Girl Scouts Celebrate 100th Anniversary

"Come right over! I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!"

That's what Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts, said when she phoned her cousin Nina Anderson Pape on March 12th, 1912. A century has passed since that historic call, and during those 100 years girls everywhere have hiked, camped, made friends, sold cookies, boosted their self-esteem, and earned merit badges in categories as diverse as Sew Simple, Ms. Fix-It, Dance, Making Music, Outdoor Fun, Math Whiz, Eco-Action, Science Sleuth -- and the most recently added one, Locavore. If you were a Girl Scout, chances are you still treasure your award sash, your Curved Bar, and certainly your memories. You're in good company. Boomer celebs were troop members, too.

Here, in honor of the Centennial, are 15 of our favorite former Scouts.

Katie Couric The future news anchor was 6-years-old in 1963, the year that the Girl Scouts introduced four age-level programs: Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior Girl Scouts. She had to wait one more year to join a Brownie troop, although later a category called Daisy was added for Kindergarteners and First Graders. The official Girl Scout web site says that the age-levels were created in response to "the social unrest of the 1960s." Other manifestations of that sensibility were that the National Board went on record as strongly supporting civil rights, Senior Girl Scout Speakout conferences were held around the country, and the "ACTION 70" project was launched in 1969 as a nationwide Girl Scout initiative to overcome prejudice.

Carrie Fisher The Piper Project, headed by Carrie's mom and Girl Scout troop leader Debbie Reynolds, was initiated with the goal of retaining girls so they could reap the benefits of the programs for each age level. Another part of the mission of the project was to recruit Girl Scouts from underserved populations. Also, the actress who would later be the leading lady in "Star Wars" was 12 years old in 1969 when over 100 Girl Scouts were special guests of NASA for a real life space event -- the launch of Apollo 12 at Cape Kennedy, Florida, now known as Cape Canaveral.

Tipper Gore As the 1950s began, the Girl Scout Movement had 1.5 million girls and adult volunteers. Tipper, now 63, was among those girls and it's a good bet she gained some of her activism skills and political acumen as a Scout. On a historical note, during that decade an effort was made to include the daughters of migrant agricultural workers, military personnel, Native Americans, Alaskan Eskimos, and the physically challenged.

Hillary Clinton In November 1957, when Hillary was 9 years old, the Girl Scouts of the USA moved its national headquarters to New York, N.Y. and, of course, she eventually became a senator for that state. The headquarters moved from Third Avenue to Fifth Avenue in 1992 and remain there today.

Laura Bush In 1953, the year that Laura Bush was 11, the Girl Scouts bought the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia. It was restored and opened in 1956 as a house museum and national program center for girls.

Candice Bergen The March 1952 issue of Ebony magazine, when Academy Award-winning actress Candice Bergen was 10 years old, reported that "Girl Scouts in the South are making steady progress toward breaking down racial taboos."

Martha Stewart During World War II when the Domestic Diva was a child, the Girl Scouts operated bicycle courier services, invested more than 48,000 hours in Farm Aide projects, collected fat and scrap metal, and grew Victory Gardens. We're guessing the young Martha earned her "Outdoor Creativity" badge for gardening!

Dionne Warwick When the legendary warbler was a Scout, the girls collected 1.5 million articles of clothing that were then shipped overseas to children and adult victims of war.

Madeleine Albright The girl who would grow up to be the first female Secretary of State of the United States was a 'tween when the Girl Scouts sponsored Defense Institutes to teach 10,000 women survival skills and techniques for comforting children during blackouts and air raids.

Mary Tyler Moore A publication entitled "Senior Girl Scouting in Wartime" was created to encourage older girls to perform war-related service projects such as Hospital, Child Care, and Emergency Outdoor Aide. "Our Mary" was just old enough at the time to participate.

Debbie Reynolds Debbie, who was not only a Scout herself but also daughter Carrie's troop leader later on, was a little girl during the Great Depression when the Girl Scouts led community relief efforts by collecting clothing, making quilts, carving wood toys, gathering food for the poor, assisting in hospitals, participating in food drives and canning programs, and providing meals to undernourished children.

Barbara Walters During the 1930s when Barbara was a Scout, resources were transcribed into Braille and the Helen Keller Scholarship was established for training leaders who work with blind girls. Also, the Mariners interest group was launched to give Senior Girl Scouts an opportunity to develop skills in boating, sailing, navigation, and water safety.

Shirley Temple Black The Girl Scout web site notes that during the Depression "Escapism with big-screen movies and mystery novels were the era's popular diversions. Musicians, dancers, and other artists played a role in helping to lift the country's spirits." The young Shirley, who tapped and sang and acted her way into Americans' hearts, was among those entertainers -- and she was also a loyal Scout.

Rosalynn Carter The promotional booklet "Who Are the Girl Scouts?" was printed in English, Polish, Yiddish, and Italian when Rosalynn was Scout – about 20 years after the organization's founding.

Barbara Bush As for Barbara, she gets the best historical factoid of all. While she was a Scout, the first sale of commercially baked Girl Scout Cookies took place. Ah, those Thin Mints, Tagalongs, and all the rest! Our mouths are watering just thinking about them! But of course what's really wonderful about those cookies is the entrepreneurial skills and general business acumen the girls gain by making the rounds with the boxes and collecting the money. That's one more way the Girl Scouts have helped generations of girls grow up to be capable and confident women. Happy 100th Birthday, Girl Scouts!