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On May 9, Sarah Montgomery and Ashley Crowder of Girl Scout Troop 555 Botetourt Service Unit received the Girl Scout Gold Award. The Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. Only 5.4% of registered Girl Scouts will earn this award. Each girl had to demonstrate her leadership skills, organizational skills, and sense of community and commitment. These skills set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship. Sarah and Ashley filmed a tourism video highlighting their home-county, Botetourt County. The girls wrote the script, filmed and edited the video, and distributed copies to the Department of Tourism and Town of Buchanan.

The event opened with Sarah and Ashley leading a flag ceremony with Drewry Atkins, Troop 59, and Elizabeth Nelson, Troop 114, assisting. Laura Ranzer welcomed friends and family and gave a history of the Gold Award. Sarah and Ashley introduced their film project, "Picturesque Botetourt", and the audience enjoyed a showing of their film. The girls presented their mothers with a corsage, and the girls were given a daisy bouquet. Jenny Williams reviewed the Gold Award requirements. Jane Garnett read Juliette Low’s original Golden Eaglet ceremony from "Scouting for Girls" 1920.

The girls’ mothers pinned Sarah and Ashley with their Gold Award pins. They in turned pinned their mothers and fathers with the parents’ Gold Award pin. Each girl received a Gold Award T-shirt, a Girl Scout jewelry box, Gold Award bookmark, and patch. Sarah and Ashley presented gifts to their leaders, Laura Ranzer, Jenny Williams, and Jane Garnett. Five former Gold Award recipients attended the ceremony, Ashley Terry, Lyn Mowles, Jenny Williams, Laura Ranzer, and Barbara Fox (First Class). A reception was held following the ceremony.

Submitted by Jane Garnett