On March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low assembled 18 girls and registered them as the first Girl Scout troop in the United States. Now, 103 years later, Girl Scouts recognize this anniversary during a weeklong Girl Scout Week celebration.

For this year’s Girl Scout Birthday, members of Girl Scout Troop 5450 in Suffolk spent the afternoon learning about the history of their organization at A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast regional program center and headquarters in Chesapeake.

The troop members had the opportunity to look through Girl Scout handbooks from over the years and see how badges have evolved to fit the needs and interests of girls. They also looked at Girl Scout uniforms dating back to the 1940s, calendars from over the years and other items from the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast archives collection.

“Being a Girl Scout has given me so many opportunities that I would not have had otherwise,” Girl Scout Senior Arenia Rice said. “Girl Scouts is an important part of my life, and I really enjoyed learning more about the history of the organization.”

After the girls finished going through Girl Scout archives, they ventured into The Outback, a nearly 9-acre nature area located behind A Place for Girls. The Outback is a Lou Henry Hoover Memorial Sanctuary, which was created in honor of a woman who loved the environment and who was at one time the First Lady and honorary president of Girl Scouts of the USA. While in The Outback, the members of Troop 5450 worked on requirements to earn The Outback Fitness Trail patch and the Lou Henry Hoover Memorial patch.

To learn more about joining Girl Scouts or visiting The Outback, go to www.gsccc.org.