundation. Moms are like a good breakfast that gives us strength for the rest of the day. Juliette was never a mom herself, but she was extraordinary enough to be an example to 50 million moms. We have 1,000+ moms in our Council, and that is why we will always succeed because moms are the superwomen who can leap a Thin Mint in a single bound. Sunday is your day, and we offer you a cup of milk, an Adventureful, and a robust chant—you make the world a better place, moms!!!
