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COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION 03/25/2024 - SPECIAL ORDERED TO THE FLOOR BILL NO. 35-0237 Thirty-Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands February 28, 2024 An Act amending title 1 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 11 to recognize the month of March as Girl Scouts Month PROPOSED BY: Senator Marvin A. Blyden WHEREAS, the Girl Scout Movement was founded on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, 1 Georgia, by Juliette Gordon Low, whose life mission was to build girls of courage, 2 confidence, and character who make the world a better place; 3 WHEREAS, the Girl Scouts have a long history in the Virgin Islands, dating back to the 4 1930s when the first troop was established on the island of St. Thomas; 5 WHEREAS, Girl Scouts of the United States of America (“GSUSA”) has emphasized 6 public service, civic engagement, and fostering a sense of community in girls across the 7 country for over a century; 8 WHEREAS, GSUSA works to champion the ambitions, cultivate the talents, and 9 develop the skills of girls to be leaders in their communities and in the world; 10 WHEREAS, in these challenging times, girl scouting provides community, consistency, 11 and connection for girls and a safe haven through uncertainty; 12 WHEREAS, GSUSA believes in sisterhood, justice, and fairness by committing to 13 make the world a more equitable place for all girls, no matter their race, ethnicity, or religion; 14 2 WHEREAS, at a time when civics education is missing from many schools, GSUSA 1 introduced new K-12 Civics badges to bring girls experiences that deepen their understanding 2 of democracy and government, prepare them for a lifetime of civic engagement, and motivate 3 them to be catalysts for change; 4 WHEREAS, GSUSA offers girls of the 21st century programming in science, 5 technology, engineering, and math, as well as the outdoors, entrepreneurship, and beyond, 6 helping girls develop invaluable life skills and take the lead early and often; 7 WHEREAS, Girl Scouts in grades 9 through 12 can advance their civic engagement 8 by earning the Gold Award, the most highly regarded award in the world for members of the 9 Girl Scouts; 10 WHEREAS, Gold Award Girl Scouts take on projects that have a measurable and 11 sustainable impact on a community by assessing a need, designing a solution, completing a 12 project, and inspiring others to sustain it; and 13 WHEREAS, National Gold Award Girl Scouts have completed projects that demonstrate 14 extraordinary leadership, have a measurable and sustainable effect, and that address a local 15 challenge relating to a national or global issue; Now, therefore, 16 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 17 SECTION 1. Title 1 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 11 is amended by adding section 200p 18 to read as follows: 19 “§200p. Girl Scouts Month 20 (a) The Virgin Islands shall observe the month of March each year as “Girl Scouts 21 Month”. 22 (b) At least 15 days prior to March 1st each year, the Governor shall issue a 23 proclamation to be announced in the press and by radio, encouraging all Government agencies 24 in the Virgin Islands to support the Girl Scouts of the United States of America in its efforts 25 to continue to develop their members as future leaders.” 26 3 BILL SUMMARY 1 This bill amends title 1 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 11 by adding section 200p to 2 recognize the month of March as “Girl Scouts Month” and requiring that the Governor issue, 3 at least 15 days prior to March 1st each year, a proclamation encouraging all Government 4 agencies to support the Girl Scouts of the United States of America in their efforts to continue 5 to develop their members as future leaders. 6 BR23-0471/March 28, 2023/GC 7