Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts celebrate centennial anniversary

By Alexandra Gyarfas and Rheanna Bellomo, Globe Correspondents

The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts celebrated the organization’s first century by hosting the Forever Green Gala on March 28 at the Fairmount Copley Plaza hotel. All 600 attendees enjoyed a three-course meal and a fashion show of Girl Scout uniforms from the past 100 years.

“The Forever Green Gala is green for sustainability of the organization,” said Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts CEO Ruth Bramson. “It is green for conservation of the planet, and it is green for raising money to support the movement. All the money raised today will go to girls who can’t afford to go to Girl Scout camp.”

The Girl Scouts were founded in 1912 when 18 girls joined founder Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Ga. to start the organization. Today there are more than 3 million Girl Scouts in the United States and more than 15 million alumnae.

Guests at the Forever Green Gala dressed in formal attire, with each sporting a green accessory. Many had green boas around their neck, others had green bowties, and some, such as Bramson, honored the occasion with green high-heel shoes.

Massachusetts First Lady Diane Patrick and City of Boston First Lady Angela Menino presented proclamations issued by Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino declaring March 29 as “Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Day.”

U.S. Secretary of State and Girl Scout alumna Hilary Clinton sent her regards via video. “I learned my first lessons in leadership as a Girl Scout, and the values I learned are the values I still maintain,” she said.

Girl Scout alumna and guest of honor Chelsea Clinton followed her mother’s video, speaking to the guests from the stage and later participating in a question and answer session with a few Girl Scouts. “I learned a few core lessons as a Brownie, one of those being the value of teamwork and everything that we girls can do when we work together,” said the younger Clinton.

On their way out, guests had the option of buying the organization’s latest product, Girl Scout cookies for dogs, before the cookies’ official debut on April 13.