This is so impressive.  With so much negative press these days about our youth, this is a very nice and refreshing read on the young women of Santa Monica.

http://westsidehomefinders.com/home.asp

Taken from the Argonaut on June 17, 2008

Local young women earn Girl Scouts' highest award

Ninety-six members of the Angeles Girl Scout Council in Santa Monica have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. This award reflects the highest level of achievement to which high school-age Girl Scouts can aspire.

The Angeles Council honored the ambitious teens at a recognition banquet earlier this month.

The girls, who are from troops throughout the council's 101 communities, were recognized for their work in earning the most prestigious award in Girl Scout achievement.

Nationally, only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts (grades ten to 12) successfully complete the award requirements.

To earn the award, in part, the young women proposed and executed a Gold Award community service project, which is the culmination of the work a girl does to fulfill a need in the community, create change and have a long-term effect in inspiring others.

The Gold Award project is, by design, a lasting one that benefits the community and further prepares each girl for her future life and career, said a Girl Scout spokesperson.

The girls, in turn, learn leadership, organization and planning skills, communication and time management. Each award candidate is required to complete 30 hours in a leadership role, 40 hours in career exploration and 60 hours in the planning and execution of her project.

This year's Gold Award recipients created projects that focused on topics such as helping the environment, maintaining community history, motivating youth, encouraging healthy habits, preserving wildlife and appreciating art and culture.

The projects have also been a benefit for the girls in developing leadership skills, according to the Angeles Council.

"I feel that the highest award in Girl Scouts was a challenge, but I feel a sense of accomplish-ment now that I have put so many hours into making a difference in my community," said Troop 639 Gold Awardee and Burbank High School graduating senior Tally Roth, who has been a Girl Scout since the first grade. "And I feel good about the example that I am setting for the younger girls."

The Angeles Girl Scout Council is a nonprofit organization that is supported solely by the community it serves.

Information, (310) 450-3720 or www.angeles.org/.