Girl Scout Advocacy Day

Proclamation

By the Governor of Alabama

WHEREAS, the year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary since Girl Scouts started participating in what would evolve into the largest entrepreneurial training program for girls in the world: the Girl Scout Cookie Program; and

WHEREAS, the first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts occurred in 1917, when the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, baked cookies and sold them in its high school cafeteria as a service project; and

WHEREAS, from humble beginnings as a way for Girl Scout troops to finance activities, the Girl Scout Cookie Program has evolved into the most powerful and successful financial literacy tool in the world for girls; and

WHEREAS, the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches five essential skills—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics; and

WHEREAS, in keeping with the fast-pace of the modern world, and the Girl Scout Mission to provide girls with learning opportunities for the future, Girl Scouts launched Digital Cookie, adding a digital layer to the iconic Girl Scout cookie program that teaches vital 21st century business skills, including e-marketing, digital money management, online dashboard usage, and ecommerce; and

WHEREAS, during the last century of selling these iconic cookies, Girl Scouts have demonstrated their exemplary leadership and philanthropic spirit by using their cookie earnings to do remarkable things within their communities that reflect the organization’s important mission; and

WHEREAS, Girl Scouts consistently drive positive change in their communities thanks in part to the cookie sale, doing what they can to make the world a better place; and

WHEREAS, today, more than 59 million American women are Girl Scout alumnae, 2.7 million girls and adult volunteers are active members; and

WHEREAS, through the dedication, time, and talent of volunteers of different backgrounds, abilities, and areas of expertise, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is brought to over 20,000 girls in grades K–12 across the state of Alabama:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim March 9, 2017, as

Girl Scout Advocacy Day

in the State of Alabama. I applaud the Girl Scout Movement and the two Alabama councils, Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama and Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama for achieving this amazing milestone, and for 100 years of girls learning financial literacy through the iconic Girl Scout cookie sale.

Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 9th day of March 2017.

Robert Bentley

Governor