Behind every had working and inspiring Gold Award Girl Scout is a community of people cheering them on. The role of the Gold Award Advisor is integral to to the success and longevity of a Gold Award project. Advisors provide guidance and support for each Girl Scout on their journey to earn the Gold Award. Many Gold Award Advisors at our council mentor more than one Girl Scout in a season, and they dedicate an astonishing amount of time and resources to provide the best experience possible. Each advisor has their own reasons for leading the next generation of change-makers, but their passion, expertise, and love for Girl Scouting rings true. Let’s hear from one advisor who is leaving her own mark on the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Lammy Askar, Gold Award Advisor
Since 1916, 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. Gold Award Girl Scouts have been the dreamers and the doers who take “make the world a better place” to the next level.
When I transitioned from Council staff to a volunteer role, I was eager to serve as a Gold Award Advisor. For years I had the honor of reviewing and approving Gold Award projects for girls and then celebrating their efforts at the annual Gold Award Ceremony. When becoming a Gold Award Advisor, my role looked completely different and I absolutely fell in love with the Gold Award all over again. Each Girl Scout is perfectly paired with a Gold Award Advisor to serve as her cheerleader, confidant, mentor, and sometimes even chauffeur, as she progresses through the development and implementation of her project goals. And what a ride it is!
Mentoring girls through their Girl Scout Gold Award journey takes dedication. To earn the 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. And with only about 5% of eligible girls earning the prestigious Gold Award, their advisor plays a key role. Each of my Girl Scouts have completely different personalities, work styles, and obviously, very different projects. Ensuring that they all feel encouraged and supported is incredibly important for each girl, especially if they are faced with challenge or barrier that they weren’t expecting.
As a Gold Award Advisor, I have been able to watch each project bloom into community-wide impact often leaves me speechless. One of my favorite parts about being an advisor is the initial meeting with each Girl Scout. Allowing them to explain their project in its entirety is such an unforgettable moment for both them and myself. I wish I could bottle up the first conversation, full of excitement, hesitation, pride, and even a little shyness, and replay it for them at the end of their journey when the final signature of approval is obtained on their reports. They have transformed into completely different humans—there is no more hesitation in their voice, the shyness has disappeared, and they stand before us proud, accomplished, excited, and eager to take on the next big thing.
With every Gold Award Girl Scout that I mentor, I myself am embarking on a new journey with them—a new journey of growth and learning. They become the change that they wish to see in the world which exemplifies the mission of Girl Scouts. To be a part of such an incredible movement and help improve the lives of girls is something that I will cherish forever. I can’t wait to meet the next go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, and leader, ready to make #HERstory!
The Girl Scout Gold Award is an amazing accomplishment and the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Learn more about the award, this year’s class of Gold Award Girl Scouts, and how you can get involved on our website.