Girl Scouts earn Congressional Medals

     Eighteen Bellaire and Houston Girl Scouts received the highest honor bestowed upon America’s young people on December 17. Representative Chris Bell (TX 25) presented 15 girls with The Congressional Award Bronze Medal and three girls with The Congressional Award Silver Medal for the good works they have done for the betterment of their communities and for the goals they have set for their own personal development.
     Medallists include: Silver: Julia, Erin, Calli (all from Troop #4673). Bronze: Kendra(Troop #4673), Carolyn (Troop #4374), Divya, Meagan, Megan, Shannon (all from Troop #4698), Sarah, Anais, Natalie, Rebecca, Deepa, Alicia, Jennifer, and Lindsay (all from Troop #4119), and Megan (former Girl Scout).
     Their work exemplifies the cornerstones of the Congressional Award: service to others; initiative; and achievement. The Congressional Award is open to all young people ages 14-23 in America. To earn the Award, young people must set and achieve goals in the four program areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. More than 6,500 Congressional Awards have been earned, representing well over 1.5 million volunteer hours performed in community service across America.
The Congressional Award was established in 1979 by Public Law 96-114, The Congressional Award Act. It is the first and only award for youth legislated by the U. S. Congress. Through this award, Congress looks to honor and encourage volunteer public service and recognize the unsung and important accomplishments of young Americans throughout the United States. The only other medal awarded by the United States Congress is the Medal of Honor.
     A public-private partnership, the Congressional Award Foundation is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that receives no federal funding. To register to earn the Congressional Award, call 1-888-80-AWARD, or visit the Web site at: www.congressionalaward.org.

Girl Scout wins second place in Barbara Jordan Essay Contest

Rebecca, 12, recently received accolades by being named the second place winner in the Fifth Annual Barbara Jordan Essay Contest, which is part of the Alley Theatre’s Barbara Jordan Project that honors the famed Texas Congresswoman and orator. Rebecca is a member of Troop #5377.      She was selected out of 81 candidates from seventh grade public school, private school, or home school students in the greater Houston area, including Harris and surrounding counties. Rebecca attends Aragon Middle School.      The contest encourages seventh grade English Language Arts and Texas History students to think critically about Ms. Jordan’s rich legacy of community and justice and to reflect on these values in their own lives.      Students were asked to integrate Barbara Jordan’s message that Americans must exchange the “philosophy of excuse” for the “philosophy of responsibility” into a 500 word essay, and express their personal philosophy and how they can make this exchange, while projecting how Ms. Jordan would feel about it.      A panel of educators and other professionals using the following criteria judged the essays: originality of ideas, appropriateness of subject, insight, development of point of view, and clarity of expression.      Rebecca’s essay, entitled “My Dad, My Hero,” entailed his journey to change his life and overcome his past mistakes. “I chose to write about my dad because he really fit the quote. He exchanged living with his problems and thinking he couldn’t do anything about them with fixing his problems, and turning his life around,” said Rebecca.

Rebecca was honored with the other top five finalists at the Alley Theatre January 31, and received a $400 savings bond as the 2nd place winner.      The other elements of the Barbara Jordan Project include the touring play “Barbara Jordan: Texas Treasure” by Glenda Dickerson and Lynda Gravátt that profiles Ms. Jordan’s life, and the annual Barbara Jordan Memorial and T.F. Freeman Speech Competition. Rebecca has been in Girl Scouting since the Daisy level. She also enjoys band where she plays the clarinet and is a member of the Science Olympiad Club.