Laguna Niguel and Dana Point Volunteers and Girls Honored by Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts and volunteers from Laguna Niguel and Dana Point were presented with prestigious awards for their accomplishments and their volunteer service to Girl Scouts of Orange County at a luncheon at the Disneyland Hotel on June 7.

Laguna Niguel resident Gabby Frei was presented with an Appreciation Pin, which recognizes volunteers who have delivered outstanding service in support of Girl Scouts. Gabi Frei has volunteered with Girl Scouts for more than twelve years. Gabi encourages older girls to remain in Girl Scouts through high school and is currently guiding ten girls from her troop as they each earn their Girl Scout Gold Awards. Gabi guided her troop through a three year planning process to travel to Europe last summer. Her troop’s troop was such a success that Gabi and her troop now shares trip planning with younger troops.

Laguna Niguel Girl Scout Katelyn Keen was honored with the Take Action Award, which recognizes girls who have become advocates in their communities and created sustainable change through their efforts to make the world a better place. For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Katelyn created and distributed a book called Kids Go Green to encourage children to implement simple eco-friendly changes into their everyday lives. To tackle this project, she developed a project plan including a timeline and budget and identified some key individuals who could advise her, including experts in writing and publishing, ecologists, and educators. Katelyn’s book, which she distributed to teachers, community centers, and professionals, follows a group of animals on their journey to a greener planet, while active learners experiment with new ways to make energy and measure rainfall, among other activities. Katelyn hopes she can inspire children to take action, starting with simple lifestyle changes.

Dana Point Girl Scout Morgan Takach was honored with the Take Action Award, which recognizes girls who have become advocates in their communities and created sustainable change through their efforts to make the world a better place. Morgan’s project, “Reducing Water Waste,” helped the Niguel Botanical Preserve analyze and manage their water consumption. She distributed water gauges, monitored irrigation water, analyzed plant water requirements and made recommendations to the board about water usage and irrigation. She replaced 40 leaking sprinkler heads and planted drought tolerant shrubs to save the city money. To sustain her project, Morgan created and distributed mini conservation boxes to schools and environmental organizations so that others can do similar water measurement projects in their communities.

Girl Scouts also recognized 150 girls from throughout Orange County who earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout may earn.

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About Girl Scouts

We’re the Girl Scouts of Orange County. We’re 37,000 strong—22,000 girls and 15,000 adults who believe every girl can change the world. Girl Scouts began over 100 years ago with one woman, Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low, who believed in the power of every girl. Today, we continue her vision of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place by helping them discover their inner strength, passions, and talents. And with programs in every zip code in Orange County, there’s a chance for every girl to do something amazing. We’re the Girl Scouts. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.GirlScoutsOC.org.