This morning, 34 Girl Scouts from central Maryland helped kick off the Year of the Girl at Washington D.C.-launch of ToGetHerThere at the Cannon House Office Building. The ToGetHerThere campaign celebrates Girl Scouts’ 100 year history of providing girls with the requisite skills, including courage, confidence and character, to become leaders in their schools, communities and the world.

The central Maryland girls joined Girl Scouts from surrounding councils to talk to legislators and other event attendees about Girl Scout programs, like the Girl Scout Gold Award, the Girl Scout Cookie program, and Girl Scout STEM programs.

The girls had the opportunity to meet Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Anna Maria Chavez and hear from various legislators who were Girl Scouts themselves, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi , Senators Barbara Mikulski, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Barbara Mikulski, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Representatives Shelley Moore Capito, Sheila Jackson Lee, Donna Edwards and Linda Sanchez.

“In Girl Scouts I worked on my government badge and my community organizing badge,” Senator Mikulski said. “And I rose up all the way to the United States Congress.” The speakers reminded the Girl Scouts in the audience that they have 100 years worth of fellow-Girl Scouts to support them and challenged everyone to live by the Girl Scout Law. At the end of the event everyone in the room joined in a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ to Girl Scouts and cut the 100th anniversary cake to officially start the Year of the Girl.