Juliette Gordon Low

I mailed a thank-you card to a friend today and used a postage stamp celebrating scouting. It made me think about my days as a Brownie selling Girl Scout cookies. I was only involved for a year or two, but I remember how excited I was whenever I earned a new badge for Mom to sew on my uniform.

Ms. Low founded the girl scouts in 1912 after a visit to England. She met with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of England. Sir Robert put most of his energy into the boys as, with most people in those days, he believed the girls wouldn't do anything more than become housewives. They didn't need to learn leadership skills, math or science. Low came back to the U.S. with every intention of showing the world that women could do more.