A local girl scout, Gwyneth Reece of Smithfield, has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest and most prestigious achievement in Girl Scouting. Awarded to fewer than 6% of Girl Scouts annually, Reece joins generations of young women who have earned their Girl Scout Gold Award while making a difference in their communities both locally and globally.
For her Gold Award project, Coloring Club for Students and Seniors, Reece founded a therapeutic coloring club at her high school. The purpose of the club was to help students combat the stress of school while also starting a conversation about mental health. Club members met during school to color and reduce stress, and during the summer members visited a local senior home to color with residents. Reece also made pamphlets about local resources for depression, anxiety and stress for members of the club.
Reece is the daughter of Mike and Mary Reece and is in 12th grade at Smithfield-Selma High School. Reece has been in Girl Scouts since 2006.
By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, Reece has become a community leader. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart.
“We congratulate Gwyneth on this remarkable achievement. When a girl “Goes Gold”, she has taken the lead and demonstrated that she possesses the courageous qualities of a G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader),” said Lisa Jones, chief executive officer, Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines. “The Girl Scout Gold Award shows that one girl, one voice, and one project can have a powerful and lasting impact on the world.”
When compared to non-Girl Scout alumnae, Gold Award recipients soar when it comes to seeing themselves as a leader, providing service to others through volunteerism, and positive attitudes about themselves and the lives they lead. More generally, over ninety percent of Girl Scouts not only attributed their success in life to Girl Scouts, but they also said they could not have had access to the same experiences anywhere else. Additionally, Gold Award recipients are more ambitious, placing more emphasis on a successful career, financial security, and being a leader; and are more likely to believe they are achieving their ambitions in life.
It’s not only Girl Scouts who understand the value of the Gold Award. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. armed forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements. Additionally, girls are eligible for scholarships provided by Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines aimed at providing financial assistance in the pursuit of higher education and leadership opportunities.
Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award is no easy feat as a girl demonstrates significant leadership, planning, networking and organizational skills as girls spend, on average, one to two years working to complete her project. Girls must follow the steps of identifying an issue, investigating it thoroughly, getting help and building a team, creating a plan, presenting your plan, gathering feedback, taking action, and educating and inspiring others.
Since the council unification in 2007 through 2016, 562 of Girl Scouts have earned their Gold Award as a result of their efforts to transform an idea and vision for change into an actionable plan with measurable, sustainable, and far-reaching impact.
