Girl Scouts of Western New York announce Hailey Kuder as a 2022 Gold Award Girl Scout

Hailey is a member of Troop 60631

What Hailey said about Girl Scouts
Choosing to pursue Girl Scouts was the best decision of my life. Being part of the many hours of community service and completing my Gold Award Project has helped me to grow as a leader and understand the impact that one person can have on a community. I will strive every day to continue to represent what the Girl Scout Promise and Law means to me.

Hailey’s Project: Greece Police Precinct #2 Memorial Garden
For my Gold Award project, I wanted to do something for my community. As an active member of Greece Police Explorers, I knew I really wanted to give back to Greece Police for everything that they do to help protect and serve my community, not to mention honoring the men and women who died in the line of duty. I explored many options, but after talking to my advisor it became clear that the memorial gardens were an eyesore for the Police Officers. The project I chose was to renovate the memorial gardens at Greece Precinct #2.

I developed a plan over several months, consulting with local experts and my advisor to be sure I was hitting the areas of biggest concern. After he gave final approval of the plans, I led a team of volunteers. We removed the old brick walkway and installed a new brick path with a proper base, replaced the existing broken bench with a sustainable metal one, and replaced the broken memorial plaques with engraved stones that will last a lifetime. We also cleaned up all the garden pieces, weeded, and mulched to freshen the space. I spent weeks planning and renovating the space, during that time many community members visiting the local pantry, the park, or starting a shift stopped to encourage us and express their appreciation of the changes.

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 Girl Scout Gold Award, https://www.gswny.org/en/our-program/highest-awards/gold-award.html. 

Provided Information and Photo

Garden Photos by Karen Fien