NEWBURYPORT — It is no secret to Ruth Bramson, the new chief executive of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, that girls today are different than those in 1912, when the organization was founded.

But by working to keep the organization current, relevant and efficient, one in every seven girls in eastern Massachusetts today is a member of the Girl Scouts.

And due to sweeping changes throughout the organization in the past year, local scouting troops are experiencing record growth.

"It's critical every girl feel welcome," Bramson said. "It is harder than ever to be a girl."

Earlier this year, the 3.7 million member organization appointed Bramson as its first ever chief executive officer, and on Feb. 1, three Girl Scout councils in the state, including Spar & Spindle of North Andover, which represented this area, merged into one large council called Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.

Newbury, Newburyport, Byfield, Rowley and Salisbury have combined to form the Bayberry Neighborhood while Amesbury, Groveland, Merrimac, West Newbury and South Hampton are included in the Powow Neighborhood.

"It's a more efficient way to move forward," Bramson said.

Efficiency is just one way Bramson, who comes from the corporate world, has turned the once homespun organization into a viable corporation able to withstand the test of time.

The merger will allow the girls to participate in camps and workshops outside the Merrimack Valley, including those in Boston and on the South Shore.

With outings like ski trips and women's hockey games at the University of New Hampshire, the Bayberry Neighborhood has increased more than 5 percent over the last year, accounting for 459 girls and 124 adult members locally.

Bryna Shuma, of Newburyport's Troop 719, estimates she has sold more than 900 boxes of cookies in her nine years as a Girl Scout, but notes the sense of community and mother-daughter bonding time is the real reason she has stayed involved since the age of 6.

"I love my troop and everything we do," Shuma said. "My favorite trip was to the Friendship House in Gloucester and we are saving all our money now for a trip to Disney World or Europe — either Italy or Paris."

Staying fresh

Girl Scout leadership coordinator Kathy Searles of Byfield credits the organization's growth to its ability to stay fresh by offering activities, including team sports and other clubs adolescent girls can join.

"Girl Scouts is unique among other activities kids do," said Searles. "It is led and directed by girls. Girls take a leadership role and decide what they want to do and how they want to do it."

During Searles' 13 years serving as a troop leader of local Girl Scouts, she has taught girls how to change car oil and tires, whitewater raft and cook a variety of meals all before most of them graduated high school.

Searles, who has retired from troop leadership responsibilities, now works with the Eastern Massachusetts council to train troop leaders on how to transition girls from each level of Girl Scouting. She also teaches leaders how to camp and cook outdoors.

In the future, Bramson hopes to continue to keep scouting relevant, focusing on the issues facing girls today.

"We want to be even more visible and an advocate for girls," Bramson said. "We want to create confidence for them to run the program and manage a business. We are creating future leaders."

Bramson notes recent programs such as "Girl Power on the Hill," which brought groups of scouts to Beacon Hill to participate in a mock hearing for a bill that would require hands free cell phones when driving. Recently, Bramson watched a group of girls and adults participate in a program led my a popular children's author, which helped girls deal with stress.

Advocacy and service

Joanne Johnson of Newbury, chairman of the board of the new Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, has been involved in Girl Scouts for more than 50 years and said though the tradition of scouting has remained the same, advocacy has become a new focus that has kept the organization current.

"Advocacy was born seven years ago," Johnson said. "Girls' issues as seen today are slightly different. It's complicated to be a girl today. The traditional camps and cookies and cooking can't be taken out but (included must be) the message of leadership and that girls can be anything they want to be."

Community service also continues to drive many of the activities girls participate in. Through environmental service at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, volunteer work at the Salvation Army, and clothing and dental supply drives and work with children with disabilities, girls are taught early the importance of serving the community as a way of self betterment.

"A group works at Merrimack Place doing sing-alongs and visits," Searles said. "At Turning Point they make 'birthdays in a bag' with cake mixes, balloons, etc."

Each year, bronze, silver and gold awards are given to scouts who have continued their involvement with scouting, exhibited leadership qualities and completed a community service project.

A difficult award to receive, Searles notes girls from the Bayberry Neighborhood have received the gold award every year since 2002, when her own daughter Marjory received the award.

Shuma is working on her silver award, creating scrapbooks of her experiences that will later be used to help troop leaders and younger troops come up with ideas for activities.

"Girls are more and more interested in perusing some of the awards equivalent to Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts," Searles said. "It's a great way to increase presence in our community."

For Searles, who joined the organization as a child as a way to meet friends, the organization is timely, offering girls exposure to a variety of activities.

"In scouts there are a lot of different interests and each girl can pursue and share interests," Searles said. "Girls experience a lot of different types of activities and each has their favorite they can share."