Who We Are

Our mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.


Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council serves nearly 20,000 girls each year in 61 counties in West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia and Maryland. The council has 13 regional offices for the convenience of volunteers and Girl Scout members.

The Girl Scouting movement began in the United States in March 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low started the first troop in Savannah, Georgia. Inspired by her friendship with Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts in the United Kingdom, Low wanted to provide a similar opportunity for the girls in America. Although her first troop only had 18 members, the Girl Scout movement has since grown to include over 4 million girls in the United States alone.

Girl Scouts is, as it always has been, the organization best positioned to offer girls the tools they need to be successful leaders now and throughout their lives. As Girl Scouting approaches its 100th anniversary, the Movement is using its expertise and input from girls to create a completely new approach for what girls do in Girl Scouting, how they do it and how they will benefit.

The New Girl Scout Leadership Experience identifies three “keys” to leadership – Discover: Girls understand themselves and their values and use their knowledge and skills to explore the world. Connect: Girls care about, inspire and team up with others locally and globally. Take Action: Girls act to make the world a better place. All experiences in Girl Scouting incorporate the Discover, Connect and Take Action keys to leadership. When Discover, Connect and Take Action activities are girl led and involve learning by doing and cooperative learning, girls achieve the desired and expected short-term leadership outcomes, ultimately resulting in Girl Scouting achieving its mission.

Members of the Girl Scout movement, both girls and adults, follow both the Girl Scout Promise and Girl Scout Law.