Five Girl Scouts, all members of Troop 1597, sponsored by St Lukes Lutheran, and led by Kathy Webb and Cindy Webb, received their Gold Awards on May 18 at the Girl Scouts Hornets Nest Council Gold Award Ceremony in Charlotte.
Amanda Ashley Aldridge, 18. For her project, Teddy Bears for Rowan Regional, Aldridge collected 160 teddy bears and donated them to Rowan Regional Medical Center to give to pediatric and geriatric patients. She also made and donated scrapbooking scrolls for new parents.
Aldridge joined Girl Scouts as a Daisy and has been an active member for the past 13 years. She focused on community service, earning all service bars available at each age level.
She earned 10 interest project patches as well as her cadette leadership award, cadette challenge, senior challenge and senior leadership award. In 2004, she earned her Girl Scout Silver Award.
She is the daughter of Kenny Aldridge of Rockwell and Rene Aldridge of Salisbury and a senior at Jesse Carson High School, where she is a member of the Orange and Blue Spirit Club. She plans to attend Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to study technology.
Whitney Nicole Milby, 18. For her Gold project, Talent Show for Middle School Kids, Milby worked students from Sacred Heart School to put on a talent show. For admission, she collected canned food for Rowan Helping Ministries.
She has been an active member of Girl Scouts for the past 10 years. She earned all service bars available at each age level. She has earned seven interest project patches, as well as her cadette leadership award, cadette challenge, senior challenge and senior leadership award. In 2004, she earned her Girl Scout Silver Award.
Milby, the daughter of Stan and Susan Milby of Salisbury, is a senior at Salisbury High School, where she is a member of the FTA club and has been on the track and soccer teams. She will attend Belmont Abbey College to study elementary education or accounting.
Laura Christine Ridenhour, 18. For her Gold project, EMS Landscaping, Ridenhour was in charge of a landscaping project for the Rowan County Rescue Squad.
She has been an active member of Girl Scouts for the past 12 years. She has earned all service bars available at each age level. She earned seven interest project patches, as well as her cadette leadership award, cadette challenge, senior challenge and senior leadership award. In 2004, she earned her Girl Scout Silver Award.
The daughter of Rick and Kathleen Ridenhour, she is a senior at West Rowan High School, where she is vice president of the senior class, a member of the National Honor Society, Student Government Association and Math Team and will be a 2007 honor graduate. She will attend North Carolina State University to study in the medical field.
April JoAnne Webb, 18. For her Gold project, 4 Days of Fun, Webb worked with children and teenagers with special needs at a local group home. She involved the residents, as well as other Girl Scouts and people in the community in activities including cooking, games, crafts and entertainment.
Webb has been an active member of Girl Scouts for 12 years. She has spent more than 328 hours on community service, earning all service bars available at each age level. She has earned nine interest project patches, program aide pin, program aide patch, cadette leadership award, cadette challenge, senior challenge and senior leadership award. In 2004, she earned her Girl Scout Silver Award.
Webb, the daughter of Ron and Kathy Webb of Salisbury, is a senior at West Rowan High School, where she is a member of the National Honor Society, Quill and Scroll, West Rowan Crazies, Junior Civitan, JCL, Relay for Life and the track team. She is an N.C. Scholar graduate and will be a 2007 honor graduate. She will attend North Carolina State University to study elementary education.
Joanne Stephanie Webb, 18. For her Gold project, Gift Bags for Veterans, she worked with other Girl Scouts and the community to collect items and create gift bags for patients at the Veterans Home in Salisbury.
She has been an active member of Girl Scouts for the past 11 years and has earned all community service bars available at each age level. She earned seven interest project patches as well as her program aide pin, program aide patch, cadette leadership award, cadette challenge, senior challenge, and senior leadership award. In 2004, she earned her Girl Scout Silver Award.
An active member of the youth group at Woodleaf United Methodist Church, she will go on a mission trip with Carolina Cross Connections in July. She is a certified level II firefighter and a volunteer with the Woodleaf Fire Department. She was crowned Miss Flame in 2005.
The daughter of Robert and Cindy Webb of Woodleaf, she is a senior at West Rowan High School and will be a 2007 honor graduate. She attends Rowan- Cabarrus Community College and will attend Central Piedmont Community College in the fall to study emergency services.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. It symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in leadership, planning and personal development. A girl builds on her experiences in Girl Scouting to complete a Gold Award project that fulfills a need in her community, whether globally or locally.