Hoover Girl Scouts Plant Edible Garden, Donate Fruits of Their Labor to School

Haley, Celeste, Abigail, Anna, Blakely, Allison, Jaime, Allie, Juniper and Maya, students at Bluff Park Elementary and members of Junior Troop 206, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project "Edible

Garden". They created more green & efficient homes by planting vegetables and trees, and they helped their community by giving fresh vegetables to Bluff Park Elementary. The girls learned that they enjoyed planning out and planting the garden, and they even discovered that some flowers, like dandelions, are edible.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) 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.

About Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama


Girl Scouting gives every girl access to life-changing experiences that inspire her to do something BIG! Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama is a United Way community partner and serves over 15,000 girl members grades K-12 and 5,000 volunteers in programs across 36 counties. For more information, call 800-734-4541 or visit girlscoutsnca.org.

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Joan Page

Joan Page has been a Girl Scout for 43 years. Her journey began at the age of seven. Now an adult, she is service unit manager for Shades Mountain Service Unit, and she has previously served as service unit fall product manager, day camp director and assistant director, delegate and she has served on three council committees.

Joan is also a member of the local Girl Scout alumni service organization called Wayfarers, which has been in existence since the 1940s. She served on the committee that gathered, researched and helped to create GSNCA’s uniform archives.

Joan is currently a troop leader for Troop 20. The troop was begun in 1975 by her mother. After her retirement, Joan began training as a co-leader for her mother’s troop. When her mother passed away unexpectedly, Joan took over the troop.

Troop 20 is a little different from other troops: it consists of 24 Girl Scouts ages 11 to 52 who have autism. Though they have special needs, Joan stresses that they can still do things other troops can do. They participate in the fall product sale, and last year they sold cookies for the first time. Joan believes it is important for her troop to learn the life skills and money management skills the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches.

Joan says she likes pushing her troop, and she doesn’t think they cannot do things just because of their special needs. They do badge work. They talk about things and figure them out. They want to go to the zoo this fall, so they are raising money through the fall product sale.

Joan gets the most satisfaction out of working with the girls. Being a service unit manager allows her to work with all types of girls, not just the ones in her troop.

“It’s fun to be able to go out and meet the girls and share in their development as a woman and a leader,” she says. Joan says it’s exciting to see girls grow, and she loves sharing her experiences with other girls. Joan earned her Girl Scout Silver and Gold Awards as a Girl Scout, and she remembers a conversation with a younger Girl Scout where Joan shared that was a Gold Awardee. The girl lit up when she realized that she had something in common with Joan.

Joan’s favorite memories from volunteering are moments of when her troop gets excited, and when they light up because they learn something new. She also cherishes having worked her mother before her death. Another fond memory Joan has is the meeting at the time of the Council merger. The way the flag was retired was moving and respectful.

Joan points to Juliette Low as the model for keeping Girl Scouts a strong and relevant organization for the next century. She says that Low was a visionary. She empowered women when we didn’t even have the right to vote. Joan says that world changes and we have to realize that, but we also have to remember tradition, and that Low’s vision is still valid.

“Women should be recognized as strong individuals, no matter their chosen career,” she says. “Girls need to be encouraged by strong role models to do whatever they want to do, a house wife or a scientist.”

She says Girl Scouting does that. She sees girl blossom through their experiences.

Girl Scouting has taught Joan to be a more flexible person. “I don’t ever want to turn away a girl because she wants to try something,” she says. She also learned that she has a voice and that she can express her opinions respectfully.

“Change is a part of life and you have to adapt to it and move forward,” she says. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Alumna Spotlight: Judge Debra Goldstein

Judge Debra Goldstein is a remarkable example of the success that Girl Scouts breeds. Not only has she succeeded in career, family and other endeavors, but she has been dedicated in service to Girl Scouts for many years. As this year’s Mildred Bell Johnson Award recipient, Judge Goldstein, continues to be a woman of distinction and leadership, having served as a Girl Scout board member, chair of several committees and for 10 years as a troop leader, guiding 10 girls to their Gold Awards.

Judge Goldstein believes Girl Scouts helped to instill many of the characteristics that lead to many of own her life’s accomplishments. From a tender Girl Scout Brownie to a Girl Scout Junior, Judge Goldstein learned about responsibility, teamwork and leadership from Girl Scouts. “The most rewarding experience for me was interaction with other women and being exposed to ideas,” Judge Goldstein shared. “I learned one can strive for many things: careers, education and different opportunities, [and] I was shown by example.” 

With that, having placed her daughter in various sports and extracurricular activities, Judge Goldstein deemed it necessary to expose her daughter to Girl Scouts, where she served as troop leader, just as her mother was leader of her childhood troop. Likewise, she utilized troop leadership as a platform to serve as a positive role model for her daughter and the other Girl Scouts of Troop 734, instilling in them a drive to simply “leave things better than you [found] them,” she says.

Everything Judge Goldstein has gained from Girl Scouts has translated into real world experiences, contributing to her success in corporate and government law, a judge seat for more than 23 years and accomplishments as a novelist. Always excelling, Judge Goldstein believes that Girl Scouts taught her the important art of skill development. 

Looking back, she realizes how through the many activities and badges earned throughout her Girl Scout days, she gained confidence and useful lifetime skills, often times without even realizing it. She also learned “it’s okay to not be great at everything,” and to “lean into the skills that you are good at."  A great leader, she used this same approach when her troop was formed, taking on responsibilities in the areas of her strengths and delegating other responsibilities, allowing everyone to function in their specialties.

Another approach to life Judge Goldstein has taken away from Girl Scouts is that “if everybody does a little bit, it all gets done,” she shares. This is a tactic that has not only brought her personal success, but has enabled those around her to attain success through her leading. Judge Goldstein credits Girl Scouts with giving her the tools that have helped her live a remarkable life, and she’s worked tirelessly in a variety of capacities to make sure that other girls have the same opportunity to realize their dreams.

Meet Margaret Morton, 2013 Woman of Distinction, Frances E. Couch Awardee

Margaret Morton has been the executive director of the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, Inc. (SAFE) since 1997, and she is the president of the Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers. Under her leadership, SAFE has grown to offer more than 25 programs in the areas of case management, job searching, parenting education, marriage and family relationship skills, family literacy, youth empowerment and more.

When the city of Sylacauga had to shut down public transportation because of the recent economic downturn, Morton reached an agreement with city officials that allowed SAFE to take over management of the transportation system so that families and others who depended on the system would be able to get to work. The transportation system is now in the black financially.

She is known nationwide as having the model family service center, and has presented at national conferences in Denver and San Francisco.

Morton serves on the boards of the Sylacauga Literacy Council, the Talladega County Community Improvement Foundation, the Alabama Partnership for Children and others. She is also involved in state government to support family services.

Morton has received Sylacauga’s Woman of Achievement Award; the Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Children and Families of Alabama; and the Talladega County Women Committee to Excellence Award-Professional Category.

Morton says she has learned many lessons through Girl Scouting and her work in the community. “I have learned that leadership is not about being in an executive leadership position; it’s about responsibility, discipline, preparedness, cooperation and partnership, problem solving, service and shared vision,” she says. “Leadership is about being a role model without intention, but by nature. It’s about a moral compass that drives every aspect of the choices you make and the way you live your life. It’s about determination and persistence. It’s about service; it’s about service to the ‘least of these.’ And most importantly it’s about service to God.”

Morton will be honored at the 2013 East-Central Women of Distinction luncheon on Friday, March 8. For more information, visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral. 

Meet Judge Debra Goldstein, 2013 Woman of Distinction - Mildred Bell Johnson Awardee

Judge Debra Goldstein has been an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration for the past 20 years. Before this position she was a trial attorney with the United States Department of Labor for 12 years. She is also an accomplished writer, and received an Independent Book Publisher (IPPY) Award for her mystery novel Maze in Blue, published in 2011. She has published numerous award-winning short stories and essays, as well as legal articles on sexual harassment, sex offender registration and notification, sex-based wage discrimination, mentoring, equal pay act and social security practice.

She currently serves on the YWCA board, the UAB Center for Metabolic Bone Disease Community Leadership Council, Alys Stephens advisory board, the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Executive advisory board and the Birmingham Bar Association Bulletin. In the past she has served on the executive board, board of directors and several committees for United Way of Central Alabama; as president, executive board member and program committee member of the Women’s Network; as social action vice president, administrative vice president and board member for Hadassah; as well as numerous other positions in the community.

Goldstein was a 2002 Woman of Distinction and was named one of the Birmingham Business Journal’s Top Ten Women in 2004. Her involvement with Girl Scouting began when she was Brownie as a girl. She has since served as a board member and troop leader.

With all of her accolades, Goldstein says her family is still her greatest sense of pride. “My children are my proudest accomplishment. Through them I see that whatever I have done, they have the capacity to go beyond,” she says.

The most valuable lesson she has learned from her service to the community is, “to be a good listener and to always try to leave something better than I found it.”

Goldstein will be honored a the 2013 East-Central Alabama Women of Distinction luncheon on Friday, March 8. For more information, visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral. 

Meet Bonika Wilson, 2013 Woman of Distinction

Bonika Wilson is president and chief executive officer of Wilson Capital Management. Prior to this position, she was senior vice president with SunTrust Bank, a position she earned at age 30.

Wilson has supported women and minority-owned businesses throughout her career by giving free workshops on small business financing, financial management and business planning. She also consults women on motivating employees and maintaining work/life balance. She mentors teenage girls on college preparation, self-esteem, entrepreneurship and community service through the nonprofit I am My Brothers/Sisters Keeper.

She also serves on the boards of the YWCA of Central Alabama and others, in addition to her involvement with several organizations including the Leading Edge Institute and Court Appointed Special Advocates.

She received the 2009 Impact Award from George Washington University and has been featured in several magazines for her success and community involvement.

Wilson’s greatest accomplishment is balancing motherhood and successful entrepreneurship. She reveals her passion for mentoring: “Women have a special ability to nurture, support each other and celebrate success. There is an unbelievable synergy when you get women together who have shared interests, goals and passion-nothing is impossible!” She measures her success by how she plants seeds, and how the work she does today will impact those who came after her.

Wilson will be honored at the 2013 East-Central Alabama Women of Distinction luncheon on Friday, March 8. For more information, go to http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral.

Meet Deborah Voltz, 2013 Woman of Distinction

Deborah Voltz has served as dean of UAB’s School of Education since 2011, becoming the first African American dean at UAB. Prior to her appointment, she was an associate professor at the school, has been the director of UAB’s Center for Urban Education and its Urban Education Project.

Voltz has collaborated on books, journal articles and other publications, and she has made presentations at several national conferences. She has spoken about teaching in urban classrooms, special education and learning diversity.

She was given Phi Delta Kappa’s Educator of the Year Award in 2010 and named an Unsung Hero in the Birmingham Times’ Trailblazers for the Next Generation in 2008.

“It is important to me to make a difference as I move through the journey of life. As an educator, you have the opportunity—or really, the responsibility—to make an impact in many young lives. These young people, throughout the course of their lives, go on to impact many, many others. Consequently, the influence of an educator can live on indefinitely,” Voltz says.

Voltz will be honored at the 2013 East-Central Women of Distinction luncheon on Friday, March 8. For more information, go to http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral. 

Meet Joyce Spielberger, 2013 Woman of Distinction

Joyce Spielberger is executive director of Magic Moments, Inc., a wish-granting organization for children in Alabama. Her creativity, community building skills and compassion have increased the organization’s visibility among families, funders and volunteers. Before this position, she served as director of community relations and overseas programs for the Birmingham Jewish Federation for 11 years.

Spielberger has worked with the Israeli Consulate to the Southeast, the Anti-Defamation League American Israel Public Affairs Committee, American Israel Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to address societal issues.

She currently serves on the boards of directors of the YWCA of Central Alabama, the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, the Alabama Poverty Project, University of Alabama Hillel and MeetUP for Change.

Spielberger is passionate about serving her community. “The most valuable lesson I have learned through my service to the community is the importance of joining forces whenever possible,” she says. “In my years of communal service, I have met so many passionate people, all dedicated to the same goals of lifting our community, helping those in need and correcting social injustices. There is truly strength in numbers; the value and importance of combining forces and limited resources cannot be understated.”

Speilberger will be honored at the 2013 East-Central Alabama Women of Distinction luncheon on Friday, March 8. For more information, visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral.

Meet Lori Snodgrass, 2013 Woman of Distinction

Lori Snodgrass is a partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP. When she assumed the position, she was one of only two women in Alabama authorized to lead an audit on publicly-traded companies.

Snodgrass is a member of the boards for Junior Achievement of Greater Birmingham and the Birmingham Girls’ Choir, where she serves as treasurer. She is a member of the professional advisory board for the Culverhouse School of Accountancy at the University of Alabama, and she and her husband are members of the Tocqueville Society of United Way of Central Alabama. She also serves on the Homewood Middle School Parent Teacher Organization board and is a Homewood High School band booster.

She is passionate about encouraging young women to pursue careers in math and science. She leads on-campus recruiting at the University of Alabama for her firm.

“I have learned how very important it is to serve as a mentor to young women, those in my community and church, and the younger female professionals in my firm. In my role as a mentor, I try to encourage young women to try new experiences to build confidence,” she says.

Snodgrass will be honored at the 2013 East-Central Women of Distinction luncheon on Friday, March 8. For more information, visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral.

Meet Lisa Narrell-Mead, 2013 Woman of Distinction

Lisa Narrell-Mead began her professional career with a legal career in private practice. She then transitioned to the banking community, where she has worked for more than 20 years.

She serves on the junior board of the YWCA of Central Alabama, and on the boards of the Red Mountain Theatre Company, the American Heart Association and the Alabama Humanities Foundation, for which she helped to raise more than $50,000 at a fundraiser saluting Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Narrell-Mead was also chosen as a finalist for the Birmingham Business Journal’s Top Human Resources Executives Award and is an alumna of the Momentum Women’s Leadership Program.

Narrell-Mead received her bachelor of science in political science from Birmingham-Southern College and her juris doctorate from Emory University School of Law. She has a particular passion for giving back to her community, with an emphasis on issues affecting women and children.

Narrell-Mead will be honored at the 2013 East-Central Women of Distinction luncheon on March 8. For more information, go to http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral.

Meet Suzan Smith Doidge, 2013 Woman of Distinction

Since 2008 Suzan Smith Doidge has served as executive director of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce. Since then, she has grown the membership base, strengthened the board of directors and leadership, and improved events held to support local businesses. Under her leadership, Mountain Brook businesses have seen growing sales in spite of a tough economy, and sales tax revenues have increased.

Before working with the Chamber, Doidge was instrumental in bringing Southwest Airlines to Birmingham as the company’s marketing manager of its Birmingham office. She also worked with the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and was a social worker at Hillcrest Hospital.

In the community, Doige has served on the boards of Ronald McDonald House, the McWane Science Center and Childcare Resources. She has also been involved with City Stages, the Sidewalk Film Festival and Junior League of Birmingham, where she is a member and sustainer.

Her passion for community is evident in her professional life. “Community service gives you a sense of personal satisfaction that you have made a difference. Understanding community needs helps foster empathy and self-efficacy,” she says.

Doidge says being a working mom is her greatest accomplishment.

Doidge will be honored at the 2013 East-Central alabama Women of Distinction luncheon on March 8. For more information, visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral.

Meet the Honorable Agnes Chappell, 2013 Woman of Distinction

Judge Agnes Chappell has served as senior trial referee for Jefferson Family Court and as municipal court judge for more than 30 years. Before this position, she was a partner with the law firm Brown, Chappell & Burrell for three years, and was the managing attorney with Birmingham Area Legal Services.

She presides over the domestic violence court, and has worked in the community to decrease the incidence of domestic violence. She has been a leader in The Women’s Fund’s program to reduce sex trafficking in our community, educating law enforcement officials and social workers so they recognize the signs of sex trafficking. She also developed the Purple Dress Campaign to educate teenagers about healthy relationships, in addition to her service to many other organizations in the area.

“The most valuable lessons I learned were perhaps through Girl Scouting; these are the lessons of courage and caring for others by trying to make the world a better place in which to live,” says Chappell.

Chappell will be honored at the 2013 East-Central Alabama Women of Distinction luncheon on Friday, March 8. For more information, visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral.

Meet Anita Allcorn-Walker, 2013 Woman of Distinction

Anita Allcorn-Walker joined Alabama Power Company in 1990 as an internal auditor. She held positions of increasing responsibility associated with financial planning, finance, treasury, trust finance and budgeting. She has held the position of vice president and comptroller since 2010.

Allcorn-Walker is a member of the current class of the Momentum program, which focuses on empowering women to develop leadership skills that positively impact business, culture and politics in Alabama. Believing that mentoring is a requirement of leadership, she also mentors college students and young professional women, pointing them toward future success.

“One person can make a difference. If you look at all that needs to be accomplished in the community, you can become overwhelmed. Instead, take a look at one person at a time and see what their needs are. You as an individual can make a difference in that life, and that person can make a difference in someone else’s life. Before you know it, you have multiplied your impact in the community,” she says. Despite her success and involvement, Allcorn-Walker considers her two children to be her greatest accomplishment.

Allcorn-Walker will be honored at the 2013 East-Central Women of Distinction luncheon on March 8. For more information, go to http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral. 

East-Central Women of Distinction 2013 to Be Recognized

The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama will combine the east and central regions of its council for one Women of Distinction Luncheon on Friday, March 8, 2013, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Harbert Center in downtown Birmingham. This luncheon will recognize 10 outstanding women representing Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, Jefferson, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega or Walker counties.

The Women of Distinction program pays tribute to women who have made special contributions to their community through civic, academic or professional involvement. 

Judge Debra H. Goldstein of Hoover, Admin Law Judge, Social Security Administration, will receive the 2013 Mildred Bell Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given annually to a woman who has a prior affiliation with Girl Scouting and has made a lifelong contribution to her community by distinguishing herself through professional, community or humanitarian efforts. The Mildred Bell Johnson honoree serves as a role model for past, present and future Girl Scouts.

Margaret Morton of Sylacauga, Executive Director, Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, Inc.; President, Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers, will receive the 2013 Frances E. Couch Lifetime Achievement Award. This distinguished award honors an outstanding woman who embodies unselfish leadership, is committed to community service in East Alabama, and exemplifies the ideals of Girl Scouting. 

The 2013 Women of Distinction Honorees are:

• Anita Allcorn-Walker of Birmingham, Vice President & Comptroller, Alabama Power Company 
• The Honorable Agnes Chappell of Birmingham, Municipal Court Judge, The City of Birmingham 
• Suzan Smith Doidge of Mountain Brook, Executive Director, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce 
• Lisa Narrell-Mead of Vestavia, Executive Vice President, Cadence Bank 
• Lori Snodgrass of Homewood, Partner, Deloitte & Touche, LLP 
• Joyce Spielberger of Birmingham, Executive Director, Magic Moments 
• Deborah L. Voltz, Ed.D., of Hoover, Dean, UAB School of Education 
• Bonika Wilson of Birmingham, President and CEO, Wilson Capital Management 

Proceeds from the East-Central Women of Distinction Luncheon provide direct support to Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, which serves more than 15,000 girl members in 36 counties.

The presenting sponsor is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. For more information on reservations or sponsorships, please contact Kelly Connelly at 800-734-4541 x1030 or visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral. Reservations to the luncheon are $60 for general admission and $45 for Girl Scout members.

Troop 66 Earns Bronze Award

Troop 66 members Yasminye from Irondale Elementary School, Jasmine from Hillview Elementary School and Jada from Green Valley Elementary School recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project, Free Market. The girls collected nonperishable food and clothes to hand out to others in need.

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.

Adelyn Earns Silver Award

Adelyn, a tenth grader at Vestavia Hills High School and a member of Girl Scout troop 710, recently earned the Silver Award for painting a mural at the Glenwood Autism and Behavior Health Center. She also collected toys and games to donate to the center.

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.

Maddie & Mary Frances Earn Silver Award

Troop 130 members Maddie from Our Lady of Sorrows and Mary Frances from Pizitz Middle School, recently earned the Girl Scout Silver Award for their project with Hand in Hand. The girls worked with the organization to create a garden that would help with sensory stimulation. The girls learned many new things during the project, including how to select and plant bulbs, how to build a teepee, and how to harvest, clean and dry herbs. The girls also learned the importance of working within a budget.

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.
 

Troop 512 Earns Silver Award

Troop 512 members Kaitlyn, Hannah, Kelley and Sklyer from Oak Mountain Middle School and Mikyla from Thompson Middle School recently earned their Girl Scout Silver Award for their project with Barrett Elementary School in Eastlake. With the money raised through the Girl Scout Fall Product Sale and the Girl Scout Cookie Program, the girls were able to repair a girls’ bathroom at the elementary school by giving the walls a fresh coat of paint and hanging new stall doors.

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.

Hallie Earns Gold Award

Hallie, a senior at Spain Park High School, recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. Hallie earned her Gold Award for her project Music of the Mind. Her project focused on in-school music therapy for students in the special needs class at her high school. With the help of two fellow students, Hallie spent time with the class every day teaching them basic rhythms that the class could identify in some of their favorite music.

“The students’ retention of information was incredible,” said Hallie, “they enjoyed learning the rhythms and playing along with their favorite songs.” Hallie says the most rewarding part of the whole project was the concert at the end of the year. “The students were so proud of what they had accomplished, and they each received a ribbon for their hard work.”  

“By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award,” said Trish Coghlan, CEO of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, “Hallie has become a community leader. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart.”

The girl who goes for the Gold embraces challenges, achieves excellence, and works diligently to make the world a better place, in her own unique way. Her leadership, vision, and boundless energy is an inspiration to all Girl Scouts. Each girl earning her Gold Award demonstrates excellence through a leadership project totaling more than 65 hours. Girls who earn their Gold Award are also recognized by the President of the United States, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Armed Services, state legislatures, colleges and universities for admission and scholarship opportunities, and the American Legion. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.

Girl Scout Gold Award
The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting; it recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects. Since 1916, girls have successfully answered the call to Go Gold, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world. For more information about the Gold Award, visit girlscoutsnca.org/gogold.

Abbie & Katherine Earn Silver Award

Troop 340 members Abbie from Thorsby High School and Katherine from Clanton Middle School recently earned their Girl Scout Silver Award for raising awareness about childhood obesity. The girls adopted a Brownie troop for six months and taught them about healthy alternatives to high-calorie snacks, and the importance of exercise. To help the younger girls out at home, Abbie and Katherine created recipe books for each girl.

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.