Harding wins statewide award
The Girl Scouts of Maine Council have recognized Dina Harding, a Presque Isle Girl Scout leader and resident of Mapleton, with one of its highest awards.
GIRL SCOUT AWARD — In a timely celebration of Girl Scout Appreciation Week and GS Volunteer Appreciation Day on April 22, Dina Harding was officially recognized by the Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME) for her exemplary service at a recent Girl Scout Awards Ceremony at the Grant Memorial United Methodist Church in Presque Isle. 
Being awarded in 2012, which is also the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts, Harding is among only 40 recipients who have been honored with the same award over the past 34 years. Pictured, from left, are those who provided the nomination and endorsement letters to the Girl Scout Council’s Recognition Committee for review, before final approval by the Board of Director’s at the GSME: Suzanne Morton, Melissa Dyer, Jennifer Buzza, Harding and Roxanne Poole. Also endorsing Harding, but not present at the time of the photo, was adult Girl Scout member, Linda McKinney.
She was presented with the prestigious ‘Appreciation Pin’ award by local Girl Scout Troop 1137 Leader and nominating Girl Scout representative Roxanne Poole, during Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Week, and at their troop’s annual Girl Scout Awards and Bridging Ceremony held at the Grant Memorial United Methodist Church in Presque Isle on April 20.
With this award, Harding’s name and achievements are being chronicled in the Girl Scout archives in South Portland. She is noted as being one of three recipients for this award throughout the state of Maine this year, which is also the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting. Harding is among only 40 recipients who have been honored with the same award since 1978.
The honorary Girl Scout ‘Appreciation Pin’ is awarded to a Girl Scout volunteer or staff member who provides exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout leadership experience, and whose services have had a measurable impact on one or more geographic areas within the Council’s jurisdiction, while helping Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME) reach and surpass its mission-delivery goals for that area.
The nomination and application process was initiated by Poole, and was endorsed and supported with four written recommendation letters provided by Girl Scout Troop 1133 Leader Jennifer Buzza of Mapleton, along with two adult Girl Scout members, Melissa Dyer and Linda McKinney, both of Presque Isle, and Girl Scout parent, Suzanne Morton of Mapleton.
In lieu of having the award presented to Harding at GSME’s annual meeting in Waterville, Poole made the decision to have the award presented to her locally where family, friends, and especially all of those who endorsed Harding could easily attend and be present to witness this honorary occasion.
Harding’s earliest involvement in Girl Scouts started when she was a child, becoming a Brownie Girl Scout in the second grade, and continuing forward for seven years through the Girl Scout Cadette level in eighth grade.
Since 2009, Harding has served northern Maine Girl Scouts, their families, as well as multiple area Girl Scout troops.
At the time of receiving the award, Harding was personally responsible for both recruiting and registering 45 girls, 10 Girl Scout leaders, and for starting up four Girl Scout troops in northern Maine. She is also responsible for initiating contact with Katahdin Trust’s Marketing Department in Houlton in late 2009 to add the promotion of Girl Scouts to local area radio advertising campaigns and by suggesting to Katahdin that employees who are Girl Scout leaders be given preference to do the on-air speaking.
Among her many other contributions to Girl Scouting, Harding also led and organized numerous Girl Scout events, including: three years of an independently created ‘Operation Cookie Drop’ campaign to support U.S. military memers with donated Girl Scout Cookies via a Yelllow Ribbon Support Group; a “Bring a Friend” Girl Scout bowling recruitment night at the Elk’s Lodge in Presque Isle; two annual multi-neighborhood roller skating fun events in Caribou; a multi-troop ‘Outdoor Adventurers’ half-day program at the Malcolm Science Center in Easton; a multi-troop educational event at The Aroostook Medical Center and Crown Ambulance station; and a more recent honorary 10-year commemorative September 11th gesture for the Presque Isle police and firefighters.
She resides in Mapleton, with her loving and supporting husband, John, of almost 27 years, and their son, Colton, and their daughter, Courtney, who was a recent Brownie Girl Scout who just bridged-up to the Junior Girl Scout level at the same GS awards ceremony, and who is also a member of Harding and Poole’s Presque Isle Girl Scout Troop 1137.
The primary focus of Girl Scouts is to build courage, character and confidence in girls. For anyone interested in joining Girl Scouts, please call toll-free 1-888-922-GSME (4763) or visit www.girlscoutsofmaine.org for more information.
