Monday, June 6, 2011

Shelby County Girl Scouts Earn Bronze and Silver Awards

Proper Retirement of American Flag Earns Girls Bronze Award 

Ashlynn, Braelyn, Nicole, Skye, Emma, Savanna, A’Kia and Sonya, Girl Scouts of Troop 343 of Calera wanted to educate their community on the proper retirement of the American flag for their Bronze Award project. Adhering to the Girl Scout Law that states “On my honor, I will try to serve my country” the Girl Scouts placed boxes around their town to collect flags in poor condition. Several hundred flags were collected, and the girls held a ceremony demonstrating the proper disposal of the flags. Through this experience, the Girl Scouts as well as community members learned the true importance of the American flag.

Christmas at Children’s Hospital Earns Pelham Girl Scouts Bronze Award

Sarah, Caroline, Savannah, Mallory, Isabella, Molly, Aleisa, Kaylee, Shaleynn and Robbie of Troop 969 of Pelham earned the Bronze Award for their desire to make a difference in the lives of children being treated through the outpatient physical and occupational therapy at Children’s Hospital. The Girl Scouts hosted a Christmas which included a puppet show, ballet dancing, ornament making and cookie decorating. The girls enjoyed planning the activities for the children and bringing Christmas to them but most importantly, loved seeing the smile on their faces.

Recycling for Women’s Health 5K Run Earns Pelham Girl Scouts Bronze Award 

Girl Scout members Emily, Lindsey, Kacie, Morgan and Sara of Troop 501 of Pelham wanted to do a project focusing on both healthy lifestyles and caring for the environment. To complete this project, the girls recycled water bottles used during the 2nd Annual Women’s Health 5K run. Prior to collecting the bottles, they established a contact with waste disposal to determine the best ways to recycle, gather supplies, and were able to find a local recycling facility. Although the girls wished they would have had more help during the race, they enjoyed this experience and contributing to their environment, and hope that it encourages others to recycle as well.

ShoShanna from Girl Scout Troop 208 of Alabaster Earns Bronze Award

ShoShanna from Girl Scout Troop 208 in Alabaster earned the Bronze Award for her project, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Learn.” While attending the Girl Scout National Convention in Indianapolis in 2008, ShoShanna created a DVD capturing all that she had learned and seen including pictures of the events she participated in as well as the people she met from across the country. Shoshanna implemented this project to demonstrate to her fellow Girl Scouts regarding the significance of Girl Scouting and the influence it has on their community in addition to the educational messages that can be learned from attending the convention. Shoshanna had a great experience at this event, and encourages her fellow Girl Scouts to attend their next convention in November.

“Bring A Smile” Earns Girl Scout Haley Bronze Award

Haley of Girl Scout Troop 387 of Montevallo, earned the Bronze Award for her “Bring A Smile” project. Haley created Christmas cards along with treat bags for the residents at the Assisted Living Center in Montevallo. To prepare for this project, Haley drafted various designs for the cards, and purchased fruit and candy for the treat bags. Judging by the smiles on their faces, Haley realized how grateful they were. Haley enjoyed this experience because she learned the importance of giving to others and to her community.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.

Advocating for Art Activities Earns Girl Scout Silver Award

 Lita from Girl Scout Troop 386 in Pelham received the Silver Award for organizing activities in the arts for her community as well as the Alabama School of Fine Arts, where Lita is a student specializing in Creative Writing. After hearing about Alabama’s plan to cut funding in areas of the arts, Lita wanted to create more outlets for students to express their talents. She partnered with her school and fellow students in developing activities in creative writing, theater, music and dance, visual arts, along with math and science. Lita’s goal for this project was to educate her peers as well as her fellow Girl Scouts regarding the importance of art and its many forms. Through this experience, Lita was able to enhance her confidence as well as her leadership abilities.

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. This award symbolizes a Girl Scout Cadette's accomplishments in Girl Scouting and community activities as she matures and works to better her life and the lives of others.