Two Cranston Girl Scouts Earn Gold Awards

Two Cranston girls are being bestowed with the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting — the Gold Award.

Rebecca Fruggiero and Amanda Way will be awarded their Gold Awards on Saturday at a ceremony at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet in Cranston.

Both girls will be recognized for their remarkable achievement, which comes only after committing hours of hard work and determination — along with reaping the rewards of scouting and the scouting community.

The girls also had to demonstrate their commitment to the broader community in which they live. To accomplish that, Fruggiero made improvements to an outdoor play area at The Women's Center of Rhode Island by painting sidewalk games and a map of the United States.

In addition, she created and donated a book containing educational games, puzzles and states and capitals to go along with the map, providing children who are touched by the work at the center with an educational and recreational opportunity.

Fruggiero became a Girl Scout 13 years ago and is a member of Troop 106. She is a senior at Cranston High School West and will be attending Johnson and Wales University in the fall.

Way volunteered at Miriam Hospital and noticed that there needed to be different sorts of things for people to do while waiting or visiting the hospital. She created activities and items and found materials to get the job done. 

Way has been a Girl Scout for 14 years and is a member of Troop 28 and is currently a freshman at Brown University.

"Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award designation is truly a remarkable achievement, and these young women exemplify leadership in all its forms," said Neil Stamps, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Rhode Island. "They saw a need in their communities and around the world and took action. Their extraordinary dedication, perseverance, and leadership is making the world a better place."

Of the thousands of girls who join Girl Scouts at one time or another, only about 5 or 6 percent ever earn a Gold Award each year. 

To accomplish the remarkable feat, the success of a major project is pivotal. Girls must spend at least 80 hours assembling a plan, finding resources and getting people from the community on board to make it happen.

When it comes to Girl Scouts, it truly takes a leader to earn gold.