Our 2021-22 Award Recipients:
Appreciation Pin
Chrystal Biediger
Kim Haskell
Danielle Mitchell-Bender
Suzette Ramos
Sandie Rios
Beth Shovelton
Daisy Pin
SaWanna Ballou
Diane Carl
Lori Johnson Leal
Annette Perez
Irma Duran de Rodriguez
Celebrating those who celebrate our Girl Scouts
Volunteers are the foundation of our council.
We do our best to celebrate our adult volunteers all year long. Every April, we have special activities for Volunteer Appreciation Month, and in November we honor volunteers who have been nominated and selected to receive a council-level, board-approved award.
Council-Level Adult Award Nomination Forms for the 2022-23 year are due November 30 (online form). These nominations are for service(s) performed between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023. You can find these awards and their criteria below.
We also have community-level awards/certificates:
- Friends of Girl Scouting (online form)
- Volunteer of Excellence (online form)
Nominations for community-level awards can be made at any time. Click the links above to access the nomination forms.
Basic Criteria for Adult Awards 
Adult Award Checklist
Council-Level Awards
Please review these criteria thoroughly before making a nomination for a council-level award.
Appreciation Pin
Recognizes superior service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) or in support of council goals that had a measurable impact on one geographic area of service, allowing the council to reach and surpass its mission-delivery goals.
Nominee requirements:
- Meets the basic criteria for adult awards listed toward the top of the page.
- Contributed to council goals in at least one geographic area or council initiative.
Nominators must submit an Adult Award Nomination Form (online form) and include two (2) letters of recommendation by November 30.
Examples of possible nominees:
- A Community Chair whose management of a community or a geographic area has resulted in an increase in membership and/or retention over several years.
- A volunteer who has served for several years on a Community Team and has exceeded the expectations of the position.
Honor Pin
Recognizes exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) or in support of council goals that had a measurable impact on two or more geographic areas of service, allowing the council to reach and surpass its mission-delivery goals.
Nominee requirements:
- Meets the basic criteria for adult awards listed toward the top of the page.
- Contributed to council goals in at least two geographic areas and/or council initiatives.
Nominators must submit an Adult Award Nomination Form (online form) and include three (3) letters of recommendation by November 30.
Examples of possible nominees:
- A volunteer who has collaborated with a business to implement a program that assists underserved Girl Scouts.
- A volunteer who implements a day camp, series of events or activities, bringing together girls from neighboring areas.
Daisy Pin (Unique to Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas)
Recognizes exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) or in support of council goals that had a measurable impact on two or more geographic areas of service, allowing the council to reach and surpass its mission-delivery goals.
Nominee requirements:
- Meets the basic criteria for adult awards listed toward the top of the page.
- Contributed to council goals in two or more geographic areas and/or council initiatives.
Nominators must submit an Adult Award Nomination Form (online form) and include three (3) letters of recommendation by November 30.
Examples of possible nominees:
- A volunteer who effectively participates in multiple GSSWT committees, events, and meetings in various capacities.
- A day/twilight camp director whose effective management results in an increase in participation by girls and adults throughout a period of time.
Thanks Badge I
The highest adult award honor in Girl Scouts. Honors an individual whose ongoing commitment, leadership, and service has had an exceptional, measurable impact on meeting the mission-delivery goals and priorities of the entire council or Girl Scout Movement.
Nominee requirements:
- Meets the basic criteria for adult awards listed toward the top of the page.
- The outstanding service performed by the nominee resulted in outcomes that benefitted the total council or the entire Girl Scout movement.
- Served in a leadership role at the council level in the past four years.
- The service is so significantly beyond expectations that no other award is appropriate.
Nominators must submit an Adult Award Nomination Form (online form) and include four (4) letters of recommendation by November 30.
Examples of possible nominees:
- The director of a successful council-wide initiative that results in increased retention of girls and/or adults. This opportunity also results in significant, positive publicity for the council and the entire Girl Scout movement.
- A volunteer that helps establish a successful collaboration with a local business and/or youth serving agency that results in increased program opportunities for girls in all parts of the council.
- A volunteer who establishes a new or revised component for the council’s fund development initiatives that surpasses expectations and goals.
Thanks Badge II
Recognizes a previous Thanks Badge award recipient who has continued to provide exemplary service in a leadership role, resulting in a measurable impact that benefits the entire Girl Scout Movement.
Nominee requirements:
- Meets the basic criteria for adult awards listed toward the top of the page.
- The nominee has received the Thanks Badge
and has continued to provide distinguished service by:
- Continuing to perform at the same high level for an extended period of time, or increasing their sphere of influence, or using their skills and talents to move into another field that benefits the council.
- The service benefits the total council or entire Girl Scout movement.
- The service is outstanding and significantly beyond expectations that no other award is appropriate.
Nominators must submit an Adult Award Nomination Form (online form) and include four (4) letters of recommendation by November 30.
Community Partner Award (Unique to Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas)
(Certificate)
Outstanding Religious Leader Award (Unique to Girl Scouts of Southwest
Texas) (Certificate)
Community-Level Awards
Please review these criteria thoroughly before making a nomination for a community-level award.
Volunteer of Excellence
Recognizes volunteers who have performed outstanding service while they partnered directly with girls to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) or who have contributed outstanding service in support of the council’s mission delivery goals to girl and adult members.
Nominee requirements:
- Meets the basic criteria for adult awards listed toward the top of the page.
- The nominee’s performance has gone beyond expectations for the position to deliver the GSLE to girls OR for supporting the council’s mission-delivery goals in one or more of the following functional areas: Membership Development/Community Cultivation, Volunteer Experience and Support, Girl Experience, Leadership and Governance, Fund Development, and Council Support Service.
Nominators must submit a Volunteer of Excellence Award Nomination Form (online form) and can do so at any time throughout the year. No letter of recommendation is required.
Friends of Girl Scouting (Certificate)
Volunteer Spotlight
Michelle Proa-Sanchez has served as the leader of Troop 38 in Community T for nine years and joined the council 11 years ago when her daughter, Sarah, was a Girl Scout Junior. Sarah is an Ambassador now, and Michelle said she has seen tremendous growth in her and the girls in her troop. “For me, it’s the growth I’ve seen and the empowerment that the girls develop that keeps me volunteering,” Michelle said. “I’ve seen it change their lives. I always tell the girls, ‘Your hands are small but you can make a huge difference,’ and I can't wait to see how they change the world.”
Girl Scouts has given girls like Sarah confidence, Michelle said, especially when it’s time to sell Girl Scout Cookies. “That really changed her, having to speak to customers and keep track of her business. Every year, she’s gotten better and better.” Now, Sarah coaches the younger girls in the troop and shares the lessons she's learned from Michelle and others.
Michelle plans to keep volunteering after Sarah graduates high school. “Girl Scouts isn’t only for the girls; it also benefits the adults,” she said. “It keeps my heart young. It keeps me happy.”
