Recognition of Excellence
2026 Recognition of Excellence
On Saturday, April 25, 2026, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois will honor our outstanding Highest Award Girl Scouts and Adult Award recipients at our fifth annual Recognition of Excellence ceremony. Girl Scout families and supporters from throughout Southern Illinois are invited to gather at DoubleTree in Mt. Vernon to celebrate these achievements.
Thank you for your interest in attending our fifth Annual Recognition of Excellence Awards Ceremony. To stay within venue capacity, each awardee will be able to reserve a total of 3 tickets for the event. This allows for the awardee and 2 guests. If you would like to request additional tickets, please fill out this link to join the waitlist. If we are able to accommodate your request, you will be notified by Thursday, April 9.
NEW: Celebration Slides!
Celebrate your Girl Scout or Volunteer with a personalized message displayed during the Recognition of Excellence Awards Ceremony! Families, friends, and loved ones are invited to purchase a short congratulatory slide that will appear in a revolving slideshow before and after Recognition of Excellence. If purchased, a copy of the slideshow presentation will be emailed to you following the ceremony.
How it works:
- Slides will be displayed on a rotating PowerPoint presentation before and after the ceremony. They are not time-specific and will rotate randomly.
- All submissions will be formatted for consistency by council staff.
- Photos should be clear, well-lit, and appropriate.
- Proceeds help support future Girl Scout programming and events.
- If purchased, a copy of the presentation will be emailed to you following the ceremony.
Awards Presented at Recognition of Excellence
Girl Scout Highest Awards 
Girl Scout Silver Award
The Girl Scout Silver Award is
the second highest award in Girl Scouting and the highest honor a Girl
Scout Cadette can achieve. For their Silver Award, Cadettes focus on
an issue they care about, learn the facts, and take action to make a
difference. They gain the confidence and skills that will catapult
them to lifelong success.
Girl Scout Gold Award
Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been
making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around
the world. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the most prestigious award in
the world for girls to earn, and only offered by Girl Scouts,
recognizes leadership, effort, and impact that Girl Scout Seniors and
Girl Scout Ambassadors have on their communities. Only about 5 percent
of eligible girls take the rigorous path toward earning this
prestigious award, and those who complete the journey change the lives
of others and their own in amazing and significant ways.
Girl Scout Trifecta Award
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois members would like to honor girls who have truly reached for the stars and earned the Trifecta Award. The Trifecta Award recognizes Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois who have earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the Girl Scout Silver Award, and the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship Award
The Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship is awarded to Girl Scouts who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in the Girl Scout movement, in school and in their community. Along with sharing their achievements and contributions, applicants submit an essay entitled “What Girl Scouts Means to Me” along with a reference letter. Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarships are funded from proceeds from the United We Lead Gala.
Medal of Honor Award
Since 1913, the Girl Scouts of the USA have been honoring Girl Scouts for deeds that help save lives with the Medal of Honor Award. Girl Scouts are trained in health and safety, as well as to have presence of mind and be of service to others. Lifesaving Awards, however, are reserved for those Girl Scouts who have performed acts of heroism beyond the degree of maturity and training expected for their age.
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Council Adult Awards
Living Her Legacy
The Living Her Legacy award recognizes
a leader, co-leader, and/or member of the leadership team (Troop
Treasurer, Troop Product Program Manager- Fall, Troop Product Program
Manager - Cookies) that started a troop as kindergarten Daisies and
continued the same troop until the girls became graduated Ambassadors.
Sustained Service
The Sustained Service Award recognizes
a long-term Girl Scout volunteer who has continued to provide
exemplary service at the service unit level for at least 10 years.
Heart of Gold
The Heart of Gold award recognizes the
long-term impact a volunteer has had on girls and adults in his/her
community through involvement in Girl Scouting. The service of this
volunteer has been an integral part of maintaining and recruiting new
girls and/or adults in one or more areas of the council.
Girl Scouts of the USA Adult Awards
