June 17, 2005

Local Girl Scout volunteers honored at council level

Several Evergreen residents received key appreciation awards at the Girls Scouts of Santa Clara County council banquet on May 19 and at a local Evergreen Service Unit 2 appreciation night the following week.

Girl Scout volunteer award winners for 2005 include (from left) Lisa Litchfield—Outstanding Leader, Kate Tennant—25 Year Pin and Gold Key Award, Bruce Chin—Appreciation Pin, Clara Chin—Chris Arkley Pin, Jodi Wallace—Appreciation Pin, Michelle Zieler—Appreciation Pin, Jana King—Volunteer Achievement Award and Sarah Nunes—Outstanding Leader. Not pictured are Outstanding Leaders Brenda Franca-Serpa, Diane King, Arlene Piazza, and Volunteer Achievement award winners Melody Sutton and Kimi Sudo.

Chris Arkley award
The Chris Arkley award is given to the volunteer who has had a significant impact in one area of Girl Scouts. Clara Chin won this award for serving on the Evergreen service unit team for seven-and-a-half years with roles as a leader support manager, programs manager, cookie chair, nominations coordinator, large event coordinator, program level mentor and fall product chairperson.

Chin received an Appreciation Pin in the past. She’s the only Evergreen Girl Scout volunteer to ever receive the Chris Arkley award.

Volunteer Achievement Stage I
Kimi Sudo received the Stage I Volunteer Achievement award this year for her work with a new Junior Girl Scout troop. Sudo and her troop showed the new troop how meetings are run and what Junior Girl Scouting is all about.

Jana King also received this award for her work with a new Brownie troop. The troop was having difficulties forming—they couldn’t decide on a leader or how meetings should be held. King stepped in and adopted the troop. She mentored the parents and the troop recently bridged to Junior Girl Scouts.

Appreciation Pins
Appreciation Pins are given to volunteers who have made a significant impact in one area for a minimum of three years.

Bruce Chin received this award for his work as Evergreen’s cookie paperwork chairman.

He has created several forms and reports that accurately track cookie sales within the entire Evergreen service unit. Chin streamlined the cookie shop lottery process with large 3- x 4- foot tables and pre-printed labels for troops to make their selections.

Michelle Zeiler and Jodi Wallace were recognized for their popular Sew-EZ and Sew for Love programs. Zeiler created Sew EZ to teach sewing skills to girls of all ages and provide training for the leaders who teach those skills. Sew for Love was born to give back to the community. All the items created by Sew for Love are donated to various organizations, including Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, SJPD, SPCA and local domestic violence programs.

Outstanding Leaders
Outstanding leaders are defined by outstanding troop leadership qualities in the delivery of Girl Scout programs with a minimum of one year of service. These leaders have taken been through all the training courses and have active troops. Evergreen residents Brenda Franca-Serpa, Diane King, Lisa Litchfield, Sarah Nunes, Arlene Piazza and Melody Sutton received this honor.

25 Year Pin, Gold Keys
Kate Tennant earned her 25 Year Pin, as well as a Gold Key Award at the local Evergreen service unit level for outstanding service in an administrative capacity dealing with paper work. She is the service unit troop travel adviser who guides traveling leaders through all the paper work and processes to get travel approved. Tennant was recognized for her great attention to detail, saving leaders time and headaches.

Cathy Allsup was another Gold Key award winner for serving as Evergreen’s Girl Scout registrar for the past few years. She handles registration twice a year and answers questions throughout the year regarding registered girls and adults for the Evergreen Service Unit (SU2) events, fall product and cookie sales.

SU2 Outstanding Volunteers
At the local Evergreen SU2 level, Sally Duffy, Barbara Fuzere and Lisa Serrano were recognized for their outstanding service beyond the expectations of the position that benefits the service unit for a minimum of one year.

Outstanding Service to the Community
Julie Meneses earned the Outstanding Service to the Community award for her dedication to children, youth and adults in the community. Meneses not only volunteers in Girl Scouts, she has also given many volunteer hours to Five Wounds Church in the past 14 years. Some of her work includes setting up a computer system at the Catechetical office and keeping it running, directing both a Children’s Christmas Liturgy and a Good Friday Passion Play and various community outreach projects.