Girl Scout Highest Awards

Lyndsey Giuffrida: 2019 Gold Award Girl Scout

Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Lyndsey Giuffrida of Honeoye Falls, NY, as a 2019 Gold Award Girl Scout. Giuffrida’s project was titled “Agility Elements for Dog Training at Lollypop Farm.”

Giuffrida explained, “I designed and built dog agility elements for Lollypop Farm Humane Society in Fairport. There were 5 elements in total: 3 dog jumps, a dog walk, and an A-Frame ramp. I wanted to do this because I love dogs, and I know that shelter dogs need structured exercise and training time in order to stay healthy and be adopted. I built these items to withstand our harsh winters as they will remain outside in the pasture year round. Not only will shelter dogs use the elements, any person in the community can bring their dogs and use the elements to train and exercise their own dogs. In order to complete this project, I secured donations from local businesses for the materials. Morse Lumber donated all the wood, a small-business woodworker donated the stain. I researched a non-skid paint to use for the surface of the ramps in order to help keep the dogs from slipping on the ramps. Paint that is used for commercial deck ramps was donated. I painted the ramps and was able to provide the extra to the farm for future use. I worked with my father as he is an experienced woodworker to learn how to handle the tools and assemble the elements. I learned how to safely use a chop saw, screw gun, circular saw, and electric sander.”

Giuffrida added, “Girl Scouting enforced the values that my parents taught me: to be kind and generous to others. It also provided a way to learn that helping others is rewarding. The experiences our troop had through trips and community service were fun, educational, and I will always remember my years of Girl Scouting.”

Giuffrida will receive her Gold Award at the Gold Award Ceremony on June 1, 2019. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls.

The Gold Award project is the culmination of all the work a girl puts into “going for the Gold.” A Girl Scout’s project should be something that a girl can be passionate about—in thought, deed, and action that encompasses organizational, leadership, and networking skills. The project should also fulfill a need within a girl’s community (whether local or global) and create change that has the potential to be on-going or sustainable. Approximately 80 hours of community service are involved in the project. Completion of the Gold Award also qualifies the Girl Scout for special scholarship opportunities and to enter the military a full rank higher than her peers.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the most prestigious award in the world for girls, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. These young women are courageous leaders and visionary change makers.

The Gold Award requires a Girl Scout to identify an issue and investigate it to understand what can be done to address the problem. The girl then forms a team to act as a support system, including a project advisor close to the issue who is not a troop leader or family member, while she leads the project. The Girl Scout creates a plan to ensure they know what steps they must tackle while working on the project. The Girl Scout submits a proposal for her project to her local Girl Scout council. After acceptance, the girl begins to work through the steps of their plan utilizing the assistance of her support team where necessary. Lastly, the project is used to educate and inspire others about the cause they are addressing.

To learn more, visit gswny.org.

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