Colts Neck Girl Scouts Troop 202 Volunteers at the Spring Prom

Getting ready for the senior prom is half the fun. For the Girl Scouts of Colts Neck Troop 202 it was a special night because they added the “glitz and glimmer” to the High Point Schools’ Spring Prom on June 9th and earned their “Silver Award” in the process.

The Girl Scout Silver Award -- the highest award for girls ages 11-14 -- represents a girl's accomplishments in Girl Scouting and her community as she grows and works to improve her life and the lives of others. For Troop 202, they choose to improve the lives of adolescent students attending the High Point Adolescent School, a private special educational school in Morganville that provides educational and therapeutic services.

Five months ago, Troop 202 began planning how to raise money to make the Spring Prom, “the best prom ever.” During this time, their fundraising efforts ranged from community clean-ups, garage sales, cookie sales, and hand-made jewelry sales at area fairs.

In total, the troop raised approximately $1,200 and paid for the prom’s expenses, which included the DJ, corsages, boutonnieres, a large lighted entry star, photos & memory photo albums, and a variety of decorations. Sugarfoot DJs in Jackson helped the scouts stay within their budget by providing a discounted price for musical services.

Throughout the project, the girls gained leadership skills through their commitment to self-improvement. Early on, they had meetings to decide what they could accomplish with the money raised and started making prom decorations. Their advance planning also included decorating the Knights of Columbus facility in a blue and silver theme with handmade stars hung from the ceiling, adorning each chair with decorative toile, and hanging a special lighted star at the entrance of the hall.

The Girl Scouts returned on prom night to serve as ambassadors of good will by serving refreshments, pinning on corsages and boutonnieres, dancing with the students, handing out DJ giveaways, and finally assisting with the clean up. The girls also served as onsite photographers by creating individual photo albums for the High Point students.

“Their efforts truly made a difference in the lives of our students who have lasting memories of a fun-filled prom,” noted Barbara Strickarz, head of the High Point Schools, which is a division of CPC Behavioral Healthcare.

Troop 202 Girl Scouts at the High Point Adolescent School’s Spring Prom: (left to right) Katie Schlecter, Emily Lutkewitte, Katherine Wilk, Nicole Conniff, Julianna Grassia; middle row Taylor Loving, and Alannah Schauer; and bottom row: Alli Beaty.

6/28/2006