GOOD AS GOLD: Collins and Green Achieve Scouting's Highest Award

A pair of Saline High School graduates who spent much of their youth learning about responsibility and community service received prestigious recognition Thursday night at Liberty School.

Allison Collins and Alexis (Lexi) Green received the Girls Scouts Gold Award at a ceremony attended by family, friends and people who helped the girls with important community projects.

The Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting, recognizing the “outstanding achievement of extraordinary girls.” Started in 1916 and known then as the Golden Eaglet, it was awarded to the “best and brightest” who improved themselves, their communities and the world said Gold Award advisor Kathy Van Buren.

Green, daughter of Patricia and Jeffrey Green, built a raised garden at Evangelical Homes.  She coordinated the project, soliciting donations from Chelsea Lumber and deals from Natures Garden Center. Knowing nothing about gardening, she employed the expertise of members of the Stone and Thistle Garden Club. She also consulted with Ypsilanti-based Growing Hope to learn more building planters that area accessible to people in wheel chairs.

“It was a big learning experience. I didn’t know anything about gardening and construction.  I didn’t know how to run a meeting or organize a project like this,” said Green, who will study at the University of Michigan’s nursing school next year. “The Stone and Thistle Club and the Evangelical Homes don’t have anything in common, so it was my job to connect things together and accomplish one goal together.”

Green said she was proud of her project and the resulting Gold Award.

“I feel very accomplished. This is the highest award in Girl Scouts,” said Green, who has been in Girl Scouts for 13 years.

Collins, daughter Judy and Michael Collins, worked with Saline Area Schools, Fire Chief and School Board Trustee Craig Hoeft, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War to collect more than $3,400 that will be used to purchase new flags for every classroom in the school district. Collins, like Green, has been a member of the Mackinac Honor Guard, an elite rotation of troops responsible for raising and lowering the flags on Mackinac Island. While serving the troop, she developed a passion for the flag. As well as raising money, she’s spent the year speaking about the flag at public meetings and civic events. About the same time Collins began thinking of Gold Award projects, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation that required public schools to give all students the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each day. But the state did not provide funding to purchase flags. That’s where Collins stepped in. Collins said the support she received was an eye-opener.

“I was really amazed at how willing everyone was to help, whether it was Lisa Rentschler helping to raise money with a scrapbooking day, or the VFW and American Legion, or my parents and the who Girl Scout community,” Collins said. “Everyone was very welcoming and helpful.”

Like Green, Collins was proud of achieving Gold Award status.

“I feel like everything I’ve done in scouting has led up to this. It’s a great finish for my 12 years in scouting,” said Collins, who will study engineering at the University of Michigan next year. “It feels good going off to college knowing I’ve done everything there is to do (in Scouting).”

School Board Trustee Craig Hoeft worked with Collins. He said he liked the idea the first time Collins talked to him about the project.

“I’m patriotic, so I thought this was pretty cool,” Hoeft said. “But I was even more impressed with the handle she had on this.”

Hoeft said Collins did a great job networking with a community that was glad to assist with a worthy project.

Over the years Kathy Van Buren has advised many girls trying to attain the Gold Award. She said Girl Scouts from Saline have a distinct advantage.

“I work in a lot of communities with girls getting their Gold Awards. Not all girls have the support of their community like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts get in Saline, from the schools and the firefighters and the community,” Van Buren said.

That said, Van Buren said, Green and Collins were very deserving of their award.

“These girls made it very easy for me (as advisor) because they were dedicated to their project,” Van Buren said.

Van Buren said Collins and Green will benefit from their award for the rest of their lives.

“Along with the Eagle Scout ranking, it’s the only youth award that can used on a resume all your life,” Van Buren said.

American Legion Post Commander Tim Driscoll attended the event. He was an early supporter of Collins’ flag project and said he was impressed with both Girl Scouts.

“These are important projects. Collins’ project touches the heart of a lot of people, including veterans. And it was so great to see the smiles of people gardening at Evangelical Homes,” Driscoll said. “Young women like these are a source of pride for the entire community. These are just very good, very wholesome projects that I’m thankful to have in Saline.”

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