The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA, and is considered comparable to the Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts. It replaced the First Class Award, which was the highest recognition from 1963-1980. The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States based on the Scouting principles developed by Robert Baden-Powell. ... Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable by a Scout in several national Scouting organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP). ... For professional sport scouts, see Scout (sport). ...

Requirements

Senior Girl Scouts aged 14-17 are eligible to earn the award. The requirements were updated in 2004 and include: 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• The Girl Scout Gold Leadership Award, which requires girls to complete 30 hours of leadership work, as well as earn three Interest Projects and one Focus Book.
• The Girl Scout Gold Career Award, which requires girls to complete 40 hours of career exploration.
• The Girl Scout Gold 4Bs Challenge, which requires girls to assess their community and its needs, and develop a vision for change.

Once these steps have been met, girls use their vision for change to complete a service project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides lasting benefit to the girl's larger community. It requires a minimum of 65 hours of work. Plans must be developed with the aid of an advisor, and a project proposal and final report must be submitted to the girl's local council before and after the project's completion.

Les than 6% of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the prestigious Gold Award. Awardees are honored at councilwide ceremonies, and may also be named Young Women of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of America. By demonstrating their capacity for leadership, organization, and commitment to community, Gold Award recipients are expected to become lifelong citizens and leaders.

Gold Award recipients who join the US_military may receive advanced rank upon enlistment. The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...

The Gold Award emblem is presented as a pin resembling an eight-pointed gold star.

See Also

Girl Scouts of the USA The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States based on the Scouting principles developed by Robert Baden-Powell. ...

Silver Award The Silver Award is the second highest award in Girl Scouting. ...

Bronze Award

External links

• Girl Scout Central's Guide to Earning the Gold Award (http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/insignia/highest_awards/gold_award.asp)
• Girl Scout Gold Award Young Women of Distinction - the ten best Gold Awards of 2004 (http://www.girlscouts.org/news/stories/2004/young_women_distinction.asp)