Girl Scouts of Maine held its annual celebration May 7 at Messalonskee Performing Arts in Oakland, where Girl Scouts and adult volunteers were honored for their significant accomplishments.

Achievements celebrated include the Girl Scout Gold and Silver Awards, the two highest honors a Girl Scout can earn; GSME Future Leaders Scholarships, with a total of $22,500 in scholarship funds awarded; the class of 2022 graduating Girl Scout Ambassadors; and volunteer awards honoring the many dedicated adults that are at the core of the Girl Scout Movement, according to a news release from the youth organization based in South Portland.

The Gold Award Girl Scouts honored include Hannah Robertson of Acton, Nora Spratt of Castine, and Madelyn Buzza of Mapleton. From saving bees to adulting seminars, and addressing the lack of Emergency 911 signs, these girls have made significant, sustainable impacts in their communities through their Gold Award projects.

To learn more about their projects, visit girlscoutsofmaine.org/girlstories.

While the Gold Award is the highest award for Girl Scouts in high school, the Silver Award allows Girl Scout Cadettes in middle school to focus on an issue they care about, learn the facts, and take action to make a difference, while gaining the confidence and skills that will catapult them to lifelong success. Nineteen Girl Scouts from across the state earned their Silver Award and were recognized at this year’s celebration.

Silver Award projects included community action against food insecurity, college care packages, hygiene kits for the homeless, flag boxes, and a reading fun club. Silver Award Girl Scouts honored include Maggie O’Rourke of Calais; Acadia Dorgan, Adelaide Schroeck and Abigail River, all of Kittery; Ashley Roy, Michaela Harrington and Isabella Westman, all of Greene; Elizabeth Smith of Bangor; Carly Climo of Bradley; Catherine Lajoie of Gardiner; Ella Glover of Lewiston; Viola Perkins of Lisbon; Alexyss Baird of Lisbon Falls; Delia Hartley and Celia Kehl, both of of Kittery; Laura Taylor and Lily Raleigh, both of Hermon; and Arianna Priest and Katherine Rockwell, both of Kittery.

Each Silver Award Girl Scout and their projects are highlighted at girlscoutsofmaine.org/girlstories.

Beyond the highest award recognitions, 14 Girl Scouts graduating high school from across the state were awarded GSME Future Leaders Scholarships. The $22,500 in scholarship funds were awarded to Grace Goodwin of Brewer, Ayla Clark of Biddeford, Devin Geisler of Farmingdale, Kayden Haylock of Hartford, Elizabeth Stefaniak of Sebago, Kathleen Dean of Auburn, Kimberly Spears of Sidney, Emma Gaecklein of Searsport, Erica Johnson of Nobleboro, Kathryne Clay of Cape Elizabeth, Megan Brewer of Orono, Emma Landry of Fort Kent, Darby Kline of Cape Elizabeth, and Rebecca Hatt of Biddeford. In the five years since this scholarship fund was created, $77,500 has been awarded to 47 Girl Scout recipients.

In addition to the scholarship recipients, more than 100 high school Girl Scouts from across the state were recognized as a part of the Class of 2022 Girl Scout Ambassadors.

Adult award recognitions included the President’s Award, Appreciation and Honor Pins, and the Thanks Badge. These prestigious adult Girl Scout awards recognize adult volunteers who have gone above and beyond expectations to provide outstanding service to GSME.

“There is no way we could provide the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to thousands of girls in our communities, without the generosity of time and heart of our volunteers in this room and across the state,” said Julia Munsey, GSME Board of Directors president. “Without their fierce commitment to these girls — to their present and to their future — Girl Scouts wouldn’t follow their own convictions, take the lead in their own stories, and explore all the extraordinary things they’re capable of.”

The celebration continues throughout June virtually at girlscoutsofmaine.org/annualcelebration and on Girl Scouts of Maine’s YouTube channel and Facebook.

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