Spring Girl Scout earns Gold Award

Girl Scout Marianne Koenig of Spring organized a holiday lunch for underprivileged children to earn a Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn.

"I learned how to identify a need in the community and then plan a program that would address those needs," Koenig said in a press release. "I chose this project because after learning about the many children in my community who are dependent on the school breakfast and lunch programs, I wanted to help."

Koenig led a team of volunteers to plan and host the event, and for four days she visited with children in an apartment complex to share lunch with them. In total, more than 30 children took part in the program.

To earn a Gold Award, Girl Scouts must show leadership skill, career planning, community involvement and personal development. The projects often require more than 100 service hours and as many as three years to complete all the award requirements.

Koenig has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and previously earned the Bronze and Silver awards. She is a graduate of Klein High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society and FFA. She will attend Texas Tech to study nursing.

For more information on the Girl Scouts, visit www.gssjc.org or call 1-800-392-4340.