Adult Awards | Girl Scouts

We appreciate our volunteers and believe they deserve to be recognized for their contributions!

Adult volunteers make Girl Scouting happen! Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, girls are standing up, standing out, and standing tall in all aspects of their lives.

Each year, we recognize adult volunteers for exemplary service and for going above and beyond expectations to support the Girl Scout Mission. We are proud to offer awards for all levels of service with three tiers of Adult Awards: District, Council, and GSUSA.

Adult Achievement Award recipients are invited to receive their award at the Honoring Excellence council recognition event in June.

Nomination Checklist toggle arrow

Thank you for nominating a volunteer! Use the checklist below to nominate a volunteer for an Adult Achievement Award.

1. Review the adult achievement awards and determine the most appropriate award for your candidate.

2. Review the award description and requirements.

3. Review the nomination form and gather information needed. If desired, use the Nomination Worksheet (DOCX) to prepare your nomination.

4. If you are nominating for a District Award, fill out and submit the Nomination Form. Your nomination is complete!

5. If you are nominating for a Council or GSUSA Award, arrange for endorsements. It is the responsibility of the nominator to ensure all endorsements are submitted by the deadline.

Determine number of endorsements required.
Individuals other than the nominator must submit endorsements.
The endorsers should be familiar with the candidate’s work in Girl Scouts and provide additional information to support your nomination.
Decide who could provide endorsements for the candidate. This can be girls, fellow volunteers, parents, or council staff members.
Request their assistance and be sure to send details including:
• Name of the Candidate
• Name of the Award
• Brief explanation of why you chose the candidate
• Link to the award information on website and Endorsement Form
• Deadline for submission, February 1

6. Once you have arranged for endorsements, fill out and submit the Nomination Form.

Years of Service Pins

To thank our volunteers for their dedication we are pleased to provide Volunteer Years of Service Pins to those who have been serving for 5 or more years.

Due to changing registrations systems, we are unable to look up the number of membership years at the GSUSA or Council level. If you have been a volunteer for 5 or more years you can now request your pin and we will mail it directly to you.

Calculating your Volunteer Years of Service toggle arrow

To calculate your Volunteer Years of Service:

Pins are available in 5-year increments from 5-40 years and every 10-year increments from 40-60 years.
Include the current membership year. The Girl Scout membership year is October 1 - September 30.
Include all years actively serving as an adult Girl Scout volunteer.
Years do not need to be consecutive or with the same troop or council.
Do not include years as a girl member or any lapsed years between volunteering.
Years of service should be reported on your honor.

District Awards

District Awards honor the work of volunteers at the local level. Whether it be indirect or direct, this category looks to those volunteers who are making the world a better place starting at home.

Nomination Requirements toggle arrow

Requirements include:

Nomination Form

Rising Star toggle arrow

Recognizes a volunteer who has fully embraced their first year in a new role in Girl Scouts with energy and passion and has performed outstanding work in their first year.

This could be a seasoned troop co-leader, treasurer, helper, fall product program coordinator, cookie coordinator, or a service unit volunteer.

Leading the Way toggle arrow

Recognizes a volunteer whose outstanding service is inspiring to those around them and is an example of an ideal Girl Scout volunteer.

This could be a seasoned troop co-leader, treasurer, helper, fall product program coordinator, cookie coordinator, or a service unit volunteer.

Man Enough to be a Girl Scout toggle arrow

Recognizes dads or other male figures who have provided outstanding service to Girl Scouts.

This could be a seasoned troop co-leader, treasurer, helper, fall product program coordinator, cookie coordinator, or a service unit volunteer.

Unsung Hero toggle arrow

Recognizes a volunteer who provides excellent service in a supporting role whose efforts often go unnoticed.

This could be an outstanding troop treasurer, helper, or service unit volunteer mentor, helper, or other volunteer role.

Trefoil

Recognizes a group in the community that has been consistently supportive of Girl Scouts.

This could be businesses or organizations that have provided meeting spaces, cookie storage or have helped further the mission in a meaningful way, locally.

Trefoil Award has a separate nomination form from the rest of the District Awards.

Trefoil Nomination Form

Council Awards

Council Awards honor volunteers who have demonstrated a higher level of service that has had an impact on the entire council. These awards are for indirect or direct volunteers and reflect a volunteer who has grown in their service to Girl Scouts.

Nomination Requirements toggle arrow

Requirements include:

Nomination Form
Two endorsements from fellow volunteers, parents, girls, or staff.

Global Voices toggle arrow

Recognizes a volunteer who has gone above and beyond to include diverse members of their community in Girl Scouting.

Heritage

Recognizes a volunteer who honors Girl Scout traditions and history while embracing the interests of girls today.

Firestarter toggle arrow

Recognizes a volunteer whose leadership and enthusiasm for Girl Scouts has ignited a flame of excellence that is passed to members of the council. This flame sustains the passion for Girls Scouts among girls, volunteers and staff, and preserves Girl Scouting for years to come.

Centennial toggle arrow

Recognizes a lifetime of achievement by a Girl Scout volunteer. This award demonstrates a volunteer who has gone above and beyond the call of duty for 20 or more years.

GSUSA Awards

The most prestigious of the three, the GSUSA awards honor volunteers who have had such a significant impact that no other award would be appropriate. The volunteers who have made significant impact throughout the council and meeting council goals are honored in this category. Each award has additional requirements. Please review the nomination form before completing.

Nomination Requirements toggle arrow

Requirements include:

Nomination Form
3 endorsements, one must be from a GSDH staff member.

Volunteer of Excellence toggle arrow

Recognizes volunteers who have contributed outstanding service while partnering directly with girls in any pathway to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) or who have contributed outstanding service in support of the council’s mission delivery to girl and adult members.

Appreciation Pin toggle arrow

Recognizes an individual’s exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE). This service, which had measurable impact on one service area, helps the council reach and surpass its mission-delivery goals for that area.

Honor Pin

Recognizes an individual’s exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE), which has had measurable impact on two or more service areas, allowing the council to reach and surpass its mission delivery goals.

Thanks Badge toggle arrow

Honors an individual whose ongoing commitment, leadership and service have had an exceptional, measurable impact on meeting mission-delivery goals and priorities of the entire council or the entire Girl Scout movement.

Thanks Badge II toggle arrow

The Thanks Badge II honors a previous Thanks Badge recipient who has continued to provide exemplary service in a leadership role, resulting in a measurable impact that benefits the entire Girl Scout Movement.

Juliette Gordon Low World Friendship Medal toggle arrow

Awarded to individuals and councils who have enriched and leveraged the global understanding of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting to grow responsible global citizens. This prestigious national award is approved by the Girl Scouts of the USA National Board of Directors.

Nomination/Interest Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the Adult Awards? toggle arrow

Any registered adult (except the Trefoil Award) is eligible to recieve an Adult Award. Most awards also require the person to be an approved volunteer with Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons.

What is a "service area"? toggle arrow

A service area refers to the areas in which a volunteer has had an impact. There are six service areas for consideration:

Community: Service that has an impact on the volunteer’s local community.
Service Unit: Service that impacts the whole of the service unit with which the volunteer is a member.
District: Service that has an impact locally. This refers to the region in which the volunteer lives or provides service. There are four districts within the Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons council.
• Southeast (Eastern South Dakota and portion of Iowa and Minnesota)
• Southwest (Western South Dakota)
• Northeast (Eastern North Dakota and Western Minnesota)
• Northwest (Western North Dakota)
Council: Service of the volunteer had an impact on the entire council, which includes all four of the districts listed above.
GSUSA: The volunteer’s actions had an impact on the Girl Scout Movement in the United States.
WAGGGS: The volunteer’s service had an impact on Girl Scouting on an international level.

What are the types of adult awards? toggle arrow

We have three levels of awards to honor our volunteers.

District Awards: Recognize outstanding service in Girl Scouting on the local level.
Council Awards: Have increased requirements and require a higher level of service and impact.
GSUSA National Awards: Highest awards that can be earned in Girl Scouting for volunteers.

Is there a hierarchy for the awards? toggle arrow

We recognize that volunteers do amazing work and should be recognized when that work occurs. A volunteer can receive any award at any time* as long as they meet the criteria outlined in the award.

*The only exception is the Thanks Badge II requires the nominee to have previously earned a Thanks Badge.

Who can nominate volunteers? toggle arrow

District Awards
Fellow volunteers, girls, parents or Girl Scout team members.

How can I nominate volunteers? toggle arrow

Before you get started, review the Adult Awards Nomination Checklist for details on nominating a volunteer.

Complete the nomination and letters of endorsement forms as if the person reading the letter does not know the individual. Ensure basic details have been included about the person (volunteer position, volunteer activities, a brief introduction, personality traits, etc.) to be considered by the committee.

Who reviews and approves nominations? toggle arrow

A Volunteer Recognition Committee made up of staff and volunteers reviews each nomination. Name of the nominee is removed to ensure complete objectivity. Some awards require final approval from the Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons Board of Directors.

When are nominations due? toggle arrow

All award nominations, letters of endorsement, and supporting materials are due by February 1. Anything received after this point will not be considered for the current year. Nominations can be submitted any time of the year via the online forms.

How is the nominee and nominator notified with the results? toggle arrow

If approved, the nominee will receive a letter in the mail in late February/ early March notifying them about their award. The nominator is notified of the results via email.

Council Finder

Adult Achievement Awards

We appreciate our volunteers and believe they deserve to be recognized for their contributions!

Years of Service Pins

Frequently Asked Questions