After returning from England in 1912, where she had learned about the Boy Scouts during a meeting with founder Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Juliette Gordon Low established the Girl Scouts in the United States. Juliette, known to many as Daisy, announced to her cousin,  “I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we’re going to start it tonight!”

According to the Girl Scouts official site, Low’s goal was “to ensure all girls had a place to develop their leadership skills, advocate for themselves and others, and turn their ambitions into reality,” and 113 years later, that mission is still in play, beautifully exemplified by New York City’s Girl Scout Troop 3484.

Girl Scout Troop 3484

Girl Scout Troop 3484 on the steps of the New York Historical, 2017. The flower headbands are in honor of the suffragists who wore the flowers as a symbol of their cause.

In 2016, when the girls in Troop 3484 were informed by a museum curator that there were NO statues of real women in Central Park, they were surprised and dismayed and wanted to know what they could do. The curator informed them about an organization called Monumental Women, working to address this issue. Troop 3484 decided to assist this organization with their mission. They spread the word, raised money, and performed at the New York City Historical Society among other places to encourage others to work for the “first-ever statue honoring real women in the 167-year history of New York City’s Central Park.”

Read our posts about the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument: Breaking the Bronze Ceiling: One Inspiring Public Sculpture at a Time! and Books, Glorious Books! 

A Story to be Shared

Meanwhile, Janice Hechter, whose work “delves into themes of empowerment, resilience and the often-overlooked narratives of women in arts and society,” had also been informed about the lack of statues of real women. While researching the issue, she kept encountering articles about Girl Scout Troop 3484. Impressed by the young girls’ activism, Hechter, a children’s book writer and illustrator, decided to write about this troop and their inspiring and empowering experience.

Once in touch with the group, Hechter interviewed some of the girls and set to work capturing their story.

Here are a few pages from Where are the Women? The Girl Scouts’ Campaign for the First Statue of Women in Central Park with my comments, not the text from the book:

This page speaks volumes with the girl’s arm straight in the air, demonstrating courageous questioning of the status quo and subsequent initiative to challenge an unfair situation, i.e. the lack of statues depicting the accomplishments of women.

 

Following in the footsteps of so many, especially all who have marched and march for women’s rights, the Troop demonstrated to raise awareness and advocate for change.

 

Their faces say it all! Displeased when told the statue would be erected in a dark corner outside of Central Park, the girls met with then Mayor Bill de Blasio to express their concerns. This meeting was picked up by news stations, contributing to the statue being moved to a visible space inside the busy park.

 

As Girl Scout Troop 3484 gained visibility, members were interviewed by news outlets and presented before formal committees. I’m sure they earned their It’s Your World – Change It! badges and more!

What an impactful journey for these girls! With the support of their troop leaders and parents, they found their voices and learned how to advocate for what they believe in. They studied women’s history and learned about some of the key players, in particular those the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument honors: Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

They discovered firsthand, along with other troops that joined in, that by setting their minds to something and working together, they could contribute to making a difference, something that I’m sure is a part of their fiber now.

As one of the scouts Veda Safranek said, “We have literally grown up fighting this fight.”  Four years after Troop 3484 became involved, the statue was unveiled in August of 2020, on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Such a thrilling victory!

Author/Illustrator Janice Hechter meeting with Girl Scouts in Connecticut.

Now, thanks to Janice Hechter, there’s a book that documents their life-altering experience to share with other Girl Scout troops and all children. Hechter, whose book was released in February 2025, has been meeting with various troops and will present to the Girl Scouts in New York City this summer.

Janice’s next book, Theresa Bernstein: The Power of Her Paintbrush, “about a successful working artist painting at a time when men dominated the art world” is set to be released next year, 2026.

Janice Hechter is a Nasty Woman Writer sharing “often-overlooked narratives” with our future generations.

© Maria Dintino 2025

Works Cited

Fung, Shana. “Meet the Ladies of Girl Scout Troop 3484.” The New York Historical. https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/meet-the-ladies-of-girl-scout-troop-3484

Hechter, Janice. Where are the Women? The true story of NYC Girl Scouts’ perseverance to raise awareness of Monumental Women’s efforts to place the first statue of honoring women pioneers in Central Park. Red Chair Press, 2025.

Hechter, Janice, Illustrator/Author/Graphic Designer. https://www.janicehechter.com/about_me.html

“Juliette Gordon Low: Daisy blazed a trail for every Girl Scout and living a life of courage, confidence, and character.” Girl Scouts of the USA. https://www.girlscouts.org/en/discover/about-us/history/juliette-gordon-low.html