Dolly Parton Honored by Girl Scouts

Parton was with more than 1,000 Girl Scouts as she made the famous Girl Scout Promise and proudly received a lifetime membership pin. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be just like you," she told the Girl Scouts. But troops were not yet available in rural areas of her native Smoky Mountains. "About all we had were our dreams, and I started dreaming early," said Parton. At just 10, Parton was a regular guest on a local television variety show. At 18, she left the mountains of East Tennessee for the promise of country music stardom in Nashville.

"Plan your life and do what you do best," Parton encouraged the girls. "I'm here to tell you that you can be absolutely anything you want to be. You may not want to be a star, but you do want to star in your own dreams." Alone on a stage with her guitar, Parton sang her favorite song, "Coat of Many Colors," It tells the story of other children laughing at a coat Parton's mother had lovingly sewn from scraps of cloth and rags.

"Don't ever make fun of people," a suddenly serious Parton told the girls. "Encourage people. Remember, their little hearts are just as tender as yours." The icon then honored East Tennessee girls who have earned Girl Scouting's highest honor: the Gold Award. Girls build on years of growth and spend more than 100 hours on a community service project to reach this pinnacle of Girl Scouting. Parton gave each Gold Awardee a certificate and complimented them on the badges and patches adorning their uniforms.

Finally, Parton was presented with her own honorary Girl Scout sash full of badges and patches symbolizing many achievements, including musical accomplishments and philanthropic work. "I'll have to work awfully hard to earn all of these!" Parton said. "No," corrected the Girl Scout making the presentation, "These are achievements you've been earning all your life."