Local Girl Scout Katie Maher receives highest award
Katherine “Katie” Maher, a senior at Cape Henlopen High School and daughter of Michael and Janet Maher of Harbeson, received her Girl Scout Gold Award at the Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay Council's annual On My Honor Ceremony Jan. 22. The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA, earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award. Maher’s project titled, “Just Be YOU tiful!” was a series of workshops for middle school aged girls focusing on the areas of What is Beauty, healthy lifestyles, healthy eating, stress management and being your best.
The Gold Award requires girls to choose an issue within their community that they care about; research and develop a plan to create a project with lasting impact; develop their networking skills to find support, guidance and help with their project; and take the leadership role in implementing and completing their project. It requires Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts spend at least 80 hours of work on the project. In order to begin their project, the girls must have earned their Silver Award, the highest award earned by a Cadette Girl Scout, or have completed two Senior or Ambassador Journeys. The average age of a girl earning her Gold Award is 17, and it takes approximately two years to fully complete the project.
Maher's project was completed in partnership with the Rehoboth Beach Boys & Girls Club, and many community volunteers. Her network of volunteers included Anna Moshier, program manager, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware; Eileen Springfield at Cape Henlopen High School; Carrie Lingo, former Olympic athlete; members of the Cape Theatre Academy; and Cape Henlopen High School field hockey team.
Maher was also honored as a 13-year scout, and a graduating senior. On My Honor is an annual ceremony held by Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay to honor girls who have earned the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, the highest awards earned at the Junior, Cadette and Senior/Ambassador levels of Girl Scouting. At this year’s ceremony, over over 200 awards were given out including 16 Gold Awards. Girls were also honored for 10 years of scouting, 13 years of scouting and graduating seniors.
Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay serves girls ages 5-18 in the state of Delaware; Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties in Maryland; and Accomack and Northampton counties in Virginia. The Girl Scouts mission is to build girls of courage, character and confidence who make the world a better place. For more information, go to www.gscb.org.
