Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Nora Klipfel of North Tonawanda, NY, as a 2020 Gold Award Girl Scout. Klipfel’s project, Happy Caps, involved sewing caps and donating them to children at Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.

Klipfel got the pattern and instructions from the NYS Federation of Home Bureaus. She collaborated with Girl Scout Troop 30782 and the American Sewing Guild to receive donations of materials and for teams to sew the caps. Members of the St. Jude the Apostle Church also helped sew the caps.  

“I was able to coordinate a sleep-over for my Troop, I led them in an evening of working on the caps. I coordinated a presentation night with the American Sewing Guild. I then led a community service night that was like an assembly line and we were able to get hundreds of caps made to donate,” said Klipfel.

Klipfel stated, “Girl Scouts made me more confident in public speaking, in life skills, and has afforded me the opportunity to have wonderful friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime.”

By earning her Gold Award during the 2020 Girl Scouting year, Klipfel will be included in a virtual acknowledgment this June. All 2020 Gold Award Girl Scouts will receive the option to be a part of the 2021 in-person Gold Award ceremony next year to receive their Gold Award pin. 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 she can enlist in the military at a higher starting pay grade.

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.