Being a Girl Scout helped Brianna Anderson not only overcome her shyness, but it helped her win the organization’s highest award.
A Scout for nearly six years with Troop 20588, this Norco student is already among four Louisiana Scouts receiving the organization’s highest award for achievement among girls age 14 to 17. Since 1916, the Girl Scouts have honored their best and brightest for initiating meaningful, sustainable change locally, nationally and globally. The award has been called the Golden Eaglet or Curved Bar Award in the past, and since 1980 it’s been called the Gold Award.
“I really do hope that more girls are inspired to get into Girl Scouts and get involved in their communities,” Anderson said. “The more girls, the better our community becomes.”
For Emilie Crotwell, of Luling, with Troop 20023, being a Girl Scout has brought her great experiences.
“I love being a Girl Scout because I love helping people and making them feel important,” said the 12-year-old. “I also like that we learn so many ways to make the world a better place and how to feel good about who we are as individual people. I also like to travel and see different places.
Last summer our troop went to Savannah, Ga., and we are currently planning a trip to Washington, D.C.”
Being a partner organization with United Way of St. Charles helps Girl Scouts Louisiana East fund programs that mold girls into informed, skillful and service-oriented citizens, said Jan Miles, director of grants and United Way fund development with Girl Scouts East.
The organization represents more than 300 Girl Scouts in St. Charles Parish and more than 150 volunteers serving the program. Last year, they contributed 1,525 hours of community service in the parish.
“Their service projects are sometimes as small as helping out an individual neighbor, and sometimes they are larger endeavors, like collecting and donating items to the homeless – including items the girls have made themselves, like sleeping mats – volunteering their time at local animal shelters, or collecting hundreds of boxes of cookies to send to local deploying soldiers,” Miles said. “Recently, the girls in one St. Charles troop put their sewing skills to use in order to donate handmade pillowcases for flood survivors in the Baton Rouge area.”
Parish residents also look forward to Girl Scout cookie time.
So many people in the community enjoy that semi-annual visit from the Girl Scouts in their neighborhood, and it can also prove valuable for the girls’ community service efforts. Area Girl Scouts are also appreciative of the United Way’s efforts to ensure their ability to participate in the annual Bridge Run via offering free registration for adult chaperones for the little ones, who enthusiastically include the event in their troop agenda every year.
Girl Scouts Louisiana East Girl Scouts Louisiana East was formed in April 2008 following the realignment of Girl Scouts – Audubon Council based in Baton Rouge, and the Girl Scout Council of Southeast Louisiana. The two councils joined together under a national reorganization plan designed by Girl Scouts of the USA to create high performance, high capacity councils with expanded program and delivery of Girl Scouting for all girls.
Headquartered in New Orleans with a Regional Service Center in Baton Rouge, Girl Scouts Louisiana East serves the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.
In 2015, Girl Scouts Louisiana East served more than 14,100 girls and 5,300 adults in its 23 parishes.
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