Union Girl Scouts were rewarded for a year of hard work at the annual Awards Ceremony Thursday in Laird Park. From brownies to senior scouts, girls of all ranks and ages were recognized for their contributions to the community and the scouts with patches, umbrellas and promotion within the Girl Scouts ranks.
Beca Martin, scout master for the troop, said she was proud of the work her scouts had done over the past year and admired the way they tackled problems and learned new skills.
“There is not a single girl here that is standing among you tonight that cannot do an inventory, run a cash register or count money,” she said. “These girls work very, very hard learning all of these life skills, and I am very proud of them.”
Among those honored, two girls rose above for their volunteer work and community service. Emalee Robinson was awarded the President Volunteer Award for 50 hours of community service in 2018 and MariAnna Martin received the President award and the Gold Award for 75 hours of community service in the past year.
Over the past year, Martin said, Mark and Robinson have volunteered their time in nursing homes, took meals to shut-in residents and were directly responsible for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony held last December in downtown Union.
“These girls are the ones you’re going to find when you have an event, and they’re standing there going, ‘What can I do? What can I do,’” Martin said. “They are always there, and this year, President Trump has honored them for their service to their community.
Union Mayor Wayne Welch, who attended the ceremony to give Robinson and Mark their awards, said scouts are an important part of the community and culture of the town.
“The city appreciates you,” he said, “and if we can help you in any way, give us a buzz.”
While the Girl Scouts teaches young girls life skills and impresses upon them the value of service, the girls are not the only ones who make sacrifices for others, Martin said. Thursday’s awards ceremony was not only a time to honor the work of scouts but also the work of the mothers and fathers who volunteered with the troop as well.
After the awards were handed out, the scouts and scout families were treated cake and drinks, giving the girls an opportunity to relax and examine their awards before starting off to make the community better in 2019.
