GOLD AWARD FACTS, HISTORY, BENEFITS
The Girl Scout Gold Award
The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting, recognizes the leadership, effort, and impact girls 14-18 have had on their communities.  Only about five percent of eligible girls take the rigorous path towards earning this prestigious award, but those who complete the journey change the lives of others and thier own in amazing and significant ways.  The roots of the Girl Scout Gold Award are in the history of the organization, whose tradition of the highest leadership awards for Girl Scouts have included:

The Golden Eaglet of Merit (1916-1919)
The Golden Eagle (1919-1938)
Five Class (1938-1940)
The Curved Bar (1940-1962)
Fist Class (1962-1980)
HISTORY OF THE GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD
1980 - The Girl Scout Gold Award was introduced in You Make the Differance.  Council volunteers and staff recevied additional information on the Girl Scout Gold Award at the 1980 Program Conferences conducted around the country.  This new recognition helped girls focus on four areas: skill development, leadership service, and career exploration.
1987 - A new handbook was developed for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts.  Minor changes were made to the Girl Scout Gold Award, including an added service project.
1990 - Delegates to the 1990 National Council Session approved a proposal to keep the name of the Girl Scout Gold Award in perpetuity.
1993 - The National Council Session approved the establihment of the Girl Scout Gold Award Alliance.
1995 - New resources for Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts were developed with seperate handbooks for each age level.  Included was clarification on record keeping for the Girl Scout Gold Award project.
2001 - Research is done on what girls 11-17 want and need, including suggestions about the Girl Scout Silver and Girl Scout Gold Awards.
2002 - STUDIO 2B materials, the result of the research, are introduced at the GSUSA national council session in California.  The Girl Scout Gold Award is revised to allow for Girl Socut STUDIO 2B Focus books.
2004 - Girl Scout Gold Awards are revised to reflect girl and council suggestions and research; new materials are prepared for girls, advisors and councils.  Updates requirements are introduced in spring 2004.
BENEFITS OF EARNING THE GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD
~ The Girl Scout Gold Award is the Highest awardin Girl Scouting.  A National award, with national standards. it represents girls' time, leadership, creativity and effort contributed to amking their community better.
~ A young woman who has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award has become a community leader.  Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart.
~ An increasing number of colleges and universities have recognized the achivements leadership abilities of Girl Scout Gold Award recipients by establishing scholarship programs for them.  Although Girl Scouts of the USA does not award scholarhsips to Girl Scout Gold Award recipients, GSUSA does publish the Scholarships for Girl Scouts Directory, which lists these schools.  Copies of the directory are available at Girl Scout councils and online at studio2b.org web site.
~ Girls who have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award often enter the four branches of the United States Armed Services at an advanced level and salary, having been recognized for their level of leadership shown in earning the Girl Scout Gold Award.
~ The achievements of Girl Scout Gold Award recipients are acknowledged by many governement and non=profit organizations.  A list of these organizations is available for Girl Scout Councils.
~ Many state and local organizations also acknowledge the recipients for the Girl Scout Gold Award.
~Girls completing their Girls Scout Gold Award may apply their service hours to the Presidents's Volunteer Service Awards at the Bronze, SIlver and Gold levels.
(www.presidentialserviceawards.gov)
~The Girl Scout Gold Award projects themselves solve community issues and improve lives
~The girl Scout Gold Award process creates assets for the community and the future.
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