Girl Scout troop and volunteers honored at Spirit of NH Awards

October 28, 2025

CONCORD, NH – An Amherst Girl Scout troop, a Gold Award Girl Scout, a veteran Girl Scout volunteer, and a dedicated Girl Scout leader have all been recognized by Volunteer NH with their Spirit of NH Awards.

Amherst Girl Scout Troop 60162, Gold Award Girl Scout Katherine Thorner of Manchester, Christine Haswell of Derry, and Corinne George of Lee were honored Monday, Oct. 27, at a ceremony held at the Capitol Center for the Arts.

The Spirit of NH Awards is an annual recognition ceremony that celebrates and honors the remarkable achievements of individuals, organizations, and businesses who have made a significant impact in our community through volunteerism. It's a night filled with inspiration, gratitude, and recognition for those who have gone above and beyond to make New Hampshire a better place.

Troop 60162, led by Tabatha Moriarty, earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their work to map Revolutionary War heroes in town and create a database that contains brief biographies of those interred in local cemeteries.

“I was so proud to watch the girls grow through their Bronze Award project,” said Moriarty. “At first, some weren’t sure about it; history didn’t sound very exciting. However, they soon discovered that history can actually be quite fascinating. Now they drive around town noticing street names and realize they are named after the patriots they researched, and they get excited to share what they know. … What I love most is seeing their faces light up when people show interest in what they created. They’ve learned to lean on each other, push through challenges, and see that their work really makes a difference.”

Gold Award Girl Scout Katherine Thorner addressed the mental health of high school students by creating the Central Crochet Club, where students learned to crochet and provide hats, scarves, mittens, and blankets for the Central High School Coat Closet to be donated to those in need. In the meetings, participants were encouraged to share feelings and use the time to decrease stress. The club was created to continue after Thorner left to begin her college education.

“Putting my crochet club idea into action and seeing the impact it had on so many students was truly inspiring and fulfilling,” she said. I loved working with everyone; whether in my school community, my city community, or my Girl Scout community, everyone was so supportive and I couldn’t have done it without their help and patience through this process. Being a Girl Scout for 12 years has been one of the greatest experiences for me. It was so rewarding to see all my years of cookie selling, camp, and patches lead up to a project that had such a positive impact on my community. I truly believe that all younger Girl Scouts should stick with it so they have something impactful to show for their time spent dedicated to Scouting. If I had to do it over again, I would not do it any other way!”

Christine Haswell has been a Girl Scout volunteer for over 50 years in the Derry area. She has been a troop leader, a troop product sales coordinator, and has trained other Girl Scout volunteers in a wide range of skills, including campfire cooking, whittling, orienteering, knot-tying, fire-building, ceremony, and etiquette. She has run badge workshops, adult trainings at the annual Farnsworth Weekend adult gathering, and runs activities for girls at a Manchester Girl Scout camporee. She has also volunteered at South Range Elementary School in Derry for decades after retiring from a nursing career and has sung with the Manchester Choral Society for over 30 years.

“I have volunteered between one hour a week to five full days a week during the past 55 years,” said Haswell. “But my Girl Scout volunteering, as troop leader from 1970 to 2024 was so rewarding. Being a trainer (facilitator in current terms) has also been something I've never been tempted to give up. Every adventure has been exciting and an opportunity to learn something new.”

Corinne George has led Girl Scout Troop 10019 in Lee for 13 years while also leading the Circle of Friends, a group of 15 Girl Scout troops in the Durham area. This spring, all eight members of her troop graduated from high school and bridged to adult Girl Scout status. Her Girl Scouts are outstanding students who have provided community service, traveled, camped, and become young women who have made the world a better place.

“Volunteering for Girl Scouts has been one of the most rewarding journeys I have ever been on,” she said. “I truly feel privileged to watch young girls grow and discover their strengths, their voices, and their dreams, as I have discovered more of my own! It has been full of laughter, learning, and magic, watching these girls become confident young women. It has created memories that will last a lifetime.”

^{We Are Girl Scouts}

^{Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.}

^{Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.}