Winter Gold Award
Ceremony
On January 8, 2005, more than
100 family members, friends and distinguished guests gathered
at the Girl Scout Center to pay tribute to 15 young women in
the inaugural GSSJC Winter Gold Award Ceremony. These ladies
graduated from high school in 2004 and earned the Girl Scout
Gold Award between April and October 2004.
Traditionally, the April Senior Recognition
Event (SRE), is the only Council-sponsored event that recognizes
all Gold Award recipients from the previous year. The SRE is
always well attended; however, history shows that young women
who have earned the Gold Award in the same year that they graduate
are less likely to attend an event in April of the following
year because of college or work obligations. The new event was
the brainchild of Cindy Gernand, Council Gold Award Coordinator,
who was determined to find a way to honor these young women
while they were home from college during Winter Break. To her,
it just made sense. “Every girl deserves to recognized
and be pinned by this Council.”
Twenty-nine young women and their guests were
invited to the pinning ceremony and reception. Fifteen ladies
were able to attend. GSSJC Religious Relationships Coordinator,
Virginia Reed, led the invocation and offered words of praise
to the honorees. Cora Ann Blytas, GSSJC President, and Mary
Vitek, GSSJC CEO, presented Gold Award pins and certificates
on behalf of the Council. Ross, father of honoree Erica,
shared his thoughts about the magnitude of the work all of the
recipients accomplished. He also said that in his career as
a police officer he comes in contact with many youth who have
lost their way. He firmly believes that the values instilled
by Girl Scouting will carry these young women far in life. |
Ross Eliason talks about the achievement of earning a Gold
Award. |
 The
Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. The fifteen
young women who attended the ceremony completed the original
five Gold Award requirements, all of which promote community
service, personal and spiritual growth, positive values, and
leadership skills. Typically, it takes two to three years of
intensive work on interest projects, career exploration, leadership,
challenges and service to earn the Gold Award. According to
the original Gold Award requirements, the last step in a girl’s
quest for the Gold, service, requires that she plan and carry
out a project of 50 hours or more that in some way benefits
the community beyond Girl Scouting. Fewer than 1% of girls who
join Girl Scouting go on to earn the Gold Award.
Michelle, one of the program honorees, said, “I thought
it was a great ceremony. I also enjoyed hearing about the other
girls’ Gold Award accomplishments. It made me proud to
be a Girl Scout. I wish there was some way that more girls could
hear about the Gold Awards that have taken place. I know it
would make them want to do the same thing. Listening to the
projects just makes you want to get out there and help more.”
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“I was humbled by the number of 2004 High School Gold
Award Recipients that participated in our Winter Gold Award
Ceremony as well as the overwhelming support shown by the attendance
of their family and friends,” says Cindy. “This
is an incredibly talented group of young ladies that has and
will make our San Jacinto Council extremely proud of them. We
wish them much success in the future.”
GSSJC plans to make the Winter Gold Award Ceremony an annual
event. If you would like more information about the Gold Award
process, please contact Julie Deeter at 713-292-0203 or
jdeeter@sjgs.org. |
GSSJC Volunteer Honored
 The
Houston Texans Foundation announced the top ten Houston
volunteers as part of its annual Houston Community Quarterback
program, and GSSJC’s own Dorothy Paterson was
included in that group. This is the second year in a
row that a GSSJC volunteer has been named in the top
ten. Dorothy follows in the footsteps of another great
Dorothy – Dorothy Goodykoontz, one of last year’s
recipients. The Houston Texans Foundation hosted a dinner
in Dorothy’s honor on December 7, and she was
recognized on the field as part of the pre-game festivities
at the Houston Texans game on December 12.
Congratulations to Dorothy Paterson!
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