Girl Scouts of Western New York is proud to announce Guinevere Brady of Orchard Park, NY, as a 2023 Gold Award Girl Scout. Guinevere is a member of Troop 31273.

Project: Music for Nursing Homes

Sadly, a great number of today’s elderly in nursing homes don’t get very much contact with the outside world. COVID has broken even the routine holiday visits from organizations like Girl Scouts. Activities are starting to begin again but our elderly need more. I have been playing the violin for 12 years and realize the effects music can have on people. It can change a mood, reduce stress, relieve mental and physical pain and even help to get people up and moving. Music can spark memories for nursing home residents with dementia and remind them of happy times in their lives. I decided to invite a friend or two and perform at a nursing home every Sunday for a few months. We performed at Glenwell nursing home and Memory care unit. After experiencing the residents reactions I’m not sure who got more out of our performances, us or them. I loved seeing them tap their feet, sing along and yell out requests. It was always a fun afternoon. Certain families chose to visit their loved ones on days when we would be performing. I feel my project was a great success, it affected many more than I anticipated.

About the Girl Scout 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.