Members of Girl Scout Troop 46778 from Altoona who received a Bronze Award include (from left): Gracie Husted, Joy Conrad, Adelia Ianuzzi, Jackie Robertson, Ruby Craw, Makenna Miller, Brooklyn Petrecca, Alayna Bott and Gina Cacciotti. Courtesy photo

Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania presented the members of Troop 46778 with the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest recognition for achievement in Girl Scouting for girls in grades four and five.

Members of the troop include Gracie Husted, Joy Conrad, Adelia Ianuzzi, Jackie Robertson, Ruby Craw, Makenna Miller, Brooklyn Petrecca, Alayna Bott and Gina Cacciotti. The girls all attended Holy Trinity Catholic School, Altoona, while completing the project. They are all sixth-graders at Bishop Guilfoyle High School this year.

The Bronze Award recognizes Girl Scouts who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects that address important community needs.

The Troop’s Bronze Award project began in September 2022 and was completed in November 2023.

For their Bronze Award Take Action Project, the girls of Troop 46778 initiated a comprehensive plan to enhance their school’s grotto.

This involved addressing two key aspects: adding much-needed benches and organizing an annual May Crowning ceremony.

The grotto served as a space for reflection, but it lacked seating for visitors. Recognizing this need, the girls decided to provide benches to make the space more welcoming and functional.

In addition to the benches, the girls aimed to establish a meaningful tradition within their school community. They planned and executed an annual May Crowning ceremony at the grotto, inviting classmates, family, friends and the local community to participate. Their careful planning covered every aspect of the ceremony, from selecting appropriate music and performing a special hymn dedicated to all mothers, to creating petitions, organizing readings and arranging a reception with donuts and juice for attendees.

To further enrich the event, they extended an invitation to the Altoona-Johnstown diocese to participate and film the ceremony. This not only contributed to the spiritual and community-building aspects of the project, but also allowed for the preservation and sharing of the May Crowning tradition with a wider audience.

The troop was supported in their Bronze Award effort by parents, family, friends, Bishop Guilfoyle administration and Kerr Landscaping.

The members of Troop 46778 used their strengths, talents and skills and put their plan into action to earn the Bronze Award while each taking a leadership role.