Changes to the Girl Scout Silver Award and the Girl Scout Gold Award

We are pleased to announce a change in requirements for the Girl Scout Silver Award and Girl Scout Gold Award. Girls may now do Take Action projects that benefit the Girl Scout community. In order to make sure that this change doesn’t dilute the prestige, leadership efforts, or impact of each girl’s project, Silver and Gold Award projects must still meet the requirements that are key to taking sustainable action:

• The project makes a lasting difference in the local community, region, or beyond
• The project puts the Girl Scout Promise and Law into action
• The project includes provisions to ensure sustainability
• The project identifies national and/or global links to the girl’s selected issue
• And the project inspires others

Take Action projects must go beyond community service. When choosing to benefit Girl Scouts, the projects must identify an issue in the world that needs improving, then determine if Girl Scouts could be one of the audiences to help propel the change you want to make.

GSNC will not accept projects that focus on creating badges or patch programs. If your project’s focus is to help improve something at Camp Blue Bay, you need to think Take Action, not just a service (ex. building benches.) The first step would be speaking to our Camp Director to see if the project is viable.

Changes to the Bronze and Silver Award Toolkits:All award toolkits have been updated on gsnc.org and on the OLC. Within the Bronze Award Toolkit and Silver Award Toolkit you will find our new Final Report Online Forms. We will no longer be accepting paper final reports. The online version will help connect earning of the high awards to each girls’ record. A confirmation and the actual final report will be generated and emailed to you.

The Gold Award final report will remain the same, using Go Gold Online to submit both Gold Award proposals and final reports.

Informal ways to thank your Girl Scout Leader!

Adult volunteers make Girl Scouting happen! Our adult volunteers help Girl Scouts unleash their inner G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader) and make events possible for all Girl Scouts. Acknowledging the efforts of others is an essential part of Girl Scouts.

Acknowledgements can be informal and initiated by the girls, parents, co-leaders and Service Units.
Some ideas may include:

Recognition Certificate - A certificate may be given to a volunteer at a Service Unit Meeting in recognition of her/his interest in and support of Girl Scouts.

Handicrafts - A mobile, flower arrangement, special ceramic plaque, scrapbook, sampler, poster, decoupage, ornament, bookmark, etc.

Written Thank You - Send a brief note, poem, letter, special occasion card, scroll signed by members of the group, autograph book with signatures and comments, framed pictures of girls, or a yard sign with message “A Great Girl Scout Leader Lives Here.”

Adult Recognitions Nomination - Another great way to recognize that special Girl Scout Volunteer in your life who goes “above and beyond” is to nominate them for an GSUSA Adult Award or Girl Scouts of Nassau County Adult Award.

Days of Action for Troop 3055

Our hearts remain with everyone affected by the tragic events in Chippewa, Wisconsin. In true Girl Scout spirit, Girl Scouts have been asking what they can do and how they can get involved and offer support to troop 3055 during this difficult time.

We are encouraging Girl Scouts to honor their Girl Scout sisters in troop 3055 in whatever way is most meaningful to them.

The Wisconsin Girl Scouts community has come together as a unit to support their sisters with Days of Action to honor troop 3055. They are inviting all of their sister Girl Scouts to participate in service projects during the month of November to pay tribute to Troop 3055’s commitment to public service and making the world a better place.

We encourage volunteers to balance their interests and needs to participate while taking into consideration the girls’ awareness of the tragedy and understanding of the reason for the service. Service projects already happening can also be dedicated to the memory of the Girl Scouts we lost in Troop 3055.

You can send letters of love and support for Troop 3055 and their families to Girl Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc., 4222 Oakwood Hills Pkwy, Eau Claire, WI 54701.

Our hearts are broken, but we are encouraged by how we have all come together to provide support, comfort, and light to our Girl Scout sisters who have experienced such an incredible loss. Please keep Haylee, Jayna, Autumn, Sara Jo, Madalyn, and their families in your thoughts and prayers in the difficult days ahead.