A Brief History

Nebraska Girl Scouts

Girl Scouting was flourishing throughout the nation when in 1926, it established itself in Nebraska with the formation of the first troops in Omaha.  From there, Girl Scout councils sprung up westward across the state with troops coming together in Fairbury (1932) and Lincoln (1941).  Guiding Star was created in Ogallala (1953) and then the Prairie Hills Council of northeast Nebraska (1956) was formed.  The Goldenrod Council in Kearney (1976) was created by a later merger.

For 82 years, these original councils have been an essential thread in the fabric of our communities. Hundreds of thousands of Nebraska’s girls grew up with equal access to Girl Scouting, learning about their potential and discovering how to make their mark in the world.

A New Era for Girl Scouting

Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska is Born

On May 1, 2008, there were five councils–Homestead (Lincoln), Guiding Star (Ogallala), Goldenrod (Kearney), Prairie Hills (Columbus) and Great Plains (Omaha)—which merged to become Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska.  This merger was part of an organizational restructuring by Girl Scouts of the USA designed to create councils that will more effectively serve girls in our ever-changing world.   The newly formed Spirit of Nebraska Council consists of over 18,000 girls and 6,000 adults in 92 Nebraska counties and the community of Carter Lake, Iowa.

Realignment allows councils to expand their efforts to reach girls in more areas and to extend resources for programs and activities to girls who have yet to, or could not afford to experience Girl Scouting.  Spirit of Nebraska’s larger geographic span also presents more opportunities for volunteers and girls to work with other girls and adults from diverse backgrounds and to explore parts of the state they have never seen.