[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 70 (Friday, May 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5144-S5145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO SIX GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD RECIPIENTS

 Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
six outstanding young women who are being presented with the Girl Scout 
Gold Award by the Vermont Girl Scout Council. They are Melissa Jones 
and Tina Newell of Vergennes, Kathleen Lomedico of Colchester as well 
as Jennifer Tobin, Vincenza Tortolano, and Lori Brown of Rutland. They 
are being honored on May 29, 1997 for earning the highest achievement 
award in U.S. Girl Scouting.

[[Page S5145]]

  The Girl Scout Gold Award symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in 
the areas of leadership, community service, career planning, and 
personal development. The award can be earned by girls aged 14-17, or 
in grades 9-12. To receive the award, these Girl Scouts first earned 
four interest project patches, the Career Exploration Pin, the Senior 
Girl Scout Leadership Award and the Senior Girl Scout Challenge as well 
as designing and implementing a Girl Scout Gold Award project to meet a 
special need in their communities.
  As members of the Vermont Girl Scout Council, Melissa and Tina first 
earned badges in understanding yourself and others, child care, games, 
creative writing, and reading. The girls then combined their efforts in 
a project to combat illiteracy. They designed a series of three 
workshops for young children about the magic of books which they put on 
at their local town library. The workshops featured a magician, hired 
with money the girls raised themselves, magic tricks and crafts taught 
by the girls, and wonderful stories featuring magic. They attracted a 
large number of youngsters. The girls reported ``everything we did 
interested and excited the children; they wanted to read more books and 
they now know the library and are planning to come to their future 
children's programs''.
  Jennifer and Vincenza put their efforts into making a special place 
for some elderly members of their community. The girls designed and 
established a conversation garden to give nursing home residents and 
their guests access to sidewalks, shade, and beauty, putting in two 
settees and planting bulbs and a flowering crabapple tree, all financed 
by the girls' sale of handmade cookbooks. To quote the nursing home 
administrator, ``these two young people have earned the respect and 
appreciation of 125 nursing home residents and 160 employees of Eden 
Park''.
  As a member of the Vermont Girl Scout Council, Lori first earned 
badges in child care, reading, music, games, well being and 
understanding yourself and others. She then used these skills to design 
and implement a series of Lenten workshops for the younger children in 
her parish church. Kathleen earned badges in artistic crafts and 
exploration among others. After learning leadership skills through Girl 
Scouting, she served as the editor of her high school yearbook. As her 
Girl Scout Gold Award project she spent the last year organizing and 
leading a youth group for teens which meets every other week and a 
youth band which plays every Sunday for her church parish. Kathleen 
wanted the young people in her parish to ``feel a sense of home in the 
church.'' Both girls used the skills they learned in Girl Scouting to 
help the church of their faith.
  These six Senior Girl Scouts have earned my respect and admiration. I 
believe all the girls should receive the public recognition due them 
for such significant services to their communities and their 
country.

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