Beth Flaherty

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio

Imagine joining a group of individuals—each with their own unique skills and passions, but united by a common purpose. Imagine yourself at Girl Scouts! Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, is one of the largest in the USA, serves nearly 39,000 girls in a 32 county area throughout western Ohio and southeast Indiana. Nearly 10,000 trained volunteers work to provide services and deliver the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to girls. Four regional Girl Scout Centers are located in Cincinnati, Dayton, Lima and Toledo. Why Girl Scouts—Diversity was the founding idea of Girl Scouting in 1912. Today, Girl Scouts of the USA serves girls in every zip code, from the inner city to the prairie. GSUSA serves girls in urban community centers, churches, mosques and temples. Girl Scouts serves girls across income and demographic groups, and the national membership mirrors the U.S. population figures. The journey begins with the Girl Scout environment itself. A girl's leadership blooms among other girls–away from school pressures, social cliques and boys–where girls can be themselves and try new things. In Girl Scouts activities are girl-led. Girls learn by doing and the learning is cooperative not competitive. We also focus on what girls need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.