Gold Award Spotlight: Merry Melodies

Girl Scout Ambassador Mary Elysse from Moyock has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouting. For her project, Mary Elysse developed a program to bring weekly live music performances to the Currituck House, a senior living facility in Moyock. Mary Elysse used her talents for singing and playing ukulele and guitar to entertain the residents at the Currituck House. She also invited guests, including the female quartet from her church, to perform along with her once in a while. During each performance, Mary Elysse engaged the residents in a variety of songs, ranging from hymns to show tunes.

“I have always loved music and my grandfather was my first music teacher,” Mary Elysse said. “He was a resident of the Currituck House during the last summer of his life and he always said he wished there was live music to enjoy, so I decided to do my Gold Award project in his memory.”

Her favorite part of the project was having the opportunity to get to know some of the residents at the Currituck House. She got to learn about their fascinating lives and saw firsthand how music reaches people in a way that words cannot.

After nearly a year of running the live music program, Mary Elysse shared her project with her fellow members of the chorus at Currituck County High School and the students are going to help continue the project after Mary Elysse graduates.

The Gold Award requires girls to identify an issue in their community and carry out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work. Nationwide, less than 6 percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, which adds Mary Elysse to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.