Madison Finein Earns Prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award
Madison Finein, a junior at St. Michaels High School and a Senior Girl Scout with the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest and most prestigious achievement in Girl Scouting.
An avid cat lover, Madison has two cats of her own—a tabby named Green and a sphynx named Circé. Her love for cats led her to wonder how the community could better support feral cats and help them not only survive, but thrive while living outdoors.
Working with Project Mentor Terri Mullikin of Rock Hall, Project Advisor and Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator Dr. Karen Myers of Salisbury, and Talbot Humane Shelter Services Coordinator Laura Koeneman of Easton, Madison developed a project focused on educating the community about feral cats and ways residents can help improve their quality of life.
One part of Madison’s project involved showing community members how to build inexpensive outdoor shelters for feral cats for less than $20. She constructed a sample shelter and participated in Talbot Humane’s PAWS to Read event at the Easton Farmers Market, where she spoke with community members about helping feral cats adjust to the challenges of outdoor living.
Her outreach also provided information about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and spay/neuter programs, as well as opportunities for suitable feral cats to be placed on farms or larger properties where they can live safely.
Madison spent the summer fundraising throughout the community and raised enough money to construct four multi-cat shelters, which she placed at four feral cat colonies throughout Talbot County.
Madison has been involved with the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay since her first year as a Daisy, beginning in kindergarten at age five, under the leadership of Victoria Milhollan of Cordova.
Her years in Girl Scouting includes receiving her Bronze Award in her Girl Scouts Cadette year for helping plant a pollinator bee garden at Nave Park in Cambridge and her Silver Award in her Girl Scouts Junior year for building a Little Free Library at St. Mark’s Preschool in Easton.
The Gold Award represents the highest achievement within Girl Scouts of the USA , earned by Senior Girl Scouts. Nationwide, only about five percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, the organization highest achievement.
Madison is the daughter of Danny and Stephanie Finein of Easton, sister of Connor and Caleb, and granddaughter of Lawrence and Gail Lewis of Easton.
Through her Gold Award project, Madison combined her love of animals with community service, creating a project that will continue helping both feral cats and the people who care for them throughout Talbot County.