It all started in first grade. I was issued a blue vest with my troop number on the upper right side. I would later fill in the back with the swim night badge, the Memorial Day Parade badge, and one from the circus. Looking back though that first vest means so much more. Being a Girl Scout is not about how many badges you have or how many cookies you sell in the annual sale. It is really about the lifelong friends you've made, the ways you have helped the community and the overall person you became because of the experiences.
I loved being a Girl Scout for about eleven years because I was able to accomplish so much for my community and the surrounding area. One of my greatest accomplishments for was when I received my Gold Award. This is the highest award in Girl Scouting [it is compared to the Eagle Scout for Boy Scouts]. It requires at least 70 hours of community service and your idea/ plan has to be approved by a board of Girl Scout officials. Being a sophomore in high school when the process first began I was extremely nervous. For weeks [months even] I bounced ideas off my parents, friends and family. After a nerve-wracking interview and being told by one person that she didn't think it was going to work but would approve my idea I was off to create and Under the Sea Senior Citizen Prom at my church.
This event is why I loved being a Girl Scout. With the help of my amazing mom, I was able to mature and become someone who fought for what needed to get done. She helped me gain the confidence to talk to the Knights of Columbus and ask them to help cook and serve all the food for the event. She gave me the number of a few DJ companies and I was able to call around for the best match for the event. I was able to ask around the neighborhood for a good bakery that would create a mermaid style sheet cake for dessert. With the help of my dad, I was able to collect and return thousands of plastic five-cent bottles to pay for the event.
The recycling was one of the hardest parts of the project. In order to pay for all the supplies [food, DJ, decorations, etc.] I had to fundraise. I could not accept any monetary donations. I had come up with the idea of recycling bottles because not only would it help raise the needed funds but I was doing a small part in helping the environment so those bottles did not end up in the trash.
The event went off without any problems. Each person in attendance got a boutonniere or corsage to wear the entire night. There was also a photo station and everyone got their picture taken and were able to take it home in an under the sea themed picture frame. The DJ played all their favorite songs and many in attendance felt like they were young again- they got a second chance at prom.
It was one of the best feelings in the world to see everyone having so much fun and enjoying themselves. Couples that had been married for 50 plus years were able to slow dance. Groups of friends took pictures together and would be able to hold onto the memory for years to come. I was so proud of myself for holding the event and proving that one person wrong- it was one of the most difficult things but if it was easy everyone would do it. It took hard work, organization, and teamwork. All those things I was able to learn and develop because of my many years of being a Girl Scout.
Each activity leading up to my Gold Award was a stepping stone. Selling cookies helped with your people skills, swim night helped with learning teamwork and patience, and the Memorial Day Parade helped to understand that you should be grateful for all you have and to celebrate your accomplishments. I would never trade my years as a Girl Scout for anything and I would certainly do it all over again if I had the chance.
I would encourage every young girl to be a Girl Scout and stick it out till the end [their Gold Award] because it is one of the best feelings knowing that you accomplished something not many do.
