Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Abigail Horne of Avon, NY, as a 2021 Gold Award Girl Scout. Abigail is from Troop 51050 and has been a member of Girl Scouts for 9 years.

What Abigail said about Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts has shown me wonderful role models that have taught me to be a leader. It has also taught me how to experience things through a different light. It has also given me so many wonderful opportunities to make a difference in my community.

Project: Church Beautification

My Gold Award project was completed in the community church of my hometown, Avon, NY. I chose to sand and refinish the floor boards in the sanctuary. I worked very closely with the members of Central Presbyterian Church to complete the logistics of this project. I chose to complete this because the state that the floor was in posed as a safety hazard.

This building is a gathering place for all members of the Avon community so the maintenance of this building is critically important to the safety of the community. I completed this project by first getting approval from the Church and its committees, then I began stripping and sanding the floors. Once the floors were prepped I painted them.

I used the skills of craftsmanship, organization, time management, and leadership. My project will be long-lasting and will not need to be redone for at least 20 years.

About the Gold Award

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.

For more information on the Gold Award, click here.