Blazing Trails for More Than a Century!
1912 – Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scouts in her own backyard in Savannah, Georgia, she ignited a movement where girls were encouraged to explore the world around them—and to do it together.
At a time when women in the United States couldn’t yet vote and were expected to stick to strict social norms, these first Girl Scouts were trailblazers, redefining what was possible for themselves and for girls everywhere. They played basketball, hiked, swam, and camped. They learned to tell time by the stars. And most importantly, they shared a sense of adventure and a belief that they could do anything. The movement quickly spread.
1920s • • • • • • • • • •
1924 – With four Girl Scout troops already formed in San Antonio, Texas, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas (then known as Bexar County Council of Girl Scouts) was founded on March 11, 1924, with Sallie Ward Beretta as the council commissioner.
1930s • • • • • • • • • •
1931 – Girl Scouts have participated in almost every Battle of Flowers® Parade during Fiesta® since our founding.
1940s • • • • • • • • • •
1943 – An advisory committee of Black school principals and other citizens was formed to begin the process of bringing Girl Scouting to Black girls.
1947-48 – The first regional meeting of Black Girl Scout leaders was held in 1947 at San Antonio’s Wheatley High School, and in 1948, Zudora McCoy became the first Black council staff member. Martha and John Camp gifted property in Uvalde County to the council for a new camp, Camp La Jita, which opened in the summer of 1947 and remains the council’s resident camp.
1950s • • • • • • • • • •
1951 – Council staff member Zudora McCoy helped open Camp Mira Sol in May 1951 as the first resident camp for Black Girl Scouts in Texas.
1952 – Girl Scouts across the country continued to push for inclusiveness and equality, with Ebony magazine reporting in 1952 that even in the South, “… Scouts were making slow and steady progress toward surmounting the racial barriers of the region.”
1956 – both Camp La Jita and Camp Mira Sol had integrated. McCoy served in leadership positions at the council for 34 years and was loved by all.
1960s • • • • • • • • • •
Nationally, Girl Scouts held Speak Out conferences around the country to lend their voices to the fight for racial equality; launched the “ACTION 70” project to help overcome prejudice and build better relationships between people; and viewed the Apollo 12 moon landing at Cape Kennedy, Florida, as guests of NASA.
1970s • • • • • • • • • •
1975 – Dr. Gloria D. Scott was the first Black woman to be elected president of Girl Scouts of the USA at its National Council Session.
1978 – The council opened its first service center on the West Side of San Antonio, Casa Varde, GSSWT has had a center and a presence on the West Side ever since.
Girl Scouts pose with Lila Cockrell, the first woman mayor of San Antonio and a champion of the organization.
1980s • • • • • • • • • •
1982-1988 – KIDS (Kids with Individual Differences) Camp ran at Camp Mira Sol for the summers of 1982 through 1988.
GSSWT put its headquarters up for sale in 1981 and eventually sold the historic home to Charles C. Butt, chairman and CEO of H-E-B. We opened new headquarters at 10443 Gulfdale in April 1984, with First Lady of San Antonio Mary Alice Cisneros, wife of Mayor Henry Cisneros and mother of two Girl Scouts, on hand to cut the ribbon at the official dedication that October.
In 1988 – Cyndi Taylor Krier was honored as the first Trefoil Award recipient by the council. The annual fundraiser honors a woman of distinction who has made a difference in her community.
1989 – the council’s board worked with United Way to transition KIDS Camp to Camp CAMP (Children’s Association for Maximum Potential), an organization designed to work with children with disabilities
1990s • • • • • • • • • •
Girl Scouts, family, and friends participate in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., March in San Antonio in 1990.
1992 – The Order of the Silver Trefoil group for those who have been members of Girl Scouts for at least 25 years was chartered.
The Avenida Guadalupe Girl Scout Center at 1410 Guadalupe St. in the San Antonio Independent School District opened in 1992, strengthening the council’s presence and work on the West Side of San Antonio.
2000s • • • • • • • • • •
Patricia Diaz Dennis, of San Antonio, became the first Latina elected as chair of the National Board in 2005.
In 2009, Anna Maria Chávez became the first Latina to serve as CEO for the council. In 2011, she was appointed CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, the first Latina to serve in that role as well.
2010s • • • • • • • • • •
The first African American Advisory Committee Mother-Daughter Tea was held on February 26, 2011, to honor African American women for their contributions to the Girl Scout movement and continual strides to encourage young women.
Girl Scouts turned 100, celebrating its centennial on March 12, 2011.
Inspired by the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl Child, GSSWT launched Day of the Girl S.A. in partnership with the city and other girl-serving organizations to unite for a common goal: create awareness in the community and start developing a culture of philanthropy around our girls.
2020s • • • • • • • • • •
GSSWT was one of the first councils to offer virtual Girl Scout programming at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing girls with stability and fun learning experiences in a time of great uncertainty.
Part of Camp La Jita’s site was designated a State Antiquities Landmark in 2021, and the council celebrated La Jita’s 75th anniversary in 2022.
In 2023, The GSSWT Lotería para Líderes fundraiser became an official Fiesta® San Antonio event. The fundraiser supports the West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center and its programming.
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas celebrated their council centennial on March 11, 2024!
Learn more at www.girlscouts-swtx.org
