GLEN CARBON – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois congratulates Megan Quam from Saint Jacob for becoming a Gold Award Girl Scout—a designation she earned by building a community prayer garden.
“People were praying in their cars during non-church hours, so I decided to build them a place to pray,” she said.
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First, Megan worked with her pastor to decide on the right location for the prayer garden. Then, they cleared the grass and laid a under barrier layer and border stones. Next, they added sand and brick stepping stones. They built a bench and planted day lilies. Last, they cleared an area for people to meditate. Megan then spread the word about the new garden and the power of prayer and meditation to her youth class at church.
“I want them to know that it is okay to pray even if you are scared,” she said. “If there is an issue in the world, people can come and pray.”
Gold Award Girl Scouts change the world for the better, and they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national and global challenges. Since the highest award was established in 1916, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable. While earning the Gold Award, Megan believes that she gained new skills and confidence as well.
“I think that this project taught me how to be more of a leader on the outside because I have already been a leader in my life,” she said. “I feel like I can take on anything.”
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois serves approximately 9,000 girls and engages 3,500 adult volunteers in 40.5counties in Southern Illinois. Join Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois today! Adult volunteers and girls in K-12 are welcome. Call 800-345-6858 or email customercare@gsofsi.org. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is a not-for-profit organization supported by various United Ways, businesses and individual donors throughout the region
