Southeast Wisconsin Girl Scouts recognized during annual Highest Awards Celebration

 

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Southeast Wisconsin Girl Scouts who've gone above and beyond are being honored for their drive. 

There were 20 Gold Award recipients in the room -- that's the highest honor a Girl Scout can get. These young ladies looked around their communities and identified a need, then devoted hours and hours of their own time to make it happen. 

"Over here we have photos from Lakeview Elementary School's first camp day," said Lily Pemble, Gold Award recipient. 

Lily Pemble went to camp for the first time and wondered about the kids she met through the Best Buddies program who didn't have accessible camps in the Muskego area where she lives. 

"So, I wanted to find an inclusive way to bring that super fun experience to students with disabilities. I created binders with arts and crafts ideas, music ideas, outdoor game ideas that are all adaptable. And then I also wanted to design wheelchair accessible tents," said Pemble.

Winners also found needs in their own communities and went with it, like Amelie Lichte who created a patch program encouraging people all over to learn about indigenous communities. 

"When I was in my senior year of high school, I started noticing a very, very large lack of knowledge about my own personal local tribal community," said Lichte. 

Lichte's earned top honors three times in her Girl Scout career, getting the bronze, then the silver and now the gold. 

"And after I earned my silver award, I knew I wanted all three. Just so many valuable skills I’ll take with me for the rest of my life," Lichte said. 

Being a part of the program has meant much to man of these young ladies, where they get started in a troop as young as age five and can stick with it for a lifetime. 

"And I think it really helped me become who I am today, because here I am talking to you. I think younger me would've been like oh my gosh, she's talking to someone she doesn't know and she's like in front of a camera," said Clare Plummer, Gold Award recipient. 

In addition to Gold Award recipients, Girl Scouts of Southeast Wisconsin also honored 110 Silver Awards and 212 Bronze Awards.