Michele Cessna and Sherrie Morton assisted Mrs. Glenn Ottney in preparing Girl Scout cookies for distribution. Fremont, Ohio, scouts are part of the Erie Shores Girl Scout Council. The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) - founded as a counterpart to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 1912 - strives to build character and encourage community service and citizenship in young American girls. The Girl Scout cookie sale, a yearly fundraiser that began in 1917, is perhaps the most widely known tradition of the GSUSA.