The Girl Scouts of America was founded by Juliette Gordon Low, or as her friends called her “Daisy.” Daisy was a socialite, who was born in Savannah, Georgia. She grew up as part of the elite class of people there, and married a millionaire. When her husband died, she set out to seek her own way and founded one of America’s corner stones in the process.
Low’s first reaction to the death of her husband was to travel the world, beginning with France. She visited Italy, Egypt and India as well. This did not quell her. Then she came upon a chance meeting with a British General and war hero: Robert Baden-Powell. Low believed Powell was something of a pompous charicature, and had received undue credit for his actions in the war. Yet fate conspired against her, and she is said to have found him charming. The two formed a friendship and she witnessed Powell form the Boy Scouts.
Powell had recently founded the Boy Scouts, and he was using the organization as a platform to train young boys in defense and outdoor survival skills. Baden-Powell created a system where training became like a game, something Daisy caught onto.
Daisy’s early troops called themselves “Girl Guides,” and Daisy was not at the lead herself. That job was left up to Powell’s 51-year old sister Agnes. The troop recruited girls who wanted to join the Boy Scouts. To appease both girls and boys, Powell and Low formed two distinct troops.
About the Author: Samuel Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Samuel Phineas Upham website or Twitter.
