An Open Letter From Mary Vitek,
CEO of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto
Dear Houstonians and neighbors,
When Girl Scouts was founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, never could she have imagined that the initial small troop of 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia would spread rapidly across the country, resulting in a movement of members and a sisterhood more than 50 million strong. Just ten years after Girl Scouts’ initial founding, this female leadership movement found its way to Houston, Texas in 1922 where the first troops were formed in the region. This year, the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is proud to celebrate 100 years of building girls of courage, confidence, and character in Southeast Texas.
So much has changed over the course of a century but one thing has remained the same, our mission to help girls and young women develop their leadership skills and build lifelong friendships and to provide them the tools and experiences they need to make the world a better place. Decades of girls in our council have grown into strong, resilient women, including many who are continuing to fuel the female leadership pipeline here in our very own community.
One of the many gifts Girl Scouting offers girls is a sisterhood for life. It provides girls and young women with friends who share experiences and explore and grow together, whether they’re going camping, attending a robotics workshop or serving their community. When things aren’t going exactly as planned at school, at home or with other friends, Girl Scouting has provided much needed and familiar comfort for girls.
Every activity we offer is based on time-tested methods and research-backed programming that help girls take the lead – in their own lives and in the world. The experiences girls have in Girl Scouting are proven to cultivate values, social conscience, self-esteem, and resiliency while teaching her critical life skills that will help her into adulthood.
A wonderful thing about Girl Scouts is that it’s truly a program that allows girls to explore their own passions, learn about topics that interest them, and carve their own paths. Whether a girl is interested in the great outdoors, technology, animals, or fashion design, there are opportunities for all girls in Girl Scouts.
With over 35,000 girls and over 14,000 adult members in our council, I am here to welcome you to join us as we embark on another 100 years of friendships and adventures.
I also want to stress that every girl deserves the opportunity to be a Girl Scout, regardless of a family’s circumstances. If your family is experiencing economic anxiety or hardship, please request financial aid during the registration process. Financial aid status is kept entirely confidential.
I invite every girl in Houston and our neighboring communities to join us for another amazing year of Girl Scouts. From Kindergarten Daisies to high schoolers pursuing their Gold Award, I know we’ll have an amazing year together.
Sincerely,