Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, the Girl Scouts is an international organization for young women focusing on the development of leadership skills and outdoor abilities. Low became interested in starting a scouting program after meeting Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts. Overwhelmed by girls who wanted to join the Boy Scouts, Baden-Powell charged his sister Agnes with leading a similar organization for young women in the U.K. called the Girl Guides. The program was designed to train these girls in outdoor skills, first aid, and honorable values.

Low took quickly to the group’s mission and formed an American version of the Girl Guides in Savannah, Georgia, in 1912; the name was changed to Girl Scouts the following year. Demand for new troops was immediate, and Low helped to organize the first official Girl Scouts handbook and appoint troop leaders and staff to the organization’s national board.

The first Girl Scouts designed, cut, and sewed their own uniforms, as well as the first felt trefoil badges. This three-leaved emblem originally signified a “Tenderfoot,” or girl... who was new to the scouting world. Soon girls could earn other participation badges for completing specific tasks and learning skill-sets, which were then pinned or sewn onto their uniforms for display.