1913 ● First troop formed in Central Virginia, Troop #1, Highland Springs. 1917 ● First troop formed in Hopewell. 1921 ● First council meeting held at the Jefferson Hotel,

Richmond. 1922 ● Girl Scouts of Richmond received its charter. ● Girl Scouts of Richmond participate in Armistice

Day celebration with Marshall, a marshal of France, as honorary guest.

1928 ● Camp Pocahontas purchased, Bon Air. 1931 ● Nationally, Brownie Girl Scouting introduced. 1932 ● First troop formed at Crippled Children’s Hospital,

Richmond, now Children’s Hospital. ● First troop for Negro girls formed in the South, Virginia Union University,

Richmond. 1934 ● Mrs. Louise Dawe became commissioner. 1936 ● First Cookie Sale held in council.

● Camp Pinoaka established for Negro Girl Scouts. 1937 ● Nationally, first international encampment for girls held at Camp Andree Clark,

New York. 1940 ● First troop for girls with cognitive disabilities was formed. 1942 ● Petersburg Girl Scout Council organized. 1944 ● Hopewell Girl Scout Council organized. 1947 ● First troop for African American girls

organized in Hopewell. 1950 ● Girl Scouts of the United States of

America chartered (Girl Scouts of the USA; GSUSA).

1951 ● “Be prepared” is adopted as the Girl Scout motto. ● Camp Holly Dell purchased; Chesterfield County. 1953 ● Hopewell and Petersburg councils merge to become Southside Girl Scout

Council. 1956 ● Nationally, Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace’s dedicated, Savannah, Georgia. G

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Troop skating event, circa 1950

1962 ● Bertha Lena Bilek bequeathed to the Girl Scouts of Virginia 2,389 acres in Tuckahoe District, Henrico

County. The land was sold to purchase Snowden Park, which became Camp Kittamaqund, 385 acres. 1963 ● J.T. Ferguson was elected Council President and served a term to 1968. ● Girl Scouts launched four program levels; Brownie Girl Scouts, Junior Girl Scouts, Cadette Girl Scouts and

Senior Girl Scouts. ● Fredericksburg, Richmond and Southside Councils merged to form Commonwealth Girl Scout

Council of Virginia, Inc. (CGSC).

1966 ● First primitive camping at Camp Kittamaqund by 24 Cadette Girl Scouts.

1968 ● Col. T.E. McCracker was elected council

president and served to1969. ● First integrated day camp was held at Camp Pocahontas.

1969 ● Polly Wysor was elected Council President and

served to 1972. 1971 ● Council celebrated 50th anniversary of Girl Scouting (nationally) with an event, Daisy Low Five-0; 7,000 Girl Scouts attended. 1972 ● Frances Brintley was elected Council President and served to 1975. ● Seek to Reach, a council wide Cadette and Senior Girl Scout conference, was launched. 1973 ● Six-year-old Brownie Girl Scouts introduced. ● Camp Pocahontas was sold. 1975 ● Eleanor Ramsey was elected Council President and served to

1979. 1976 ● CGSC celebrates nation’s 200th birthday at Virginia State Fair-

grounds event. 1977 ● Council headquarters moved to Hanover Green Drive, Mechanicsville, from Roseneath Rd., Richmond. 1979 ● Janet England was elected Council President and served to 1984. 1982 ● Girls with hearing-impairments travel to Wyoming Trek at National Center West. 1984 ● Carolyn Sprinkler was elected Council President and served to

1990. ● Juliette Low World Friendship Medal awarded to the council. ● Daisy Girl Scouts introduced.

1986 ● The Outreach Program was extended to girls of Richmond Redevelopment Authority Housing Development

communities in a collaboration with the Coalition of 100 Black Women. ● The council became a member of the state’s Girl Scout Legislative Coalition.

1988 ● Addition constructed on the Mechanicsville office completed and dedicated. ● Richmond Girl Scout Community Advisory Board of community leaders was established. ● CGSC celebrates its 75th anniversary. 1990 ● Linda P. Foreman was elected Council President and served to1994. ● Fall Nut Sale Program replaced Calendar Sale.

● Collaboration with Boy Scouts of America for In School Scouting program was established.

Lawrenceville Christmas Parade, 1978

Community Badge Sash, 1993

1992 ● Girl membership topped 12,000 and operating budget reached $1.7 million. GSCC’s Girl Scout Cookie Sale Program reach 1,000,000,000 boxes sold. ● Daisy Festival celebrated the 80th Anniversary of the GSUSA. 1993 ● CGSC celebrated its 80th Anniversary year by presenting the “world’s largest badge sash”, illustrative of

service given by each troop to its community, to Governor L. Douglas Wilder and Virginia on March 26. 1994 ● Lillie C. Branch appointed Executive Director; first African American. ● Pauline Cronin was elected Council President and served to 2000. ● Council conducted program assessment council-wide. ● CGSC conducted first Sports and Fitness Auction; proceeds benefitted at-risk girls. ● CGSC expanded outreach and at-risk programs to youth detention centers. ● WINDOW Project developed for daughters of incarcerated women. 1995 ● First Lady Susan Allen invested as Virginia’s Honorary Girl

Scout President.

1996 ● Camp Holly Dell was sold. ● Capital projects fund established, earmarking 25 cents of

each box of cookies sold. ● CGSC expands its shop operations with a mobile van. ● Pamunkey Ridge Girl Scout Camp purchased; Grand Opening in June hosted over 4,500.

● First major move to improve Camp Kittamaqund and Pamunkey Ridge Girl Scout Camp. 1997 ● First Honoring Excellence adult recognition event con-

ducted. ● Council web site established, www.comgirlscouts.org. ● CGSC celebrates 85th Anniversary of GSUSA. ● Spectrum of Opportunities, program bulletin, published. ● Market research conducted with girls and parents. ● First equestrian programs implemented at Pamunkey Ridge Girl Scout Camp. 1998 ● First Lady Roxane Gilmore invested as Virginia’s Honorary Girl Scout President as GSCC celebrated its

85th anniversary. ● CGSC expands its shop operations establishing new locations in Midlothian and the West End of

Richmond. Locations remained in Colonial Heights and Fredericksburg. ● First 6-week session day camp conducted at Pamunkey Ridge Girl Scout Camp. ● A news association, Northern Border, was formed.

Goodwill to Others community service event launched in partnership with Goodwill Industries. 1999 ● Council conducted a performance assessment with GSUSA. ● Integrated Property Task Group formed to study and correlate the work of all research task groups. ● GSUSA launched new brand image campaign featuring a new position statement. 2000 ● Lynn J. Simms was elected Council President and served to 2004.

● Council hosted first Women of Distinction Awards, honoring outstanding woman community leaders; Fredericksburg.

2001 ● Integrated Property Task Group Final Report issued. 2002 ● Council name changed to Girl Scout Commonwealth Council of VA, Inc. ● GSUSA Celebrates it’s 90th anniversary.

● First Lady Lisa Collis invested as Virginia’s Honorary Girl Scout President. 2003 ● Capital Campaign Feasibility Study completed. ● GSCCV celebrated it’s 90th anniversary.

● Teen Girls of Distinction scholarship program established.

Girl Scouts . Where girls grow strong. 1999

2004 ● Forrestiner Dickerson was elected Council President and served to 2008; first African American. ● Fredericksburg Community Advisory Board established. ● Council, in partnership with The Virginia Foodbank, hosted its first annual peanut butter drive to benefit area food pantries. 2006 ● GSUSA presents new Girl Scout Mission Statement: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and

character, who make the world a better place. ● GSCC launches on-line registration for program and training events as an option. ● GSUSA realignment jurisdiction—Girl Scout Commonwealth Council will now serve 30 counties and six

cities. 2007 ● GSUSA announces partnership with MTV and Vanessa & Angela Simmons. ● Council celebrates 95th Anniversary of GSUSA.

Honoring Excellence in Girl Leadership, council leadership scholarship program for girls, established. 2008 ● Candra E. Parker was elected Council President. ● GSCCV celebrated it’s 95th anniversary.

Girl Scout Commonwealth Council of Va., Inc. 7300 Hanover Green Drive Mechanicsville, VA 23111

(804) 746-0590 1-800-4-SCOUT-4

www.comgirlscouts.org

Serving 30 counties and 6 cities in central Virginia.

GSUSA celebrated its 95th Anniversary, “Still Singing” event, Washington, D.C. 2007