Two girl scouts from the CSRA received a prestigious award from the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia Council on Sunday evening, May 5, at Harlem High School.
Celebrating 19 amazing scouts, the council – which spans across 122 Georgia counties, two South Carolina counties and one Alabama county – held a formal ceremony to congratulate Scarlett Glover and Katelyn Williams for earning the highest award in girl scouting – the Gold Award.
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According to Brianna Jarvis, the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia Council’s marketing and social media specialist, scouts are eligible to earn the Gold Award through developing and carrying out lasting solutions to issues in their communities.
“Gold Award girl scouts make positive impacts on our local communities by addressing some of our most pressing issues,” stated a press release from the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia Council. “As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award girl scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs.”
Recent research, according to the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia Council, stated that Gold Award girl scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives, and are more civically engaged than their non-girl scout peers.
“Changing the world doesn’t end when a girl scout earns her Gold Award; ninety-nine percent of Gold Award girl scout alumni take on leadership roles in their everyday lives,” stated a press release Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia Council.
From Troop #20001, Glover’s project, “Marine Life Lives On,” centered around educating others on how pollution affects the oceans and living organisms within and around it.
In her mission to interest populations about marine life, Glover created graphics and posted them around local beach areas to share information and built PVC pip fishing line disposal units to provide more convenient means of waste care.
Glover also wrote a children’s book that she read to a nearby daycare, before sharing it with 30 elementary schools and other education centers.
“I loved the growth I had while working on this project, and getting to do a bunch of new things. It kind of introduced me into making it my own way in the world,” Glover said. “I worked really hard for it.”
After happily accepting her award, Glover said she was grateful to be in Girl Scouts for the sisterhood she has experienced over the years.
“From Girl Scouts, I want to remember all the things I’ve learned over the years – how to cooperate and change the world,” she said.
Fellow Gold Award recipient Williams, from Troop #20035, said her project was about “bringing awareness to animal assisted therapy for children.”
Inspired by her own significant experience with animal therapy, Williams said she wanted her Gold Award project to
“I just wanted people to know how wonderful it is and how much it helps others,” she said. “I also wanted to spread the word about it because it’s not well known.”
To spread awareness about the solution, Williams gave an educational presentation and developed a pamphlet outlining the benefits of animal assisted therapy for children.
Williams distributed the pamphlets to the nursing program at Augusta University, multiple schools, pediatric primary care offices and therapy offices.
“Regular therapy is great, but sometimes it’s hard to connect with people,” Williams said. “… but an animal can really help you open up and work better through things.”
She also led a team that designed and constructed a goat obstacle course, which was later donated to a local animal assisted therapy farm to be utilized within therapy sessions.
Williams said her favorite part of the project had to be learning the mechanics of the animal assisted therapy farm and seeing how many people can grow to benefit from it in the future.
Prior to Williams and Glover accepting their Gold Award pins, junior and cadettes scouts received Bronze and Silver Awards – the highest awards for both lower levels of scouting.
While juniors earn the Bronze Award by teaming up with other girls to make a difference in their towns, Cadettes receive the Silver Award by researching an issue, creating a plan to address it and later taking action to improve their neighborhoods.
Silver Award recipients included: Troop #27268’s Makenzie Peterson, Troop #20002’s Amani Wilson, Troop #20025’s Julianne Holmes and Abby Johnson, Troop #20010’s Caroline Pleiman, Alexis Portilla, Hailey Epperly, Madeleine Flynn, Brianna Jones and Amira Rocker.
Bronze Award recipients featured: Troop #20036’s Avery Dougherty, Evaleigh Buschor, Gretchen Beier, Southern Pinion and Delilah Tarleton; Troop #20024’s Madison Cameron, Evalyn Adkins, Leah Bartley, Rebekah Dozier, Matchie Burkwinkel and Elora Mason; Troop #27315’s Sofia Allen, Erin Carpenter, Nahla Carson and Genevieve Sampson.
“These are fifth and eighth graders doing these service projects and making a difference in their community,” Jarvis said. “Our community definitely needs to know who they are and the great jobs that they do, because this impact goes further than the Girl Scout program.”
Following the ceremony, proud parents took turns congratulating their scout and taking celebratory photos, before enjoying refreshments.
“It was very exciting to see her work that hard. She’s done a lot,” said Glover’s mother, Amanda Glover. “I’m really proud of her, and I know she can do anything.”
To find out more about the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, visit: https://www.gshg.org/
