Six Chatham H.S. Students receive Gold Award

     On Sunday, June 9th, six Chatham High School young women officially received their Girl Scout Gold Award.  The Gold Award is the highest honor earned by a select group of Girl Scouts who have demonstrated superior leadership, organization and a higher commitment to community service.  Less than 6% of eligible Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award.

     In attendance at the ceremony at Brooklake Country Club to honor the girls were Nicole Hagner, Mayor of Chatham Township, Bruce Harris, Mayor of Chatham Borough, Betty Garger, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, Judy Ginty, Membership Director of GSNNJ, and Joan May, President of the Chatham/Madison Kiwanis Club.

    The Gold Award recipients and their projects were: Lexi Evans, a senior at CHS: " Welcome to the Pride".  Lexi founded a Language Without Borders Club at CHS where members help students in Chatham learning English as a Second Language (ESL).   Raleigh Heap, a senior at CHS: "Crafts for Kindness". Raleigh developed the Crafts for Kindness Club at CHS. Club members learned to knit and made 34 hand knitted pieces for the Jersey Battered Women’s Service, a shelter for domestically abused women.   Allison Kurlak, a senior at CHS: "Refurbishing the Milton Butterfly Garden". Allison restored the Butterfly Garden at Milton Ave School and created a system to keep the garden maintained throughout the year by enlisting the help of the Milton Environmental Committee.   Joanna Miller, a senior at CHS: "The Backpack Program". Joanna founded the Backpack Program, which helps boost the nutritional needs of children in neighboring communities. She assembled 150 bags filled with healthy snacks and staples to be delivered to Fellowship II Preschool in Paterson, NJ.   Madeline Rea, a junior at CHS: "Homeless Solutions".  Madeline organized a picnic for the families at Homeless Solutions in Morristown and enlisted the help of Key Club and Girl Scout volunteers, collected donations and developed a plan so the picnic could become an annual event.    Morgan Sullivan, a sophomore at CHS: "Horticulture Therapy". Morgan created a Horticulture therapy flower bed at King James Care Center in Chatham. The beds attract butterfly's and hummingbirds to the residents’ new outdoor seating area.

     The Gold Award is often compared to the Eagle Scout in Boy Scouting and recipients of the Gold Award who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces often receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.  In fact, two-thirds of America’s most accomplished women in public service are former Girl Scouts.