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REMARKS BY:	DONNA E. SHALALA, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PLACE:		Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., Nashville, Tennessee
DATE:		June 23, 1997

It's also a time, quite frankly, when school ends and summer begins. That means, for many parents, it's a time to figure out what the heck they're going to do with their kids for the rest of the summer. And, for young people graduating from college, it's a time to figure out what the heck they're going to do for the rest of their lives.

I actually just finished giving my last commencement speech of the year. Something I love to do. I've found, that as a graduation speaker, the trick is to remember that you are the only thing standing between the students and their diplomas. And they know it.

So, I always try to give the graduates just a few short pieces of advice that will make their lives better -- or, at the very least, not make them worse. For example, I ask them to face reality - that is, when their alarm clocks go off at 6:30 a.m., it's not a nightmare. It's a job. I challenge them to always be patient -- and wait at least 24 hours after graduation before asking their parents for more money.

And as I do so, I always heed the sage advice that the momma whale gave to the baby whale: She said, "It's only when you're spouting that you get harpooned." Now, that's one piece of advice that people in Washington tend to ignore.

But, it's also the most powerful kind of advice: the kind that passes from a parent to a child. I was thinking about that as I flew down here today. Because, it was right here in Tennessee 77 years ago that a mother gave her son a piece of advice that forever changed our lives and the lives of our daughters and granddaughters.

That woman's name was Phoebe Burn. The year was 1920. The 19th Amendment had already passed the Congress and been ratified by 35 states. And now the fate of woman suffrage lay in the hands of this state and one of its representatives: Harry Burn.

Harry Burn was a 24 year-old State Senator. He also happened to be Phoebe Burn's son. And when she found out her son was about to vote "no," she decided to write him a letter giving him her thoughts on the matter.

This is what she wrote, "Be a good boy Harry.and do the right thing." The rest, of course, is history. Because, in the end, Harry Burn switched his vote from a "no" to a "yes" -- and the 19th Amendment was ratified.

In the end, Harry Burn, with a little help from his mother, did the right thing. Which is exactly what the Girl Scouts has done for 85 years. You've done right by the girls of America. And taught girls to always do right by themselves and others. To always do the right thing. And, the rest, as I said is history. Your history. Our history.

Just a few weeks ago, the Mall in Washington DC. was filled with 50,000 Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, scout leaders, mothers, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers - all there to dance, sing and celebrate your 85th anniversary.

The next day, the Washington papers were all filled with commentary about how much the Girl Scouts have changed in the last 85 years. They mentioned the focus on math and science, sports and careers. The change in dress and in attitude.

In a word, the final consensus was that the Girl Scouts are cool. Which doesn't surprise me -- and it certainly doesn't surprise you. Because, as our nation has changed the Girl Scouts have done more than change. You have led.

Armed with your bedrock principles and values, you've taught girls that they can go as far as their dreams take them. And, thanks in large part to you, they have.

Back when Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts, who would have thought that women's sports would become the hottest ticket around -- from the U.S. National Women's Soccer champions to the NCAA women's basketball stars right here in Tennessee?

Who would have thought that yesterday's young Girl Scouts would be today's most powerful leaders -- leaders like Hillary Clinton, Barbara Walters, Elizabeth Dole, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee?

And who would have thought that we'd finally be able to look young girls in the eyes and say, "Yes, your generation can be anything you want to be. Not only CEOs and sports stars. Not only Supreme Court Justices and scientists. Not only Senators and Cabinet Secretaries. But, yes, you can be President. You can be President."

I believe it will happen.

As you know, our nation recently celebrated Take Our Daughters to Work Day. And, that day, our Department had the opportunity to host girls from around D.C. As people who work with young girls, I'm sure you can guess what really ended up happening -- the girls ended up hosting us.

But, the highlight of the day was an event we had with a former Girl Scout, Gloria Steinem and the former Miss Black USA. There, the kids got a chance to ask questions. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the first one. It was, "How old are you?"

But, I was thrilled by the girls' responses. Especially their response to the posters we had of Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes, who they say is a real role model.

It turns out that at age 6, when too many kids are glued to the TV set, Dominique was writing this word, in crayon, over and over again on her bathroom mirror: Determination. That's what it takes to be a champion: determination.

And determination is what it's going to take from each of us to ensure that every girl -- every single girl -- can live up to the Girl Scout oath. That every girl can be "courageous and strong, responsible for what she says and does, respecting herself and others." And that every girl can look in the mirror and call herself a champion.

Right now, that is not the case.

Right now, too many adolescent girls are spending hours in front of the mirror. Any parent will tell you that's nothing new. What is new is that they're peering at their reflections through a modern-day looking glass. The distorted images that they see upset them. And as people who care deeply about girls, they should scare us too.

I'm going to be blunt: We have a generation of 9-14 year old girls at serious risk.

All of us have seen it happen to girls close to us. And Dr. Mary Pipher talked about it last night: Young girls once strong and full of resilience, somehow lose their very selves during adolescence and enter the second decade of their lives without the strength and confidence that got them there.

While growing up these days is tough for everyone, the research tells us that girls experience adolescence differently than boys. While boys often become more aggressive, girls often turn inward and self-destruct. While boys often smoke to be rebellious, girls often do it to stay thin. In adolescence, young girls often start neglecting their own studies and aspirations.

Twenty five years after we enacted Title IX, girls are still twice as likely as boys to be physically inactive. They're more likely to be depressed. More likely to attempt suicide. And more likely to have a negative body image.

What we know is that all of these factors are related, that no one problem stands alone, and that girls with poor body images often have the riskiest attitudes about tobacco, drugs, and sex. And we know from surveys that more than half of nine year- olds have dieted. That's nine year olds.

Unbelievable? Not when so much of their self image is tied up with being thin and attractive. Not when we've all heard stories of anorexic girls who hear people say, "you look great" right up until the time they are hospitalized. And not when the media bombards girls with images that tell them that being unnaturally thin -- even gaunt -- is attractive; that alcohol will make them popular; and that smoking will make them thin and successful. That it's a "woman thing."

A social worker in Los Angeles told me a story about a 14 year-old girl she was interviewing. When she asked the girl what she likes about herself, the answer is all too typical, "I don't know." But she does know what she would change about herself -- and here she rattles off a whole list of physical attributes like her eyes and hair and weight.

The truth is, this young woman, and too many like her, are more worried about gaining weight and being accepted than they are about excelling in school or staying healthy.

Clearly, this isn't your fault. But, it is your problem. It is my problem. It is our problem. It's an American problem.

And, together we have a responsibility to help solve it.

That's the purpose behind our Girl Power! campaign: to team up with parents and other adults to help 9-14 year-old girls make the most of their lives. And I want to thank the Girl Scouts for your leadership -- for championing the Girls Scouts Against Smoking program, for focusing on health and fitness, and for supporting Girl Power! from day one.

Because, Girl Power! is not a one-size-fits-all campaign of the past. The kind that treats problems in isolation and provides only one answer: Say no.

We've taken a comprehensive approach. The Girl Scout approach. With targeted health messages about the behaviors -- like drugs, smoking and teen pregnancy -- that girls should avoid, yes. But also with strong positive messages about leadership, opportunity, and physical activity -- messages that tap into the strength girls have when they are younger.

With PSAs, posters, diaries, billboards and other materials, we are telling every girl: You are unique. You are valuable. And, if you put your mind to it, you can succeed.

So, what does Girl Power mean to young girls?

I put that question to girls during Take Our Daughters to Work Day. And, as usual, they said it far better than I ever could. They wrote "Girl Power is being anything you want to be. Increasing your knowledge, helping others. Girl Power is standing up for what you believe in. Choosing right from wrong. Exercising. Being Drug Free."

And finally, a young girl simply wrote, "I think Girl Power is special."

The question is, how do we ensure that every girl feels this way throughout her life? Let me give you just a few recent examples of what we're doing.

In April, I joined with the Girl Scouts and NIKE at the Women's Final Four to release a report showing that sports and physical activity can have a positive impact on all aspects of a girl's life -- everything from self-confidence to making the grade in school.

Last month, I traveled to California to announce our new grant program that will dedicate one million dollars this year to communities -- so they can help 9-14 year old girls to abstain from sex and other risky behaviors -- and reach their full potentials. And, on that day I challenged the media -- and will continue to challenge the media -- to give adolescent girls positive programs and role models that they can relate to and aspire to -- girls that make them proud of who they are and who they can become.

That's important. Because, whether the message is sports or teen pregnancy prevention, the government will never be able to deliver it alone. It's going to take each and every one of us. Each and every one of us.

That was the point of the President's volunteerism summit. And that is why, as part of Girl Power!, Dominique Dawes is appearing in print and radio PSAs.

It's why we're teaming up with the U.S. National Women's Soccer team to send clear messages to girls that tobacco and fitness just don't mix. And, it's why I'm pleased to announce today a new partnership with the Girl Scouts.

Together, we will create new national patch project. Our goal is to teach girls about the dangers of alcohol, drugs, tobacco and other risky behaviors and provide them with a range of activities designed to help them stay active, stay healthy, stay strong, and excel in school.

And, we're going to create a new Girl Power patch that Girl Scouts can earn by completing this program.

Second, the Girl Scouts National Office will give you a way to obtain all our Girl Power materials -- from Dominique Dawes posters to diaries.

And, third, we will be providing Girl Power sports posters and other materials to all 40,000 Girl Scouts at your Sports Days this summer and fall.

But this is the just the beginning -- the beginning of a beautiful friendship and a formidable partnership. Because with just the people in this room, we have the power to create healthy minds, healthy bodies, and strong futures for millions of girls. Think about it.

Think about the three leading causes of preventable death in this country: tobacco, poor diet, and lack of physical activity. Now, think about what could happen if we inspired every Girl Scout to get active, eat right, to stay away from tobacco -- and to do so for a lifetime.

Think of the lives we could save. Think of the lives we must save.

Think of what could happen if we continue to reach out to all girls -- especially underserved girls -- with targeted messages that address their unique health needs. Think of what could happen if we teach all girls to be media savvy -- to understand not just how to log onto the internet, but also how to log out of bad choices and resist bad messages. Think about what could happen if we reach out to young boys -- and teach them to treat girls as equals, to respect their aspirations and skills; and support their dreams.

Think of the futures we could create. Think of the futures we must create.

And, finally, think about what could happen if we grab on to all girls when they're very young, if we put our arms around them, if we teach them to be healthy and stay healthy, to be strong and stay strong, and if we never let them go.

Think of the nation we could create. Think of the nation we must create.

The question is, "Will we?"

That is how we must judge ourselves. Not by the promises we make today, but by the promises we keep tomorrow. Because, somewhere a girl is looking in the mirror today. What will she see?

Will she know that her health and future are more important than her image? That the size of her ambition is more important than the size of her clothes? That the dreams she creates for herself are more important than those created for her by others? Will she, like Dominique Dawes, look in the mirror and see not defeat, but determination?

A 9 year-old named Cherlnell does. She wrote a poem called, "What makes me feel powerful."

"When I get an A+ or an A on a test.

When people tell me I will become something big.

That's what makes me feel powerful.

Strong willed is independent and brave.

And, I'll stay like that forever."

It is our job to ensure that every girl in this country "stays like that forever." With the Girl Scouts leading the way, I know we will.

Thank you.

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