PICAYUNE —
17-year-old Girl Scout member, Kristen Hooge, has been working on obtaining the highest level of Girl Scouts which is becoming a lifetime member by completing her Gold Award project through record archiving at the Crosby Arboretum.
The Gold Award is a final project that must benefit the community for years to come and must be completed before graduation from high school in order for any Girl Scout member to become a lifetime member.
Hooge says, “I have grown up in Girl Scouts; I started as a Daisy. I always knew that I wanted to go as high in the organization as I could, but I felt strongly that I wanted to do something to benefit the Arboretum as my final project. I have practically grown up there through scouts activities and 4-H Club. With that being said, I wasn’t going to do my Gold Award project because I didn’t think I could find a project to benefit the Arboretum.
“I came on the spur of the moment and walked right in and met the new Assistant Curator, Richelle Stafne. I asked her what I could do and we knew that the archiving project was perfect for my Gold Award project.”
Stafne says, “I was immediately impressed with Kristen the first day she came in and inquired about volunteer opportunities for her project. She had poise, was well spoken, could operate with minimum supervision and open to suggestions. I could tell she was responsible. After spending eight years of advising graduates and undergraduates in career and education fields, I saw all of the qualities in her that made this a winning opportunity for both of us.”
Hooge’s archive project has consisted of sorting, scanning and filing information, from the Arboretum’s history, from originals and compiled into various databases which will be used for research purposes by students, professors and community members.
“I’m really organized, so the first thing I did was take folders and divided news and journal publications into them by years,” she said.
“I really enjoyed reading through the old “Picayune Item” publications, while I was looking for articles on the Arboretum, and seeing the old fashions and trends of the past. The publications started in 1979 and went through the beginning of this year. Now they are all separated and archived accordingly. I have set up the system so that the staff can continue with preserving the history after I am gone.
“I have worked on the Quarterly Newsletter Database, the Faye Jones Archives and Arboretum site history. The best thing about the information scanned into a database is the that if there is a fire, everything will not be lost,” says Hooge.
The time spent at the Arboretum has been well spent, according to Hooge.
“Many people are money motivated and don’t even consider volunteerism worthwhile. I have loved every minute of my time here in this capacity. I feel like I am part of a family here. Everyone here is like a family member and a positive influence which is something I hope to be,” she says.
Stafne agrees, “Sometimes students don’t realize the skills that they can gain volunteering can help them with future employment and they receive a letter of reference. There are so many things that students can do whether their interest lies in business, the arts, outdoor activities, public relations or computer skills.”
Hooge plans on attending Pearl River Community College upon graduation and will spend that time deciding on her final education direction.
“I know that I will do something that I love; something that makes a difference. I envision possibly teaching in a therapeutic field,” she says.
Lifestyles
Related Photos
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Kristen Hooge sits at her research table in the Crosby Arboretum gift shop where she has been diligently sorting and archiving material about the Arboretum to aid in research efforts for her Gold Award. (Photo submitted)
Going for the Gold Award
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