8-17-2026 9:37pm

Josie Freudiger Receives Girl Scout Gold Award and Special Recognition

Beth Callahan Editor

Story and photos courtesy of Ida Miller

BLANCHESTER OH — Josie Freudiger of Blanchester Girl Scout Troop #45988 has earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve.Josie’s Gold Award project focused on flag etiquette, proper flag retirement, and community service.

She taught younger Girl Scouts about the importance of respecting and properly caring for the American flag, gathered local flags in need of proper retirement, and worked to build community awareness and support for a permanent flag retirement collection site.

Through her dedication and hard work, Josie helped secure a beautiful outdoor flag retirement drop box for the Blanchester community. The box is located at the Blanchester Municipal Building near the American flags. The American Legion and the Mayor will have access to the box with keys so that collected flags can be properly handled and retired with the respect they deserve.

Josie was also honored Saturday evening at Blanchester Grace Methodist Church for an especially rare achievement in Girl Scouting: completing the “trifecta” of Girl Scouting’s three highest awards — Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

During her 12 years as a Girl Scout, Josie earned all three awards under the leadership of Ida Miller and Stephanie Elaine Miller. It is believed that fewer than 1% of Girl Scouts achieve all three highest awards, placing Josie among an exceptional group of Girl Scouts whose accomplishments demonstrate extraordinary dedication, leadership, service, and commitment to making the world a better place.

Blanchester Girl Scout Leader Lori Ponder was Josie's advisor for Gold. Earning the Gold Award alone is a tremendous accomplishment. Completing the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards makes Josie’s Girl Scout journey even more remarkable. Her years of service reflect not only what she has accomplished, but also the lasting impact she has made on younger Girl Scouts and her community.

Josie is the fourth Girl Scout to earn the prestigious Gold Award in Blanchester and the second to earn the Trifecta in Blanchester.

Josie is a 2026 graduate of Blanchester High School and Laurel Oaks Career Center. She will continue her education at UC.

She is the daughter of Joe and Jana Freudiger.

Congratulations, Josie, on this outstanding achievement and on leaving a legacy of service, leadership, patriotism, and Girl Scout spirit in the Blanchester community!