I was a Girl Scout for 12 years -- first grade to senior year -- and I am so grateful for the organization that I credit as being the first main contributing factor that shaped me into the woman I am today. The lessons and ideals I learned then are ones that I still carry with me today, and hope to instill in the young women I mentor as a Campus Scouts leader. Such as:

1. S'mores.

OK, I obviously had to start here, though s'mores are less of a lesson and more of a skill. Although not credited with the invention (no clear inventor has ever been credited) it is clear that both Boy and Girl Scouts played a big part in popularizing this treat. S'mores were a staple of every single outdoor gathering when I was a Scout, and I quickly perfected the art of a perfectly toasted marshmallow (it should be golden brown on the outside, not burnt, but toasted enough to turn the inside gooey). The next time you eat a s'more, thank a Girl Scout.

2. Songs/chants.

I think every single Girl Scout has at least 50 songs and chants in her repertoire. My personal favorites include "Herman the Worm," "Old Lady Leary," "Barges," "Oom Plucka Plucka," "Tarzan," and "The Princess Pat." Trust me, if you have a few good call-and-repeat songs at your disposal, you can keep children entertained for quite a while. Bonus points if there are hand motions that go along with the words.

3. An appreciation for nature.

I went camping countless times as a Girl Scout, and I think it's good for children to be outdoorsy every once in a while. Technology is even more prevalent now than it was when I was younger, and camping provided us with an opportunity to disconnect (though from computer games and Nintendo GameBoys rather than from tablets and cell phones). We learned as Girl Scouts to appreciate wildlife (in controlled environments) -- to be careful and respectful in our approach of certain animals (horses, sting rays, etc) so as not to get hurt/hurt them when we interacted with them.

4. Respect.

One phrase you will hear most often as a Girl Scout is "Make sure you leave it better than you found it." This applied to any and everything, from car rides to cabins to camping.
That is just one tier of basic respect I learned as a Girl Scout; I also learned (and avidly practiced) respect of authorities. As a result, I found that my relationships with adults (teachers, administrators, parents of friends) were benefited. Because I was (and am) polite and respectful, I often received more respect from the adults I interacted with. This continues to foster my relationships with my elders even now, and is infinitely useful when networking.

5. Independence.

Although Girl Scouting does have a lot of team building (many of the activities you do as a troop), it also emphasizes the importance of being independent, and gives girls the tools to do so. While you can earn badges and patches as a troop, you also have the ability to do so independently. Additionally, service projects like the Gold Award are often completed alone.

6. Leadership.

Individual troop dynamics will vary, but I know that my troop had us constantly switching roles so that each girl got her turn to lead. Additionally, our Bronze and Silver Awards required a fair amount of team leadership, and as a Campus Scouts leader I have continued to develop my leadership skills.

7. Creativity.

In my time as a Girl Scout, I learned how to think outside the box. Around the time we entered high school, a lot of things about Girl Scouting changed, one main thing being the addition of Journey books in order to earn badges and meet certain requirements. Although many of the activities were fun, we found that some were not entirely to our liking, so we looked at them from a new perspective. How could we find a new way of approaching this to make it fun, while still fulfilling the requirements of earning the Journey?
And of course, Girl Scouting also fosters base creativity -- arts and crafts, singing, theatre, etc.

8. Confidence.

The main activities of a Girl Scout in my day were earning badges and selling cookies. I'm a very competitive person, so I always wanted to be my troop's top cookie seller (and often -- though not always -- succeeded). Knowing that I was a good enough salesgirl (although I will admit that Girl Scout cookies aren't a very hard product to push) to earn myself not just prizes, but opportunities (one of the best incentives was your choice of Girl Scout summer camp) greatly boosted my confidence.

9. Compassion.

As I have touched on, Girl Scouting is most often a group activity. Interacting with my peers so frequently and doing such intimate activities together (ex: sleep away camps at times when we were young enough to still crave constant attention from our families) caused us to treat each other with the utmost care.
My fellow troop members were not the only ones I learned to be compassionate toward. We were taught to be kind to everyone, and to volunteer. Volunteering at places like nursing homes and the Boys and Girls Club really will warm your heart, trust me. Sure, people are frustrating sometimes, but at the end of the day, being kind (even when it is hard) is so rewarding.

10. Responsibility.

Also, commitment. Older Girl Scouts especially have these lessons instilled into them when working on projects like the Gold Award.
Every single Girl Scout who sells cookies will also learn responsibility. First, she is often responsible for meeting a minimum goal set by the troop. Depending on how old she is, she may also be responsible for collecting the money and delivering it to her troop leader. She will then be required to ensure the delivery of all the cookies. No girl wants to be responsible for losing someone's cookies.

11. Courage.

Going door to door selling cookies and talking to strangers is a daunting prospect (and dangerous, young ones -- take a parent with you; never go alone), but Girl Scouts learn to face their fears and be successful. Yes, I'm talking about cookie sales again. Who knew it'd be such a good character builder?
I'll admit, not all Girl Scouts have a fear of public speaking/meeting new people, but that is not the only fear that she may be called to face. She may have a fear of large animals but go horseback riding anyway, or a fear of leaving home but go camping and face her fear. Whatever the individual girl's situation is, she can learn how to be brave.

12. Friendship.

The thing about Girl Scouting is that not everyone sticks with it. Girls came and went throughout the years of Troop 1517. We peaked with a troop of about 20-25 girls, and by the time we graduated, we had maybe six members remaining -- most of whom had been there since the very beginning. The girls who stayed taught me that true friends always have your back. Sure, we had our arguments, but at the end of the day, we weathered our friendships and came out even stronger than before. Though we may not keep in frequent contact, I owe these girls -- now, women -- for some of the best memories I have.

13. Girl Power.

Girl Scouting was founded by a woman who knew that girls were just as good as boys, and who wanted to give them an opportunity to shine. Girl Scouting, even today, teaches girls that they can do whatever they set their minds to. When she founded Girl Scouts in 1912, Juliette Gordon Low could not have known that she would spark a movement that would shape the characters of so many.

I think "Thunderation" describes this pretty well:

We are the Girl Scout association
When we work with determination
We create a sensation