For the week of August 14 - 20, 2002

Local scouts presented highest Girl Scout award

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By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

Akin to the Boy Scouts’ top award, the Eagle Scout, the Girl Scouts give out a Gold Award. It had never been awarded in Blaine County until last Wednesday night when two Wood River High School alumni (2002), Molly Keenan and Gariety Pruitt, earned it.

Honoring two dedicated Girl Scouts by awarding them the Gold Award are, from left to right, Midge Fischer, the Twin Falls area Girl Scout coordinator; Molly Keenan, Collett Pruitt, Gariety Pruitt and Willa McGlaughlin, the Ketchum Girl Scout director. Express Photo by Dana DuGan

Girl Scouts continuously since first grade—Keenan’s troop disbanded for a short period—they currently are a two-member troop. Both of them completed all the requirements for this top award.

Midge Fisher, the Twin Falls area Girl Scout coordinator, presented the awards at a ceremony in the Forest Service Park in Ketchum, which was followed by a reception with family and friends. The ceremony also marked their official bridge to Adult Girl Scout. They are now lifelong Girl Scout members, can lead troops, and be members of a Service Unit and the National Girl Scout Council.

To win the award the girls needed to earn four Cadette and Senior Interest Project Awards, the Career Exploration Pin, the Senior Leadership Award, the Challenge Pin, and perform at least 50 hours of work on their project.

Keenan and Gariety worked well over 150 hours each on their Bone Marrow Drive Project held recently in conjunction with St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center. Out of the 38 people that came for the drive, they were able to register 33. The other five were rejected due to age or medical issues.

"We like that the registry is international," said Pruitt. "Some little kid in Asia with leukemia could use our bone marrow."

Keenan concurred. "It expanded us beyond this community."

When coming up with a project idea they considered everything from "baby-sitting for needy mothers to building things," Keenan said.

"The thing about this project that stood out in our minds was that the 18- to 20-year-olds who are now on that list will still be on it 40 years from now."

But the award is icing compared to what they learned and were able to accomplish in their Scouting careers, said Pruitt. She is leaving for Santa Clara University in four weeks, where she plans to major in psychology or political science.

"Being a Girl Scout means being a part of something and committed to something," she said. "It teaches leadership and self esteem and keeps you out of trouble. Being a part of that helped me."

Keenan is going to the University of Portland, where her declared major is International Business. "All the positive values you recognize later one. When you’re young you sell cookies and make doilies. When you’re older and it benefits others, you realize how important it is."

Among the many activities these tireless young women were involved in—other than scouting—during the school year were band, drama, church activities and Young Life. Keenan starred in the spring production of "South Pacific" and is a member of the national Honor Society. She graduated seventh in her class with a 3.9 grade point average. Currently, she works as the assistant stage manager for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony.

Pruitt was a cheerleader, played in the WRHS band and jazz band, participated in the Future Community Career Leader program, and was in the Laughing Stock Theatre Company production of "Sound of Music." She works full time at Perry’s Restaurant in Ketchum.

 

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