Several area Girl Scouts are seeing a longtime dream come true today as participants in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.
The young women have all received their Gold Award, the organization’s highest in honor, qualifying them for the Tournament Troop, which carries the banners announcing the award-winning floats in the parade. Boy Scouts who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout are also members.
Participating in the Rose Parade provides Girl Scouts with an opportunity to showcase the importance of community service, said Mary Broomfield, marketing manager for Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles.
“It is an honor afforded to girls who have earned the Gold Award, through accomplishments in leadership, career exploration and a large-scale service project — the core of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience,” she said.
Becoming a member of the Tournament Troop has been a major motivation for Michelle M. Longtain to remain in Troop 735, whose members hail from Glendale and Burbank. The 17-year-old Glendale resident is a senior at Providence High School in Burbank, and she started her path in Girl Scouts as a Brownie in first grade.