The provisions annually of the Tagalongs and Thin Mints should be good enough to get a lifetime achievement award for every Girl Scout. However, Girl Scouts set their own standards. Earning the Gold Award, the greatest achievement within USA’s Girl Scouts, needs them to spend more than 135 hours in leadership work, a community service project and career exploration. According to the website’s organization, only 5% of the eligible Girl Scouts received the award last year.

Therefore, the fact that all 6 members of the Troop 3034, on June 26th received Gold Awards was received with some distinction. All the 6 girls, 5 from the Northern High School have been members of the Troop since its formation in 2004. They are all 2010 graduates from high school. Each of them has completed a project required for Gold Awards in the last couple of years.

A common theme that repeated in the acceptance speech of all 6 was that all of them considered quitting the Girl Scouts at some point of time. Laura Belkofer, who did a project called ‘Everything Equine’ to bring out a booklet that informs new residents of Calvert county about the stables, barns and tack shops, said in her acceptance speech that she considered quitting Girl Scouts because of her notion that it was only meant for little girls and was lame.

Her plans include pursuing a mechanical engineering degree during the fall at the Southern Maryland College. Becky Aikman said that she joined Girl Scouts because it was cool but soon realized that it is not cool according to everyone. However, by the time people started telling her how lame it was she had already started enjoying it. She won her award in the month of November for her contribution to ECHO that provides shelter to the homeless in Prince Frederick.