BILLINGS - More than 100 Girl Scouts from Montana and Wyoming celebrated the Girl Scouts 110th birthday at MSU Billings on Saturday afternoon.
Those in the organization say many have learned life-long skills that help when they grow up.
"They tend to have professions that pay higher," said Briana Rickman, director of fund development for the Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming. "They tend to be more engaged civically. They volunteer more. They might donate more money. Higher college graduation rates. So there's a lot of long term benefits to the Girl Scout Program."
Juliette Gordon Low founded the organization on March 12, 1912 in Savannah, Georgia.
Now, Girl Scouts focus on four pillars: STEM subjects, outdoors, life skills and entrepreneurship.
Miss Montana USA 2022, Heather Lee O'Keefe, who herself was in the brownie program, spoke and gave the girl some inspiration.
"Just going to share my story with them of resilience and never giving up and to tell them never give up on their dreams too," said O'Keefe, who is from Bozeman. "I know a lot of these girls are from small town Wyoming and Montana. As a small town girl myself, I know that sometimes your dreams can seem too big for the world. But my message to them is don't ever let anyone tell you that your dreams are too big."
The Girl Scouts plan on holding more 110th birthday celebrations throughout the year in Helena, Cheyenne and Jackson Hole.
