Girl Scout Week
Girl Scout Week is celebrated each March, starting with Girl Scout Sunday and ending with Girl Scout Sabbath on a Saturday, and it always includes the Girl Scout Birthday, March 12. The Girl Scout Birthday commemorates the day in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization's first 18 girl members in Savannah, Georgia.
Girl Scout Week Activities
This special week is a longstanding tradition dating back to the mid-1900s. A Girl Scout Handbook dated 1940 describes Girl Scout Week as a time when, "Girl Scouts make a special effort to tell the community what they're doing and why they ask for help to carry on their program."
Girl Scouts used to establish seven days of service during Girl Scout Week. In honor of those days of service and to celebrate the Girl Scout birthday try out a few service activities each day of Girl Scout Week.
Try a new activity each day of the week:
Girl Scout Sunday 
Girl Scout Traditions
Girl Scout Spirit Day
Girl Scout History
Girl Scout Jummah
Girl Scout Sabbath
Some more ideas to celebrate:
Throw a Birthday Party
Do an Interactive Reading of Juliette Gordon Low's Life
Try out Some Historical Recipes to Connect with our Girl Scout Past
Get Outdoors and Adventure
Acts of Service
STEM Activities
Girl Scout Sunday, Girl Scout Jummah, Girl Scout Sabbath
Girl Scout Sunday, Girl Scout Jummah, and Girl Scout Sabbath take place during Girl Scout Week. The week revolves around March 12, the birthday of Girl Scouting. Girl Scout Sunday is the first Sunday before March 12 and Girl Scout Sabbath is the preceding Saturday of March 12. The purpose of this special day is to emphasize that we take the Girl Scout Promise seriously -- "On my honor, I will try to serve God." It is a time for Girl Scouts to reflect upon the importance of the words, "to serve *God."
*Members may substitute the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs.
Girl Scout Sunday, Girl Scout Jummah, and Girl Scout Sabbath give girls an opportunity to attend their place of worship and be recognized as a Girl Scout. If a place of worship is the group sponsor, girls may perform a service, such as greeting, ushering, or doing a flag ceremony. These days can also be a time when girls explore other faiths.
Girl Scout Week Religious Observances
Every effort should be made to hold ecumenical interfaith service when celebrating the spiritual foundation of Girl Scouting. The varied personal beliefs of our members necessitate including sensitivity towards inclusiveness. There is no set structure for an inter-faith service. Listed below are the "ingredients" that are usually found in formal ecumenical services arranged by and for Girl Scouts.
The Girl Scout Sunday/Jummah/Sabbath observance may be as simple as the girls and adults in Girl Scouting attend a religious service of their choice in Girl Scout uniform. Of course, anything beyond that during the service must be worked out with the local clergy.
Printable content for members of the faith community:
Fliers to promote Girl Scout Week events:
Girl Scouts and Girl Scout volunteers will be honored to be part of the service. They might:
- Be part of the procession - If readings will be taken from the Bible, Torah, or Qur’an, girls may proceed in with these texts.
- Serve as greeters or ushers for the service.
- Run the nursery during the service so that regular members can worship with their families.
- Sit together in the front pews during the service, and sport their Girl Scout vests or sashes - You could also mark the reserved pews with green bows/ribbons or Girl Scout trefoils.
- Readings by Girl Scouts or Clergy - The readings need not pertain to Girl Scouts, but to the theme. Readings may come from Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, etc. texts. A few words about Girl Scouting and its mission may be made by the clergy, a Girl Scout adult, or Girl Scout. If any other Girl Scouts are to receive a religious award, it may be presented at an appropriate time.
- Procession - The procession may be arranged in many ways. Troops may proceed first with flags. if readings will be taken from the Bible, Torah and/or Qur'an, girls may proceed in these texts.
- The Girl Scout Promise - A brief welcome and introduction may be made by the clergy or by an appropriate participant. Girls stand and make the Girl Scout Promise.
More Service ideas for faith leaders:
- Offer a brief welcome or introduction to the girls and volunteers at the service.
- Lead a group prayer or responsive reading tied to the theme or one of the suggested Girl Scout prayers (see below).
- Ask past and current Girl Scouts, volunteer leaders, and highest award Girl Scouts to stand at some point during the service.
- Present religious award recognitions to girls and adults who have supported them throughout the year. Check out this document for a breakdown of awards.
- Acknowledge special STEM, outdoors, or entrepreneurship badges or Journeys, or highest awards girls have earned through the year.
"We the members of Girl Scouts of the United States of America, united by a belief in God and by acceptance of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, ...
Do dedicate ourselves to the purpose of inspiring girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism, and service that they may become happy and resourceful citizens.
We believe that the motivating force in Girl Scouting is a spiritual one. We affirm that the Girl Scout Movement shall ever be open to all girls and adults who accept the Girl Scout Promise and Law."
--Preamble of the Constitution of the Girl Scouts of the USA
These words from Girl Scouts of the USA's constitution express our most fundamental beliefs and are affirmed by over 2.5 million Girl Scout members in the USA when they make the Girl Scout Promise.
Suggested Prayers and Readings for Girl Scouts celebrating Faith Services
A Girl Scout Prayer
Lord, help us to be good Girl Scouts, ones who the world can trust.
Help us to respect our neighbors' rights, and never be unjust.
Help us as Americans, to be worthy of the flag we bear.
Help us as real Girl Scouts, to be proud of the uniform we wear.
Help us to be clean, Dear Lord, in thought, word and deed.
Help us to follow the law that is in the Girl Scout creed.
Help us to love all people of the world, and then to serve them, too.
Help our actions to count, Dear Lord, in everything we do.
Help give us strength to carry on and do our part each day.
Make a place in this world for us and help us fill it, we pray.
Make us what we ought to be, and in Thy footsteps fall.
Help us to live for others, O great Scout Master of us all.
Prayer for Jewish Girl Scouts
O, Lord, our God, we ask Your blessing upon us and upon our sister Girl Scouts. Give us the strength of character and of purpose so that we may fulfill our Promise and faithfully obey our Law. Teach us to understand that by living up to the ideals of our Movement we are helping to build a better tomorrow for ourselves and all people. AMEN.
Prayer for Catholic Girl Scouts
Dear Jesus, we ask you to bless us and all other Girl Scouts. Give us grace to serve you and our country and to keep our Girl Scout Promise and Law. Make us humble and friendly, eager for adventure, alert and prepared for service. Give us the courage to dare to do right; make us both strong to fight and steadfast to endure; and may our lives be filled with joy that spreads happiness everywhere. AMEN.
Prayer for Christian Girl Scouts
Dear Father in Heaven, we know we are your children, we want to serve you faithfully, and we want to keep our Girl Scout Promise. Help us to listen to your voice; help us to be willing and quick to do your work; help us to be friendly and loving; and help us to thank you every day for all your gifts to us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Prayer for Hindu Girl Scouts
O Lord God almighty, May there be peace in celestial regions. May there be peace on earth. May the waters be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent beings bring peace to us. May your Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world. May all things be a source of peace to us. And may your peace its elf bestow peace on all.
Prayer for Muslim Girl Scouts
In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful. Look with compassion on the whole human family; remove from us the arrogance, divisions, and hatred that have infected our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; reunite us in bonds of love; and guide us as we work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish Your purposes on earth; that, in Your good time, all nations and races may jointly serve You in justice, peace, and harmony. AMEN.
Prayer for Buddhist Girl Scouts
When someone is wronged he must put aside all resentment and say, My mind shall not be disturbed; no angry word shall escape my lips; I will remain kind and friendly, with loving thoughts and no secret spite.
Prayer for Native American Girl Scouts
Oh Great Spirit, whose voice we hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world. Hear me! We are small and weak, we need your strength and wisdom. Let us walk in beauty and make our eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make our hands respect the things you have made and our ears sharp to hear your voice. Let us learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock. Make us wise so that we may understand. We seek strength to understand your lessons you have taught to us.
A Girl Scout Speech
Today is Girl Scout [SUNDAY/JUMMAH/SABBATH], which is observed during Girl Scout Week, an event recognizing the founding of Girl Scouts on March 12, 1912. We would like to honor and thank the Girl Scouts in our who have the courage, confidence , and character to make the world a better place. Please stand if you are a current Girl Scout member. Thank you to all the adult who give of their time and talents to our Girl Scout troops. If you are a Girl Scout volunteer, please stand. And a special thank you to [NAME OF HOUSE OF WORSHIP LEADER] and the congregation at [NAME OF HOUSE OF WORSHIP] for their leadership and support of our Girl Scout troops. These girls represent the leaders of tomorrow. They belong to an organization that has adapted over its 111 years to meet the changing needs of girls, but one thing remains the same today as it did when Girl Scouts was founded: support for girls to grow strong in faith and a belief that the motivating force in Girl Scouting is a spiritual one. [JOINED BY THE GIRLS, RECITE THE GIRL SCOUT PROMISE .] On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
Girl Scout Week Proclamations
Contact your local Mayor's office and have Girl Scout Week proclaimed in your town!
