Four first-graders in Daisy Girl Scout Troop #4276 — Savannah Maugh, Elliott Bias, Blair Charboneau and Nora Bowersox — have gone above and beyond their regular Scouting activities and earned the Journey Summit Award Pin.
The highest award a Daisy or Brownie Girl Scout can earn, the Journey Summit Award Pin recognizes girls who have completed at least three National Leadership Journeys. Elliott, Blair and Nora each accomplished three, while Savannah finished four.
“We’re very proud of them. They definitely put in a lot of time and effort,” Assistant Troop Leader and Elliot’s mom, Amy Bias, said. “They listened very well throughout that whole process. They were able to use tools, plant their own plants. They attended different institutions to help get to this process. They did amazing.”
Though an honor in itself, this achievement was made even more special as it was the last-ever year for a Scout to earn the award — it was officially “retired” on Oct. 1.
“I felt really proud of myself,” Savannah said. “It’s big time. It’s the biggest thing a Girl Scout can get, and it just makes my heart shine. It makes my heart have a good face. It makes my heart have muscles.”
All four girls completed the Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden Journey, in which they learned about gardening, helping others and making the world a better place. The girls made their own terrariums, learned how to care for plants and made and gave away seed bombs to help grow flowers and support pollinators. Elliot shared that this was her favorite Journey.
Savannah, Elliott and Nora all participated in the Between Earth and Sky Journey. They were taught about nature, sharing their talents, understanding their feelings and taking care of the Earth. One special activity had the girls pretend to be migrating butterflies.
The 3 Cheers for Animals Journey was done by Blair and Savannah. The girls spent a morning reading to shelter dogs, puppies and kittens through the Humane Society of Eastern Missouri’s Shelter Buddy Program, then later taught others what they learned through their experience. The theme of this Journey was to understand what animals need to stay happy and healthy while discovering why it’s just as important to take care of yourself.
“We read to the dogs because that’s how they get adopted,” Blair said.
The Outdoor Daisy Journey — a favorite amongst Nora, Blair and Savannah — taught the Daisies how to explore the outdoors, get creative with nature and help care for the world around them. The girls camped at Meramec State Park, where they learned how to pitch a tent, start a fire from scratch then cook over the open fire — a highlight, as some of the cooking included making s’mores. They also went on hikes, collecting fallen materials to create nature-inspired artwork, and built and painted birdhouses to later be delivered to elderly neighbors with tips and tricks to enjoy watching and caring for local birds. According to the girls, however, the most exciting part of the trip was when raccoons got into the cooler, helping themselves to the various treats.
“They really have put in a lot of time and effort,” Troop Leader and Savannah’s mom, Kathleen Maugh, said. “Whether they know it or not, because I don’t know if they understand how big it is — it’s a big deal. They worked really hard for it and they should be very proud of themselves.”
