Certainly, there is a great story behind every successful organization, and the Girl Scouts are no different. For many young women, the Girl Scouts group has been inspirational and has helped them grow and discover themselves. 

Juliette Gordon Low was someone anyone would describe as a passionate lady. This was shown in the choices she made and her impact on other people. 

On one October night many years ago, Juliette was born into a wealthy family. Juliette Gordon Low, originally named Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon, was born in Savannah, Georgia, on October 31, 1860. 

Things sadly took a sudden turn after her sister passed. Alice was Daisy’s beloved elder sister, who passed when Daisy was 20 years old. With this unfortunate situation, Daisy had to step up to fill in for her grieving mother, and she took up the responsibility for the household duties. 

William Mackay Low was a handsome young man. He was the son of a family friend of Daisy’s family, and it was said that he had come home from studying at Oxford. 

As a child, Daisy had always had ear problems. This affected her so greatly that it reduced her hearing in one of her ears. Sadly, the problem only worsened after her wedding ceremony. 

After that period, she had an ear infection caused by the rice, and the physicians of that time were ill-equipped to treat her properly. Their attempts to treat the ear infection with the knowledge they had only damaged her hearing further. 

Along the line, Daisy’s husband practically left her to pursue his pleasures. He was very fond of drinking, gambling, and spending time with members of high society; because of this, they barely spent any time together. 

Although lonely and saddened by her absent husband and the turn of events, she found a way to keep herself entertained and occupied. She took up activities like painting, woodwork, and even metalworking. 

Even though she was struggling through life as an unhappy married woman, Juliette had made significant progress in many areas of her life. 

In the early 1900s, Daisy and William went through a bitter divorce. Unfortunately for William, he had a stroke during this period, and he eventually passed. 

Although Daisy had won the contestation of the will, it had taken a lot of her time and effort, and she never remarried. Down the line in 1919, she met a man, Sir Robert Baden-Powell. 

While the idea of a Boy Guides enthralled Daisy, she learned that Sir Robert’s sister, Agnes, had also established a similar program only for girls. This was called the Girl Guides. 

Through her determination to create a space for young women to learn, grow, and succeed, Juliette founded the Girl Scouts group in 1912. Juliette, who was often known by some as “Crazy Daisy,” set the pace for a means for women, both rich and poor, to grow to hold offices in high positions. 

On March 12, 1912, Daisy registered the first group of 18 girls in her Girl Guides group. Her niece and namesake, Margaret “Daisy Doots” Gordon, was the first member of her guides. Daisy was 51 years at this point. 

During the time the girls spent at Daisy’s, they engaged in numerous activities on a section of her land in Savannah, Georgia. Some of these activities were similar to those that the boys in the Boy Scouts learned. 

The girls also earned badges after they had adequately learned different homemaking skills. Daisy also knew survival skills were just as crucial as life skills; they were an important part of life, too. 

Since the opening meeting of the Girl Guides in 1912, more than 50 million girls have joined the group. Many of them have forged their unique journeys in life – a legacy that Juliette Gordon Low would be proud of. 

Even 100 years after her passing, Daisy has been honored in various ways. She has had tributes in the form of biographies, operas, and postage stamps, amongst others. 

Daisy’s life was what anyone would have described as being sad, unfortunate, and in shambles. From the hearing problems to the hearing loss, the loneliness to the failed marriage, all of these would have suppressed many, but Daisy chose to rise above it all. 

After a lengthy and personal battle with breast cancer, Juliette Gordon Low passed away on January 17, 1927, in the comfort of her home in Savannah, Georgia. Upon her passing, some of her friends established the Juliette Low Global Friendship Fund in her memory.