PHILADELPHIA—Girl Scouts become leaders. Ann Meredith is CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP). It is one of the nation’s largest girl scouts councils, serving over 42,000 girls with more than 14,000 adult volunteers.
More than 50 million American women have been Girl Scouts since 1912. Notable alumnae include Sandra Day O'Connor, the first women to sit on the US Supreme Court, Drew Gilpin Faust, the first female president of Harvard University and Katie Couric, the first woman to anchor a news broadcast in the United States.
Former Scouts make up 64 per cent of Who’s Who in American Women, and 70 per cent of women serving in Congress were Girl Scouts.
Meredith thinks these figures and facts can make scouting grow bigger and faster.
“To continue Girl Scouts' success, we have to make broader, more adaptive efforts to stay true to the original promise in today’s changing society,” said Stacey Woodland, 45. Woodland is a former CEO of Lights of Liberty, a producer of high-tech “edutainment” for millions of students and visitors to Philadelphia. She was among Philadelphia Magazine’s “76 People to Watch” in 2008. The magazine chose people whose ideas will “shape our lives over the next decade.”
Taking the job as the first CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) in 2007, Ann Meredith wants to transform a century old brand into a dynamic force to win one of the today’s toughest crowds — adolescent girls. “There are many things out there competing for their time, attention and interests — internet, malls, sports, other activities,” said Stacey Woodland, Membership Development Director of GSEP.
“The stereotype of the Girl Scout is what we have to overcome,” she said. Conventional perception that Girls Scouts is only for middle class families living in the suburbs is a challenge. “Girl Scouts is also for girls living in the center city” said Woodland, a former Director of Marketing, Communication and Outreach at Philadelphia Public Television.
Rejuvenating Girl Scouts' mission and marketing it to all girls, everywhere, is what she considers most challenging and rewarding aspect of her job.
Living the original dream of Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts) is just as refreshing to Meredith as it was almost a century ago. The dream is bringing girls out of isolated environments, into the community, out to the field, and towards opportunities.
“It is the same original mission, but with much broader connotations,” said Meredith. The definitions of isolated environment for girls have changed vastly. Home was where girls were isolated in the past. Today isolation takes more intangible forms, such as confined knowledge and limited understanding.
As America’s melting pot becomes more diverse and colorful, it presents both challenges and opportunities for Girl Scouts. According to the US Census Public Information Office, one third of Americans are Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, American Indians, and Pacific islanders, totaling 98 million.
“To accelerate growth, we have to align ourselves with the changing environment,” Meredith said. Girl Scouts clearly see the need to provide development opportunities for girls to adapt to and succeed in today’s increasingly diverse society, and the world.
The organization recently partnered with the Main Line Chinese Culture Center to launch “A Passport to China.” Through arts, crafts and other fun activities, Daisies and Brownies will have hands-on learning experiences about China and its influence on the world.
To weave multicultural characteristics into the fabric of scouting, Meredith strives to include minority board members and increase outreach programs and membership development among multicultural groups.
The first meeting assembled by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 in Savannah, Georgia has increased from 18 girls to 3.4 million girls and adult members today.
“We want to accelerate the growth and redouble our commitment to girls – all girls, everywhere,” said Meredith.
The commitment is both professional and personal. When pursuing her BA degree in Public Affairs and Government at George Washington University, Ann Meredith chose to spend part of her study in Sri Lanka. “I was interested in learning about a different culture, understanding the values and needs of a developing nation.”
The experience led Meredith to a commitment to Sarvodaya, a grassroots development program in Sri Lanka. Sarvodaya is Sanskrit for “Awakening of All.”
The power of cultural experience has a lasting impact. Ann Meredith said her most unforgettable experiences in Sri Lanka are “the people there — their smiles and their loving hearts.”
Asked what advice she would give to girls living in a developing nation or an underprivileged society, Meredith said "If you stay true to your values and practice integrity in everything you do, then the decisions you make along the way become relatively easy.”
Committed to all girls, everywhere, Girl Scouts is hiking beyond cookies and camping — to cultures across continents, to inspire courage, confidence and character for girls to become tomorrow’s leaders.