Eastern PA Celebrates a Century of Girl Scouting

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) is joining the Girl Scouts of the USA (GS USA) in celebrating the organization's 100th Anniversary milestone a century after founder Juliette Gordon Low instituted the first Girl Scouts group in 1912. Since that time, one small yet dedicated troop of girls has grown into 3.2 million Girl Scouts today, all of whom embody the mission of the organization which aims to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

As GSEP celebrates this unique and special moment in its history, the organization is officially declaring 2012 to be the "Year of the Girl" and will be hosting events around this theme through March 2013. The signature event celebrating the 100th Anniversary locally is the Century of the Girl Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on April 21-22. This two-day event is open to all girls everywhere and offers a full weekend's worth of events celebrating female leadership in our society.

"We are excited to celebrate 2012 as the 'Year of the Girl,'" said GSEP CEO Natalye Paquin. "We're inviting every person in every community to join us in creating more supportive environments for developing leadership skills in girls. We believe that if we work together as a region, we can empower this generation of girls to reach their full potential and become dynamic leaders in their communities and beyond."

100th Anniversary/Year of the Girl initiatives include:

Century of the Girl Expo - Open to All Girls Everywhere

• April 21-22, 2012
  This weekend full of activities is for girls of all ages. The Expo will include a variety of interactive exhibits, entertainment, national and local speakers, workshops for both girls and adults, and other activities relating to leadership, arts, the environment, outdoor education, science, technology, math, healthy living and community service. For registration information, visit www.gsep.org/100-anniversary/century-of-the-girl-expo.php.

Take the Lead

• March 6, 13, and 27, 2012
  GSEP allows its Scouts the opportunity to run the annual Take The Lead program from start to finish, showcasing the poise and maturity of its emerging leaders. The program honors outstanding women in our community for their groundbreaking leadership example. Events will take place in three locations: the Hyatt at the Bellevue in Center City Philadelphia on March 6; the Sovereign Performing Arts Center in Berks County on March 13; and the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in the Lehigh Valley on March 27.

2012 Olave Baden-Powell Society World Conference

• May 16-20, 2012
  GSEP has been selected nationally to host the 2012 OB-PS World Conference, during which more than 150 domestic and international members of the organization will visit Philadelphia. As host, GSEP has planned programs including a special event dedicated to Year of the Girl at the Shelly Ridge Service Center on May 19.

Other events celebrating the 100th Anniversary include: Girl Scouts "Forever Green", Troop 2012 and National Trails Day. To learn more about 100th Anniversary events or the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, visit www.GSEP.org.

About Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) is the largest girl-serving organization in Pennsylvania and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.  GSEP serves 41,000 girls in partnership with 15,000 volunteers in Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia counties.  Today, 80 percent of women in leadership and executive roles in the U.S. were Girl Scouts.  Girl Scout alumnae comprise 70 percent of women in the U.S. Congress.  For further information about Girl Scouting, how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, call 215-564-4657 or visit www.GSEP.org.

For more information, contact:
Kate O'Neil
For The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
215-790-4367
[email protected]

SOURCE Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania