Girl Scouts celebrate centennial

Jenna Bush Hager will serve as keynote speaker when Girl Scouts Louisiana East celebrates 100 years of leadership with a Centennial Luncheon and Women of Distinction Awards at noon Nov. 2 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 601 Loyola Ave. in New Orleans.

Hager, the daughter of former President George W. and Laura Bush and a “Today” show correspondent, will be joined by New Orleans City Council Vice President and Girl Scout alumna Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson as honorary chair. Mistress of ceremonies will be Kelder Summers-Jones, co-host of the “Home Team Morning Show” on Old School 106.7 and a Girl Scout Board Development Committee member.

A pre-luncheon champagne reception begins at 11 a.m.

Proceeds from the fundraising luncheon will go to support the Girl Scout Leadership Experience in southeast Louisiana.

Cost to attend the luncheon is $100 per person, with reserved tables of 10 available at $1,000. Cost to attend both the luncheon and champagne reception is $150 per person. Tickets are available online at http://www.gsle.org. Reservation deadline is Oct. 29.

“Girl Scouts has been developing girls into leaders for 100 years,” said Jackie Alexander, council CEO. “We are committed to ensuring that girls have the same opportunities as boys, becoming leaders who make a difference in their communities.”

The council will honor 14 former board presidents: Mary Jane Becker, Margaret Jo Borland Beckwith, Janice Carpenter, Jacquelyn S. Daniels, Sheila Smith, Betty Lauricella, Myrle LeBlanc, Helen Loos, Nell McAnelly, Andrea McKey, Marguerite Redwine, Karen St. Cyr, Ann Forte Trappey and Margie Loud Zeno.

Speaker Hager is a contributing correspondent to NBC’s “Today” show where she focuses on telling stories of people doing great things across America. In 2006, she traveled to Latin America as an intern with UNICEF where she was inspired to write “Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope,” a New York Times best seller. Hager is still involved with UNICEF, serving as the chair of UNICEF’s Next Generation, an initiative dedicated to reducing the number of preventable childhood deaths. A graduate of the University of Texas where she received a degree in English, Hager is also the co-author of “Read All About It!”