Girl Scouts and Congressman Trey Gowdy discuss the well-being of girls in South Carolina

SPARTANBURG, SC – In their annual meeting to discuss the well-being of girls in his district and the Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands council, Congressman Trey Gowdy, Kim Hutzell, President/CEO, and Susan Schneider, Director, PR & Advocacy, discussed several topics.

Congressman Trey Gowdy and Kim Hutzell, President/CEO, Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands, met in his district office to discuss issues that impact the well-being of girls in our state.

Central to the conversation was a highlight review of a recent report, the State of Girls in South Carolina, compiled by the Girl Scout Research Institute.  Summarizing some of the key social, economic, and health issues affecting the 385,000 girls, ages 5-17, South Carolina ranks 38^th out of 50 states.  The most alarming rankings are for Economic Well-Being, 47^th; Physical Health and Safety, 46^th; and Education, 40^th.

Also discussed at length was the topic of girls and politics.  Another report by the Girl Scout Research Institute cites that 67 percent of girls are interested in politics but a stumbling block to 74 percent of girls is that “if I went into a career in politics, I’d have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously.”

Hutzell reported that Girl Scouts addresses all these concerns with leadership emphasis in business/financial literacy, career opportunities, the outdoors and education.  She also announced that 2016 will be the year of celebration for the centennial of Girl Scouts’ highest award.  Gold Award recipients have completed a minimum of 80 hours each to meet all the requirements.  Twenty-nine Girl Scouts earned this award in the past year resulting in a minimum of 2,320 hours in take-action community projects.

States Hutzell, “Congressman Gowdy appreciates the complex, ever-changing needs of the girls we serve and the importance of elected officials to work with nonprofits such as Girl Scouts to make a positive difference in their overall well-being.”

For more than 103 years, Girl Scouting has helped girls develop positive values and become active, responsible leaders in their communities. With emphasis on personal growth and leadership development through service to others, Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands serves approximately 11,400 girls, grades K5-12, and 4,333 adults in 22 counties of central and western South Carolina, including Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, and Union.