Two local Girl Scouts have earned the most prestigious award the organization has to offer, their work helping improve their community.
Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee recently congratulated Neely Evans and Hailey Rowland for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award which is the Girl Scouts’ highest award since 1980.

Neely Evans conducted her project at Edgar Evins State Park after finding it was in need of a home for birds of prey in the park’s educational programming facility. Evans researched, planned and built an entire outdoor aviary to house two birds of prey. She even included a storage area for food and equipment. Rangers at the park will feed and care for the birds while park maintenance workers will provide upkeep for the facility.

Meanwhile, Rowland’s Gold Award project helped make children and families feel safe and comfortable at Families in Crisis, a home away from home for victims of domestic violence and their children. By creating a mural of a farm scene transitioning from day to night, Rowland evokes imagery of the theme that every day is a new beginning. The mural will be maintained and preserved by the art club at Rowland’s school.

By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, Evans and Rowland have become community leaders. Their accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set them apart.

“Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award is truly a remarkable achievement, and these young women exemplify leadership in all its forms,” said Agenia Clark, president and CEO of Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. “They saw a need in their community and around the world and took action. Their extraordinary dedication, perseverance and leadership are making a difference in their community. Gold Award Girl Scouts are making the world a better place. These young women are inspiring leaders whose Gold Award projects are making waves in the areas of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), education, agriculture, medicine and more on a local, national and global level.”

Evans and Rowland will receive their award at the 2018 Salute to Outstanding Leadership Awards ceremony on Sunday, April 29 at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena.