I was a Girl Scout (in the middle of the last century) but I'd never heard of the Gold Award until I started reading applications. I would posit that most people have heard of Eagle Scouts (a much older tradition) but have not heard of Gold Award. Furthermore, it may be awarded hundreds, if not thousands, of times per year. If you have a slot to add that, it might suggest that you didn't have many other things (more recent) to put on the application.
I know this is an old post (I just came here after searching for whether I should include my GS Gold Award on my application). However, I wanted to add my two cents here. To put it briefly, the Gold Award is a bigger deal than most people think (and arguably, harder to earn than the Eagle Scout project, as there are more hours required and more prerequisites). There is a reason why only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts earn it. It's the highest award that a Girl Scout can earn, and the purpose behind it is for the Girl Scout to successfully plan and implement a sustainable, long-term project that has measurable outcomes and a lasting impact on a community of interest or at a wider scope.
It requires various prerequisites in order to be eligible to design a project (such as earning the Silver Award in addition to completing another major project called a "Journey"). It also requires a written proposal and a rigorous review from the council's committee members in order for the project to be approved.
Seeing as most Girl Scouts earn this award when they're juniors or seniors in high school, you're expected to implement and complete this project on your own with the occasional guidance of an adult advisor associated with the topic of interest for the project. In order to earn the actual award, you have to write up a report on your project's impact, oftentimes citing specific numbers and demonstrating evidence of long-term impact. It takes a little over a year to complete the whole process of planning, implementing, and completing the project. It will take longer, probably two years, if you don't have the prerequisites. Many girls start it and end up not being able to finish, and others may not even be eligible because they did not complete the prerequisites. If I were to compare the Gold Award to an adult-world equivalent (albeit, on a smaller scale), I would compare it to developing a proposal for a public health initiative, implementing it, and writing a report on its impact to the community.
I'm glad I came across this post because this just lets me know that I have to not only describe my project and what impact it made but also contextualize it within the purpose of the award. I didn't know so few people knew about the Gold Award, which is a shame because a lot of work goes into earning it. I've always been told by others that I should include that on every resume that I write, as it's more than just your typical EC. If anyone is curious:
Gold Award (Girl Scouts of the USA) - Wikipedia
Girl Scout Gold Award
