They say once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout. I was both a Brownie and a Girl Scout growing up, and I read with interest recently that the Girl Scouts are celebrating their 100th Anniversary in 2012. Being a Girl Scout taught me a great deal: the importance of being part of a larger group (which has come in handy leading a 300-plus-member healthcare association); the amazing feeling of accomplishment when you earned a badge (even though I did earn a badge for sewing, I never learned to enjoy sewing them on my sash); how to approach someone with confidence (essential for someone selling their own weight in cookies.) To this day, I can’t go by those cookie vendors without buying a couple of boxes. I also got my first taste of leadership when my troop elected me division leader. I will never forget how proud I was to put on my uniform for every meeting.

No matter what your field, the lessons and life skills learned in the Girl Scouts never go out of fashion. So thank you to the Girl Scouts, and congratulations on reaching a century milestone.