Girl Scouting's motto "Be Prepared" symbolizes members' willingness to help others and to respond to emergencies. That mindset is manifested in Girl Scouting's Gold Award.

Recently, three members of Girl Scouting Troop 70539 in Lititz received the prestigious Gold Award for service projects that improved their community.

"To earn the Gold Award, a Girl Scout must first earn Bronze and Silver Awards," said Carrie Jo Matthews, who's been the volunteer leader of Troop 70539 for 12 years. "They also need to complete a Girl Scout journey prior to these special awards. Our troop completed the Bronze Award, a P.J. packing project for children at the Hershey Hospital through the Connor Holland Fund. Then they created a four-part podcast for their Silver Award that contained information for teen girls on having a healthy lifestyle. The Gold Award must be a sustainable project that benefits the environment or the people in your neighborhood."

Honored with the Gold Award were Troop 70539 members Sloan Dzurko, Rowan Dzurko and Emily Boltz. All three Girl Scouts attend Warwick High School.

With her artwork, Emily created two large planters to beautify the courtyard at Warwick High School. Sloan gathered and distributed food and personal care items at a local food bank. Rowan constructed and restored boards for a walkway on a trail at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.

The 80-hour projects included aspects of problem-solving, planning and implementation.

"The difference between these Gold Award projects was that they each chose something unique to themselves and their interests," said Matthews. "The similarity between these ladies is that they have all been involved with Girl Scouts for a long time, Rowan and Sloan for 13 years and Emily for 11. They have dedicated themselves to Girl Scouts and making the world a better place."

Many of the members of Troop 70539 have been involved with Girl Scouts since they were in kindergarten.

"They each have their own unique story," said Matthews, "and while their future plans differ, we know they will always be proud to tell others that they were a Girl Scout."

Troop 70539 is a member of Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania.

"The goal and purpose of Girl Scouting is to build skills such as leadership, outdoor survival, self-confidence and having a community impact to make the world a better place," said Matthews. "The involvement in Girl Scouts can have many positive impacts on girls of all ages. They have a strong group of friends they can rely on that may not always be part of their everyday circle. They learn to be leaders with confidence who respect themselves and others."

For additional information, go to http://www.gshpa.org.