Mahwah June 15, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 17 Ceremony recognizes Girl Scout Silver Award recipients benefit from it. “It’s important for our community to see what fabulous things girls in Girl Scouting are doing these days. We watch these people turn from little girls into confident, capable young women,” Steinberg said. Bonnie VanHeest, senior troop leader for Troop 1307 for the past 10 years, told the audience that three of the girls at the ceremony have been in her troop since they were Daisies. “I have seen them grow from cute, innocent little Daisies into mature Senior Girl Scouts. I have enjoyed helping the girls earn their petals for Daisy Scouts, their badges for Brownies, their Bronze Award for Juniors, and Silver Award for Seniors,” VanHeest said. “I have had fun celebrating Juliette Low’s birthday, marching in parades, and going on hayrides at Secor Farms with the girls. “I am extremely proud of what the girls have accomplished. When I first saw the overrun gardens, I was a little worried that the job was a little too adventurous, but I soon realized that they were determined and would not let weeds taller than them get in their way. Once the girls started working on the garden, they would not stop. Rain (continued on page 20) Girl Scout Silver Award recipients. Front row: Laura Rann, Elena Mulligan, Ariel Murphy, Emily Galow, and Julia Bauer. Back row: Stacie VanHeest, Alexandra Bueno, Sara Strauch, Olivia Bell, Kaajal Sagar, and Annika Patel. by Frank J. McMahon A Girl Scout Silver Award ceremony was held recently at the Mahwah Senior Center to honor 11 girls from Troops 903 and 1307. It was the first town-wide Silver Award ceremony in at least four years, according to Vicki Galow, a mother of one of the award winners. About 80 people were in attendance, and Mayor John DaPuzzo and township council members Lisa DiGiulio, Sam Alderisio, John Spiech, and John Roth presented proclamations to the girls. Assistant Principal Linda Bohny spoke highly of the girls and, having had experi- ence with Girl Scouts and the Silver and Gold awards in the past, she was very complimentary, highlighting that the girls are all honor students, and are all involved in a wide range of extracurricular activities, such as music and sports. The 11 girls completed three independent projects and one group project. They presented their projects at the ceremony, followed by comments from their adult advisors. Susan Steinberg, the senior troop leader for Troop 903, said it is important to recognize the achievements of the girls and to inspire younger girls to see what they can do so they stay in the program and get some