Gold Award (Girl Scouts of the USA)
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The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA. The Eagle Scout rank of the Boy Scouts of America is considered comparable to it. The Gold Award emblem is presented as a pin resembling an eight-pointed gold star.
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[edit] History
The Gold Award is the first award that is exclusively for Senior Girl Scouts. It replaced the First Class Award, which was the GSUSA's highest recognition from 1963–1980, and was a Cadette Girl Scout award and the highest award in Girl Scouting at the time. That award was preceded by the Curved Bar Award (1940–1963), which was for Intermediate Girl Scouts who had received their First Class Rank. The First Class Rank (1938–1940) replaced the Golden Eaglet (1919–1939)[1] and before that the highest recognition was the Golden Eagle of Merit (1916–1919). The Silver Fish (1912–1916) was originally the highest award achievable, but this was technically a Girl Guiding award and no American girl ever earned it.[2][3]
[edit] Requirements
Senior Girl Scouts aged 15-18 are eligible to earn the award. Girls may begin working on the first three parts at age 14, but cannot start the service project until age 15. The requirements were updated in 2004 and include:
- The Girl Scout Gold Leadership Award, which requires girls to complete 30 hours of leadership work, as well as earn three Interest Projects and one Focus Book relevant to their project.
- The Girl Scout Gold Career Award, which requires girls to complete 40 hours of career exploration.
- The Girl Scout Gold 4Bs Challenge, which requires girls to assess their community and its needs, and develop a vision for change. Up to 15 hours work on the 4Bs challenge may be counted toward the 65 hours for the service project.
Once these steps have been met, girls use their vision for change to complete a service project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides lasting benefit to the girl's larger community. It requires a minimum of 65 hours of work in planning and actually completing the project. All of these hours must be completed by the Awardee, and though it is encouraged that the girl use troop members and other from the community to help her, their time spent does not count towards her 65 hour requirement. Plans must be developed with the aid of an advisor, then a project proposal must be submitted and approved by the girl's local council before starting the project, and a final report after the project's completion.
[edit] Other information
Only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the prestigious Gold Award.[4] Awardees are honored at councilwide ceremonies. By demonstrating their capacity for leadership, organization, and commitment to community, Gold Award recipients are expected to become lifelong citizens and leaders.
Gold Award recipients who join the US military may receive advanced rank upon enlistment. Also, some universities and colleges offer scholarships to Gold Award recipients. Yearly, GSUSA selects ten girls to be Young Women of Distinction based on their Gold Award projects.
[edit] Famous recipients
- Betsy Boze, Chief Executive Officer and Dean, Kent State University Stark
- Jan Hopkins, financial news anchor for CNN (earned the Curved Bar, a Girl Scout Gold Award predecessor)
[edit] See also
- Silver Award (Girl Scouts of the USA)
- Bronze Award (Girl Scouts of the USA)
- List of notable Scouts
- List of highest awards in Scouting
[edit] References
- ^ Morris, Rodger (1995). Scouts-L Archives. Listserv 14.4. Retrieved on 2007-01-01.
- ^ Degenhardt, Mary; Kirsch, Judith (2005). Girl Scout Collectors' Guide: A History of Uniforms, Insignia, Publications, And Memorabilia. Texas Tech University Press. ISBN 0896725464.
- ^ http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/features/12026207.html
- ^ Girl Scout Gold Award : Highest Award for Girls Ages 14-18
