Reaching for the Stars
The Prestige of the Girl Scout Gold Award is Universal
January 26, 2010
Ricarah Riddle's fascination with history and her
determination to honor her heritage made her choice of a Girl Scout Gold Award project easy - she would do a video documentary on Les M res et D butantes Club (LMDC) of Greater Lansing. She wanted to show how pervasive racism was in the 1960s when LMDC was founded. In those days, African-American girls were not even allowed to become d butantes. Pressured by society to guide their daughters into menial jobs, the mothers who founded LMDC created a social club that would show their girls that they could reach for the stars.
Ricarah's Girl Scout Gold Award project hours counted
toward the community service hours required for the
prestigious four-year Bonner Scholarship, which she
received as a 2008 graduate of Holt High School.
"Ricarah's work on the Gold Award project weighed heavily in awarding her the scholarship," said her mother, Regina Riddle, Lansing Membership Team Leader and Higher Education Facilitator. "The requirements, recognition and prestige of the Girl Scout Gold Award are universal."
Now, as a sophomore at Spelman College, a historically
black college in Atlanta, Georgia, Ricarah devotes 140
hours per semester to volunteer work. Bonner Scholars are also required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average and to contribute another 280 hours of volunteer work during the summer.
Ricarah's Girl Scout Gold Award project continues to
benefit her community. Her documentary is teaching
lessons about overcoming adversity, setting goals and
making a difference. As a result of Ricarah's involvement
with Girl Scouts, and under Regina's direction, 29 girls
and 27 mothers from LMDC are members of a new special interest Girl Scout troop!
"I am happy to open the door and provide an opportunity for more African-American women to become Girl Scout leaders and for older African-American girls to become Girl Scouts," said Ricarah, "because - actually - it's still cool to
be a Girl Scout!"
