Girl Scouts Gold Award Centennial Year

Proclamation

By the Governor of Alabama

WHEREAS,   for over a century, Girl Scouts has inspired girls to lead with courage, confidence and character; and

WHEREAS, the Girl Scout Gold Award represents these ideals in their highest form, calling on Girl Scouts in grades 9–12 to take on projects that have a measurable and sustainable impact on their community by first assessing a need, designing a solution, completing their project, and inspiring others to sustain it; and

WHEREAS, shortly after the inception of the Girl Scout Movement, it was decided that there should be a special recognition for those girls who represented the very best of Girl Scouts; girls who, through their courage, tenacity, dedication, and skill, took action in their communities with an impact that was at once immediate and sustainable; and

WHEREAS, one hundred years ago, in 1916, the Golden Eaglet was introduced in celebration of these girls, and though the name has changed over the years, from the Golden Eaglet to the Curved Bar Award, to First Class, and, for the past 35 years, the Gold Award, the conviction, dynamism, and idealism it takes to earn the highest award in Girl Scouting has not; and

WHEREAS, the Gold Award, like the girls who earn them and the projects they undertake, stands as an enduring symbol of the fortitude and personal strength of a Girl Scout, demonstrating clearly the tangible, real-world impact that participating in Girl Scouts can have on a girl’s life, and by extension, her community and our world; and

WHEREAS, comparable to an Eagle Scout, a girl who earns the Girl Scout Gold Award joins an elite circle of fewer than 6% of Girl Scouts annually, and may be eligible for advanced rank when enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces, or for scholarships at some universities and colleges; and

WHEREAS, according to the Girl Scout Research Institute Study, “The Power of the Girl Scout Gold Award: Excellence in Leadership and Life,” Gold Award recipients report a more positive sense of self, are more engaged civically and in community service, have more confidence in their leadership abilities, and experience greater life satisfaction and success relative to their non-Gold Award peers; and

WHEREAS, the Girl Scout Gold Award, acknowledges each young woman’s power and dedication to not only bettering herself, but to making the world a better place for others; and

WHEREAS, with the Gold Award Centennial upon us, Girl Scouts invites alumnae and supporters everywhere to “Celebrate 100 Years of Changing the World”:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim 2016 as

Girl Scouts Gold Award Centennial Year

in the State of Alabama.

Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 1^st day of March 2016.

Robert Bentley
Governor