Girl Scout Gold Award Centennial: Alumna Jennifer Thole from Trenton

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) will highlight some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award. 

Jennifer Thole from Trenton, IL grew up knowing the importance of health care. Her mom is a nurse and Jennifer herself was working as a nurse assistant in high school. When contemplating her Girl Scout Gold Award project, it was a natural fit for her to choose a project related to health care. Jennifer brainstormed some ideas and decided to develop a health fair for kids that focused on making smart food choices, staying active and proactively combating diabetes. 

Jennifer’s Girl Scout Gold Award project was titled "Sugar and Spice is Not Always so Nice." Jennifer got the ball rolling by setting up meetings with the Diabetes Educator and Dietitian at her local hospital. She took the knowledge she had gained and developed a health fair in which parents and their children could learn more about healthy and easy after school snacks, fun exercises and games, calculating body mass index and visual representations of sugar amounts in various candies and sodas. Jennifer’s project was a great success. 

After graduating from Mater Dei High School in 2009, Jennifer continued to pursue the health care field. She graduated from Quincy University Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing in 2013. Today, she is a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, IL. 

One of the requirements of the Girl Scout Gold Award is that the project must fill a need in the girl’s community. “Giving back” has always been one thing Girl Scouts, especially Girl Scout Gold Award recipients, excel in. Jennifer didn’t stop “giving back” once she completed her Gold Award. In fact, her project not only paved the way for her career but also for how she is now able to be of service to others. This spring, Jennifer was part of a team that went on a surgical mission trip to Bohol, Philippines. This team spent 12 days in Bohol where they performed 115 surgeries ranging from goiter removals to hernia repairs to hysterectomies. “The people there have so little yet are so grateful for everything,” said Jennifer. “It was the most eye opening experience I have ever had,” Jennifer added. 

The Girl Scout Gold Award recognizes a Girl Scout's commitment to excellence as she develops skills and values to meet present and future challenges in her life. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community, creates change, and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work. Only about 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award. 

“You will not regret doing it, but you will regret NOT doing it,” are words of advice Jennifer offers to Girl Scouts who want earn the highest award in Girl Scouting. “It will be a lot of work but you never know the networks you may build and the things you will learn that will shape your future,” adds Jennifer. 

Today, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. is the largest voluntary organization for girls in the world. Its sole focus is to meet the needs of all girls (ages 5-17) from diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Today’s Girl Scouts not only enjoy camping and crafts, but they also explore math and science and learn about diversity, good citizenship, leadership and teamwork. Girl Scouting is the place where girls experience the fun, friendship and power of girls together. 

Stan Clark from Trenton Receives the Thanks Badge II, Girl Scouts' Highest Adult Volunteer Award

Stan Clark from Trenton has received the Thanks Badge II for his exceptional volunteer service to Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. The Thanks Badge II is the highest adult volunteer award and honors a previous Thanks Badge recipient who has continued to provide exemplary service in a leadership role, resulting in a measurable impact that benefits the total council or entire Girl Scout movement.

“Stan is dedicated, reliable and tireless! He is a wonderful ambassador for Girl Scouting," said fellow volunteer Angie Zahn.

Angie Zahn: Dedicated Girl Scout Volunteer and Gold Award Advisor – 29 Years and Counting!

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is highlighting some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award.

Angie Zahn	A great part of the success of many organizations relies heavily on the quality and dedication of volunteers who are passionate about the organization they are serving. This is true about Girl Scouts as an organization, and this is true about Angie Zahn as a long-time Girl Scout volunteer.

Angie Zahn from Trenton, IL is a Managing Broker with Strano & Associates Real Estate. Even with her busy career, Angie has found time to pour her heart and soul into Girl Scouting. Being a Girl Scout Troop Leader for 29 years is quite an accomplishment in itself, but it doesn’t stop there for this volunteer. Angie has worn (and still wears) many hats with Girl Scouts, ranging from Day Camp staff to Board of Directors Chair. One of the roles that Angie has held for several years, and still holds today, is that of Girl Scout Gold Award advisor and mentor.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. To earn this award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within her community, creates change and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work, and only about 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award. To say that a girl’s Gold Award Advisor is instrumental in her journey would be an understatement.

Angie began her adventure as a Girl Scout Gold Award Advisor by first mentoring her daughter through her Gold Award project. Angie’s daughter, Jennifer, developed a summer reading program for kids in their hometown of Trenton. Jennifer arranged for speakers, door prizes and activities for the kids at the library all summer. Angie went on to mentor another 6 girls through their Gold Award projects, including Sarah Monical who is now Angie’s Troop Co-Leader. She hasn’t stopped there; Angie is currently working with her eighth Girl Scout who is going for Gold.

“At the end of the day, we talk a great deal about how the Girl Scout Gold Award project was designed to benefit others. What I have seen time after time is truly the benefit to the girls. The payback for our girls comes from finding out they are capable of making a difference, that they are capable of making decisions that affect themselves and others, and that they have it within themselves to succeed,” said Angie of the Girl Scouts she has mentored.

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scout Gold Award, Angie encourages other adults to consider becoming a Girl Scout volunteer and Gold Award advisor. She states, “There is nothing more satisfying than watching a young woman recognize her own power and realize her dreams.”

Stan and Lois Clark Recognized at Illinois State Fair for Volunteer Service

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois’ Stan and Lois Clark, from Trenton, have reached a milestone that few other volunteers can ever imagine achieving. This husband and wife team have been volunteering with Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts for a combined 130 years. On August 17, Stan and Lois were recognized by Illinois Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger at the Illinois State Fair for their many years of service to girls and their community. The state fair had proclaimed Tuesday as Senior Citizens Day and Girl Scout Day.

 “Girl Scouting in southern Illinois would not be what it is today without the dedication, passion and leadership of all of our volunteers, but Stan and Lois are the benchmark,” said Villie M. Appoo, GSSI Chief Executive Officer. “This wonderful couple volunteer in so many different roles for GSSI, ranging from leading two Girl Scout troops, to Service Unit involvement and teaching CPR/First Aid/AED certification classes,” Appoo added. “We have recognized their volunteer service here in southern Illinois, but it is heart-warming to see them recognized statewide by Comptroller Munger.”

Stan and Lois grew up across the street from each other and bonded from their mutual love of Scouting. They stayed involved through all age levels, and went right on to becoming leaders as adults. From being stationed overseas and back, they never left Girl Scouts. Lois even started a troop of Girl Guides when they lived in Greece. Their children were also in Girl and Boy Scouts…in fact, each of them earned the Girl Scout Gold Award (two daughters) and their son earned the Eagle Scout Award.

“Stan is a perfect example of how we should respect each other and respect those who lead us. He is dedicated to what Girl Scouts stands for…dedicated to God, Country, helpful and courageous; he is the Girl Scout Promise and Law wrapped into one human being,” said JoAnna Espique, Service Unit 202 volunteer.

“Lois is a very special person who is a leader and inspiration,” said Lara Lynn, Service Unit 109 volunteer. “She is caring and loving. Because of all these traits she is a true Girl Scout from the heart. I don’t know where my life would be if I had not met and worked with her!”

Emily Fuhler from Trenton Earns the Girl Scout Gold Award

 

 

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Emily Fuhler from Trenton has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Emily worked with The Covering House, a St. Louis based organization that helps girls who have experience sexual exploitation or sexual trafficking.  She had helped raise money for The Covering House through her high school youth group and wanted to continue to help.

“I wanted to impact the girls by letting them know that I, an eighteen year old girl that they’ve never met, care about them and there are people all over the world that will help them when they need it,” she said.  

Emily helped The Covering House prepare to open a residential facility to provide long-term therapeutic care. First, she helped inventory and organize supplies.  Next, she collected additional items to supplement the existing resources.  Last, she created a disaster kit for the facility in case of emergencies.  She also discussed human trafficking at her high school and put an article in the local newspaper to spread awareness about the issue.

“Through my project, I learned about the reality of the world around me and my true passions for helping others,” said Emily.  “I learned what I really believe in and am willing to stand up for.”

Emily is the daughter of Michael and Lynn Fuhler.  She completed her Girl Scout Gold Award project during her senior year at Trenton Wesclin High School in 2014.  She is currently a freshman at Southeast Missouri State University where she is studying Biomedical Sciences and Spanish.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, recognizes a Girl Scout's commitment to excellence as she develops skills and values to meet present and future challenges in her life.  To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community, creates change, and is sustainable.   The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work.  Only about 6 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.