Local girl achieves highest award in Girl Scouting

HIGHLAND MILLS-Laura Ciccone of Highland Mills received the highest award available to a Girl Scout n the Girl Scout Gold Award n during the annual "Gold & Silver Celebration" of the Sarah Wells Girl Scout Council. Ciccone renovated rooms at the House on the Hill Daycare Center in Goshen which is open for migrant worker's children. With the help of the community, she planned and reconstructed the rooms for the children to enjoy. She plastered, painted, refurnished and designed a bright, fun environment for young children. Laura chose this project after hearing of a need while working at a locate food pantry. Laura Ciccone has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and has made many friends along with meeting many people she has helped. Her Girl Scout Gold Award project gave her the opportunity to make an impact on people's lives better. She said her greatest influence has been her mother's guidance and encouragement over the years. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting available to girls. Only 1 percent of all Senior Girl Scouts earn this honor. The award has five requirements all of which demand efficient organizational, time management and leadership skills. A girl must complete four Interest Patches related to her topic, the Career Exploration Pin, earn the Senior Girl Scout Leadership Award and the Senior Girl Scout Challenge Award all before implementing their project. Each project requires 50 hours or more of work in planning and delivering and should express a need in the community. Every girl must present her project to the Gold Award Committee at the Girl Scout Council and receive approval prior to beginning the project. The Sarah Wells Girl Scout Council Inc. is a United Way agency serving over 10,000 members in Orange and Sullivan Counties and parts of Pike County, Pa. For more information about Girl Scouting, call the Council Office at 361-2898.