LAFAYETTE – Monday will be a very special day for many girls and women across the United States because a group that they were or currently are a part of will be celebrating its 100th birthday.

The Girl Scouts of America turns 100 years old Monday, March 12, and the celebration has proved to be the perfect way to get a new message, important across as well.

“We are using this 100th anniversary as a catalyst for ‘The Year of the Girl’ campaign,” said Communications/Public Relations Director Erin Turner for the Girls Scouts of Louisiana–Pines to the Gulf.

The campaign looks to encourage more girls and women take on leadership roles in all sectors and to get more, positive influences around them to get them to the next level. The long term goal is breakdown the barriers that are stopping girls from succeeding at the highest level.

“We need more adult mentors,” said Turner. “We want all adults to take a role in these girls lives and futures.

“We want to see more girls in leadership roles and with all the negative influences (i.e. social media, bullying, unrealistic body images), girls don’t always want to keep pushing.”

The Girls Scouts of Louisiana–Pines to the Gulf kicked off the 100th celebration on Feb. 25 in Alexandria with a day of activities, games, food and lots of fun, leaving Monday as an opportunity for the troops to celebrate the day on their own level in their own way.

In Taylor’s case, she and several other Girl Scouts of Louisiana delegates will travel to Baton Rouge to visit with legislators, rededicate the honorary troop of female legislators and encourage all legislatures to visit www.togethertere.org and sign the pledge, donate, and/or participate. The website is powered by the Girl Scouts.

Many troops have already reached out to their local governments to proclaim Monday as Girl Scouts Day and 2012 as “The Year of the Girl” and many more are expected to follow suit, according to Turner.

In the meantime, more programs are planned throughout the year to enjoy the group’s centennial year.

“It’s cookie season,” said Turner, “and many troops are selling cookies so they can make the trip to Washington, D.C. in June. But we have things planned throughout the year to celebrate the 100 years and continue to promote the campaign.