As Girl Scouts of the United States of America, founded 114 years ago, marks a week of celebration March 8-14, members of a historically African American troop at Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ (Peoples UCC) in Northwest D.C. are reflecting on 57 years of service and generational bonds of family, faith, and community.
“The troops at Peoples are very historical, very well-known and very respected in the Girl Scout Council,” shared Dr. Maureen Sullivan, troop coordinator at Peoples UCC, who is celebrating 20 years as leader of the Girl Scouts’ Daisies for kindergarteners and first graders.
Girl scouting at Peoples UCC began organically, with a group of Black mothers looking for ways to engage their young daughters.
What began as a play group, called the Jumping Jills, would become the first Girl Scouts troop at Peoples UCC in 1969. They could not have imagined that the 10-12 girls in that group, led by co-founders Shirley Moseley and the late Dorothy Pierce, would grow into a sisterhood of eight troops, 84 girls and 18 adult volunteer leaders.
“I was a little hesitant [to lead], because I had never been a Girl Scout,” recalls Moseley, now 85. “But it’s one of the best decisions I ever made.”
Starting with just two troops, Brownies (grades 2 and 3) and Juniors (grades 4 and 5), the girls met at the church on Saturdays for meetings. Donning their uniforms, they explored sewing, knitting, arts and crafts, and baking with Easy Bake Ovens, while engaging in church, hiking, and overnight camping trips.
The troops became so popular that they had to start turning girls away.
“We had some girls who came and they could not afford uniforms, so we developed a uniform,” Moseley said, noting the girls wore a dark skirt and white blouse. “So you still were part of the troop in uniform.”
A fourth-generation Washingtonian, Moseley was educated in D.C. Public Schools (DCPS), where she met her husband at Cardozo High School in Northwest. The working mom of three began a familial tradition of service in Girl Scouts that continues today.
Her daughter, Carol, was in the first Brownie Troop 1257, which Moseley led, and her oldest daughter, Sharon, was in the Juniors Troop 1324, led by Pierce.
Decades later, Moseley’s great-granddaughter, Shayla Wright, is a member of the current Senior Troop at Peoples UCC.
“I’ve been a Girl Scout as long as I can remember,” the 16-year-old shared. “I couldn’t imagine not being a Girl Scout.”
A high school student in the D.C. area, Shayla is active in school, scouting and at Peoples UCC, where she is a member of the Rhythmic Choir. She said she is drawn to scouting because of the service activities and spending time with her friends.
The national delegate for Girl Scouts also volunteers with Sullivan’s Daisy Troop. Having earned 137 service hours, Shayla is currently working on attaining the Gold Award, the highest recognition available in Girl Scouts.
“What’s nice about Peoples – the girls become community,” Sullivan, 60, told The Informer, adding that the members remain close friends beyond Girl Scouts, continuing into college adulthood.
A Legacy of Excellence: Building the Next Generation of Girl Scouts, Leaders
Lessons learned as members of troops often inform the adult lives of Peoples’ Girl Scouts alumnae, who have gone on to become lawyers, doctors, public servants, entrepreneurs, scientists and even a leader of the prestigious organization.
“They’re all leaders, and I like to say, setting the world on fire,” Sullivan said, reflecting on the joy and pride she feels seeing girls grow from Daisies to successful adults. “It’s not just a cliché – [they] make the world a better place.”
Kim R. Ford, who served as a Brownie at Peoples UCC in her youth, became CEO of Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital, covering D.C. and parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
The D.C. native is the first Black woman to hold her position.
“It’s a full circle moment,” Ford said, “because I would never have thought then, that one day I would have this amazing responsibility for all the little me’s.”
The Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital CEO is not the only person who gained leadership skills as a member of the Peoples troops.
“It’s about leadership and what I call becoming,” Sullivan explained. “Girl Scouts has what we call the ‘three Cs’ – courage, character and confidence. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls who possess those characteristics, who make the world a better place.”
Leadership is a core principle in scouting at all ages. Youth members, organized into troops by grade level (K-12), earn badges by completing required activities. Members can earn badges in six main categories: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), outdoors, life skills, leadership, entrepreneurship, and awards. Its signature program, The Girl Scout Cookie Program, combines all five.
Having joined the organization at age 13, Peoples Girl Scout alumna Yasmine Arrington Brooks has learned all about leadership and put it into practice.
While in 11th grade at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, Brooks, 33, founded ScholarCHIPS, an organization that provides college scholarships, mentoring and support for children with incarcerated parents. Launching ScholarCHIPS as part of her Girl Scouts Gold Award application, the cause behind the organization hits close to home for Brooks, whose father was in and out of jail.
Years later, her business has grown and work’s been featured widely, earning Brooks numerous awards, including a 2025 Washingtonian of the Year recognition from Washingtonian Magazine, a 2025 L’Oreal Paris Woman of Worth honor, and a 2023 CNN Hero award.
Brooks, a self-defined encourager, peacemaker, social entrepreneur, and motivational speaker, is one of more than 50 million Girl Scout alumnae, including: astronaut Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to travel to space; tennis phenoms Serena and Venus Williams; Condoleezza Rice, the first Black woman to serve as Secretary of State; and journalist Robin Roberts.
“Girl Scouts helped to instill in me the importance of giving back and community service,” Brooks told The Informer. “I literally do the same things now in my role as founder and executive director of ScholarCHIPS.”
Continuing a Legacy of Women’s and Black History
Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, in Savannah, Georgia — before white women had the right to vote — the Girl Scouts of America has a long history of working to empower young people and build changemakers of tomorrow.
The first all-Black troops were formed as early as 1917, according to the organization. However, several Black women worked to desegregate the Girl Scouts.
Barrier breakers in Girl Scouts include: Maggie Lena Walker, who helped create the first Black troop south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and Sarah Randolph Bailey, creator of the Girl Reserves in 1935 to give Black girls a true scouting experience.
Further, there’s Josephine Groves Holloway, who fought to have Black troops officially acknowledged. Having trained to become a scout leader under Gordon Low, the Fisk University graduate finally succeeded in her quest for Black troops’ recognition in 1942.
Walker, Bailey, Holloway and others paved the way for Dr. Gloria Dean Randle Scott, who became the first Black national president of the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1975, opening doors for people like Ford.
“I definitely learned courage and public speaking in Girl Scouts,” said Ford, who was called to her barrier-breaking service as CEO of the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital in 2024. “Because of Girl Scouts, I’m not afraid to walk up to someone and state my case.”
With Girl Scouts Week underway, Moseley emphasized the importance of the organization and troops such as those at Peoples UCC.
“Girl Scouts has not lost its touch. I hope it continues on,” Moseley said. “You wouldn’t have that strength that we have in our program without the volunteers and without the support of the church.”
The Rev. Benjamin Bragg-Reynolds, interim minister of Peoples UCC, said that the church-based troop “has been an integral part of our church’s 135-year history for 57 remarkable years.”
“As an African American congregation, we cherish this ministry that not only enriches our community but also reaches far and wide across the DMV,” Bragg-Reynolds told The Informer. “The girls in this troop exemplify the spirit of service, faith, and leadership, walking in the footsteps of pioneers like Mrs. Moseley.”
Kicking off Girl Scouts Week, six girls received the “My Promise, My Faith” pin on Sunday, March 8, earned for exploring connections between their faith and scouting.
While membership has declined some, particularly during COVID, the program at Peoples UCC continues to welcome girls of all nationalities into the family.
Experiencing the benefits of participating in Girl Scouts firsthand, Shayla wants to see more adolescents give it a try.
“It’s not just for younger girls,” she told The Informer, explaining that she has the most fun as an older scout who can plan how she wants to serve.
Moreover, she emphasized that the bonds are forever.
“Once a Girl Scout,” Shayla said, “always a Girl Scout.”