Girl Scouts of Suffolk County honor 59 Gold Award recipients
Fifty-nine Suffolk Girl Scouts logged more than 4,700 hours on Gold Award projects, four more recipients than last year.
Girl Scouts of Suffolk County recognized 59 members with its Gold Award this year, the organization’s highest honor, after the class collectively spent more than 4,700 hours on projects designed to create lasting change in local communities.
The annual Gold Award Dinner & Ceremony was held at Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown. Check-in began at 5:30 p.m., group photos were set for 6 p.m., and the program began at 6:30 p.m. Gold Award Girl Scouts attended free of charge, while guest tickets were listed at $75. RSVPs were due by May 15.
The 2025-2026 Gold Award yearbook identified the class as 59 Gold Award Girl Scouts in the Class of 2026. It said each scout spent at least 80 hours planning and carrying out a sustainable Take Action project, and together the recipients put in more than 4,700 hours. The yearbook also said 99% of Gold Award Girl Scouts hold leadership roles in school, careers or volunteer work, underscoring how the award is tied not just to a single project but to a broader record of leadership.
To earn the Gold Award, girls in grades 9 through 12 identify a community issue, build a team and lead a project intended to make a lasting impact. Girl Scouts of Suffolk County describes the award as the highest honor in Girl Scouting, reserved for Seniors and Ambassadors who complete work meant to improve their communities in a measurable way.
The 2026 class was larger than the one honored in 2025, when 55 Girl Scouts received the award, an increase of four recipients. That growth points to a stronger pipeline of older scouts taking on substantial leadership roles across Suffolk County.
Girl Scouts of Suffolk County has said it has been committed to building girls of courage, confidence and character since 1968. The council now serves more than 15,000 members, making it one of the largest youth-serving organizations in Suffolk County.
Council president and CEO Tammy Severino and board chair Donna Smeland signed the yearbook message thanking mentors, volunteers and families for supporting the recipients. Their note reflected the scale of the program as much as the ceremony itself: dozens of girls, thousands of hours and a local network built around projects intended to leave a mark well beyond the award night in Smithtown.
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