GSSC Gold Award Ceremony 2015

Girl Scouts of Suffolk County Gold Award Ceremony 2015 honored eighty girls that received their Gold Award in 2014-2015.

About the Girl Scout Gold Award
The Girl Scout Gold Award, Girl Scouting’s highest honor, is earned through a project that meets an expressed need in the community.

Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts are challenged to excel in the areas of leadership and service as they utilize skills learned from the Journeys to complete their Gold Award project. Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award is no simple task. It requires completion of a series of steps: identify a community need; investigate it thoroughly; request help and build a team; create a plan; present the plan; gather feedback; take action; and educate and inspire others.

In reaching out to others, these young women learn about the talents and strengths within themselves.

A Gold Award recipient becomes a community leader whose accomplishments set her apart from the rest. The organizational skills, leadership skills, and sense of community and commitment that come from “going for the gold” set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship. The list of opportunities is endless.

Gold Award Support Team
Joanna Beilman is a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient and currently leads a troop in Port Jefferson. She has served on the SU Team as Cookie Coordinator and Elementary School Liaison. Joanna joined the Gold Award Support Team to work with girls who are passionate about Girl Scouting and who want to make a difference in their community.

Michele Camilleri has volunteered as a Girl Scout Leader and on the Service Unit team in Amityville, holding positions such as Service Unit Coordinator, Nut Manager, Treasurer and Registrar. She enjoys the process of meeting and interviewing prospective Gold Award recipients and helping girls achieve their goals.

Kathy Ciano is a longtime Girl Scout, having attended a Wider Opportunity and achieved First Class as a young woman. She later volunteered as a Leader and has held Service Unit team positions such as Coordinator, Consultant, Organizer, Nuts and QSP Manager and currently serves as a Council Trainer. She loves watching the girls’ ideas come to life on the path to Gold and seeing them make a difference.

Cheryl D’Agostino was a Brownie Girl Scout, served as a Girl Scout Leader and is the proud mother of Christina D'Agostino. She has volunteered in her Service Unit as Coordinator, Treasurer and Campaign Manager. She loves that being a Gold Award Mentor allows her to watch girls take the journey toward becoming the best they can be.

Colette Galvez was a Girl Scout, is currently the Coordinator for Service Unit 46, and has been a leader for 10 years. She has served on her Service Unit Team in a variety of ways including Treasurer, Organizer, and Community Service Coordinator among others. Colette’s passion for Girl Scouting is a wonderful asset to the Gold Award Support Team and to the girls who are “going for Gold.”

Lisa Garzona was a Girl Scout from Brownies through Senior year in High School. She has been a leader since 2009, and is currently the Leader for her niece’s troop. Lisa was the Coordinator for her Service Unit from 2011-2014, and has been a Gold Award Mentor since 2014. She loves the Girl Scout organization, and is very excited to be a part of the Gold Award Support Team.

Joan Godbold has been a member of Girl Scouts since 1985, reaching Cadette level, leading her daughter’s troop and volunteering as the Older Girl Consultant in the Port Jefferson area. Joan attended the National Convention as a Council delegate in 2005 and 2008,and as a girl chaperone in 2011. Joan became a Gold Award mentor to stay involved with older girls and to encourage them to continue in Girl Scouts.

Jeannette Hernandez was a Brownie Girl Scout as a child and returned to the Girl Scout program to lead her daughter’s troop. She has volunteered as both a Delegate and Junior Consultant on the Service Unit team in Amityville and loves that being a Gold Award Mentor gives her the opportunity to help girls achieve the highest award in Girl Scouts.

Linda Knieste is a longtime Girl Scout Leader and volunteer in the Dix Hills area and proud mother of a Gold Award recipient. As a Gold Award Mentor, Linda enjoys watching the girls persevere through their projects and seeing their joy as they realize the positive impact they can have on their communities.

Doryce Polanish was a Brownie Girl Scout and Leader for her daughter’s troop for 13 years in the Commack area until her daughter received her Gold Award. Her favorite thing about being a Gold Award Mentor is seeing the pride and excitement each girl feels upon completing her project.

Pat Ramo has had a full career as a Girl Scout and received First Class. She was a Leader for 14 years, including leading a troop for girls with physical and cognitive disabilities, served as Older Girl Consultant in the Bayport, Blue Point, and Sayville areas, and as Council Trainer. Her most memorable moment as a Gold Award Mentor was the honor of reading the Girl Scout Charge at a ceremony of a girl she had advised.

Liz Sosulski was a dedicated Girl Scout Leader and has held volunteer positions in the Smithtown, St. James and Nesconset areas that include Service Unit Coordinator, Treasurer and Organizer. A Gold Award Support Team member since 2006, Liz enjoys helping girls achieve their goals and the friendships she has formed on the team.

About Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
Main article: Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
 * Largest youth-serving agency in Suffolk County
 * Serves one of every four girls in Suffolk annually
 * Membership open to all girls ages 5 through 17 (Grades K - 12)
 * Part of a larger world of Girl Scouting through membership in Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

Mission Statement
Girl Scouts of Suffolk County builds girls of courage, con dence and character who make the world a better place.

Vision Statement
For every girl to realize that there are no limitations to what she can accomplish. If she can dream it, she can do it.

Membership
The council serves more than 40,000 Girl Scouts. There are also more than 9,000 adult members, including volunteer troop leaders, administrators, consultants, board members and employed staff specialists.

Board of Directors
Stacy Pinto

Chair of the Board Vanessa Hill

1st Vice Chair

Dawn Lott

2nd Vice Chair

Warren Richmond

3rd Vice Chair

Noreen Colmer

4th Vice Chair

Nalini Durgana

Secretary

Brian Quatrale

Treasurer

Yvonne Grant

President & CEO
 * John H. Barrie III
 * Karin Caro
 * Valerie Cartright
 * Dennis Ferreri
 * Jennifer Friedman
 * Debrah Garcia
 * Pallavi Ghayalod
 * Michele Gonsalves
 * Jacqueline Gordon
 * Alan Hall
 * Scott Maskin
 * Howard Meyers
 * Maria Navarro
 * Adesuwa I. Obasohan
 * Ha z Ur Rehman
 * Brandy Scott
 * Tammy Severino
 * Bruce H. Singer
 * Donna Smeland
 * Ramon L. Villongco
 * Rick Walden
 * Ron Wood