Elizanne Hanitz Lewis (Photo contributed)

ROCKFORD - Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois recently announced the establishment of The Elizanne Gold Award Scholarship Fund. Financial support to start the fund was generously provided by the family of lifelong Girl Scout Elizanne Hanitz Lewis. At the time of her death in 2017, Elizanne was identified and recognized by Girl Scouts of the USA as the oldest living recipient of the Golden Eaglet, Girl Scouting’s highest award available from 1916 to 1939.

Now named the Girl Scout Gold Award, Girl Scouting’s highest award recognizes girls who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through remarkable Take Action projects which have sustainable impact in their local and global communities. The Gold Award encourages girls to explore many facets of leadership today’s society needs, including leadership of self, leadership by influencing peers, and leadership as mentor/coach. Gold Award projects help girls develop project management skills, solve a community need, and are designed to be sustainable.

Elizanne shared the Girl Scout’s vision that every girl can change the world. Through Girl Scouts, girls develop the independence and confidence to guide their own lives and make the world a better place. They are in the driver’s seat and encouraged to customize their own experience. And with programs focused on the outdoors, career and interest exploration, travel and the global community, and practical life skills, in addition to community service projects, every girl has the opportunity to unlock her full potential and be amazing.

Elizanne was an exemplary woman with an admirable history as a trailblazer. She became a Brownie Girl Scout in 1928, as a member of Rockford Council of Girl Scouts Brownie Pack 1. She went through all levels of Girl Scouts and completed requirements for the highest Girl Scout Award, the Golden Eaglet, the precursor to the Gold Award, in 1937. She continued as a lifelong Girl Scout, volunteering in many different adult positions, including as Rock River Valley Council President from 1968–1969, where she believed that the “mission critical” of Girl Scouting was to teach girls group decision-making skills and self-sufficiency so that they can become active citizens of the world. 

To achieve the Golden Eaglet, Elizanne needed 21 fields of skill (similar to Girl Scout badges), her extensive camping experience, proof of community service, recommendation by the national headquarters, and recommendation of the members of her troop. Her fields of skill included birdfinder, citizen, cook, craftsman, dressmaker, electrician, first aid, home nurse, journalist, and athlete among others. She received her award around a campfire at Sinnissippi Park in front of a crowd of nearly 1,500 in June of 1938. 

After a lifetime of service to others, Elizanne died at the age of 97, on May 6, 2017. It was her desire to leave a legacy to current and future Gold Award Girl Scouts for the furthering of their life ambitions. Thanks to the generosity of Elizanne and her family, an endowment has been started to provide funds to support Gold Award Girl Scouts throughout the years.

Girls who have earned a Girl Scout Gold Award will be eligible to apply for a Gold Award Scholarship. Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois is proud to provide The Elizanne Gold Award Scholarship Fund in addition to other Gold Award scholarships to help positively impact the future of these bright and magnificent young women. If you would like to donate to this fund or Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, please contact Lynn Momberger at (844) 476-4463.

Elizanne Hanitz Lewis was devoted to Girl Scouts

Elizanne Hanitz Lewis became a Brownie Girl Scout in 1928, as a member of Rockford Council of Girl Scouts Brownie Pack 1. She went through all levels of Girl Scouts and completed the requirements for the highest girl Girl Scout Award, the Golden Eaglet, the precursor to the Gold Award, in 1937. Her pin was awarded in June 1938 at a campfire court of awards in front of almost 1,500 Girl Scouts. She continued as a life-long Girl Scout, volunteering in many different adult positions, including as Rock River Valley Council President from 1968–1969, where she believed the “mission critical” of Girl Scouting was to teach girls group decision-making skills and self-sufficiency so they can become active citizens of the world. At the 100-year anniversary of the Gold Award in 2015, Elizanne was Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois’ oldest living recipient of the Golden Eaglet.

Elizanne was an intrepid and fascinating woman, devoted to her family, committed to the community, and devouring new ideas. She had a boundless curiosity and creativity, and never met a challenge she wouldn’t face head-on. Like ripples in a pond, virtually everyone who met her was impacted in a positive and memorable way, as she inspired people to the greater good, more learning, and led by example. Her favorite mantra was “when two minds meet, an idea is born”, and she was fascinated by the development of the brain. With children (and adults), it was always “that’s a good question; let’s go look it up.” In the 1950s, she theorized a geometric progression of major developments in the history of the earth, researched the matter, and painted a visual history in progressive timelines (on the living room curtains). She also believed deeply in the freedom of thought of the Unitarian Church, and the power of the vote as promoted by the League of Women Voters. She and her husband Walt Lewis lived in Europe 1969–1974, and she travelled extensively into her late 80s, thoroughly enjoying the exploration of new places, cultures, archaeology, and anthropology. She was an accomplished welder of art, seamstress, gardener, wine-maker, and adventurous cook. Having lived virtually her entire life alongside the Rock River, she shared her memories with the Rock River Homeowners Association in a column “Musings of a River Rat”. Elizanne and Walt exemplified the Greatest Generation.

Elizanne Hanitz Lewis was born on March 28, 1920, in East Moline, Illinois, to Theresia Zack Hanitz and Hans TR Hanitz. 

(Her parents had formerly lived in Rockford but were forced to leave by anti-German sentiment during World War I. Although born in Nebraska, Theresia lost her US citizenship when she married Hans, who was a German immigrant and had not yet completed his naturalization. Hans was a very accomplished engineer. Theresia was a teacher and career woman, the business manager for the Rockford paper. She ran for the Rockford school board before women could vote. After marriage and children, among other volunteer activities, she was a long-time Treasurer of the Girl Scout Council, and after the successful project to build the Troop House at Camp Medill McCormick, Theresia wrote the poem memorialized on the brass plaque at the entrance.)

The Hanitz family moved back to Rockford in 1925, and soon after built the family home on the river in Loves Park. Elizanne and her sister, Rhoda, played house, rowed boats on the river, played Tarzan in the trees, picked strawberries, and took dancing and piano lessons.

In 1928, Elizanne joined Girl Scout Brownie Pack 1, the first troop in Rockford. Elizanne and her sister took the street car from Loves Park to downtown Rockford for their meetings.

Elizanne later wrote “Girl Scouting meant a lot to me. I poured over the Girl Scout handbook and worked hard to earn new badges. The first badge I earned was the Citizenship badge, then swimming, and some of the nature badges in which we had to keep lists of fifty birds or ten animal or plants we saw and could recognize. Camp gave me the chance to earn a pioneer badge, first aid, etc.”

Elizanne completed the requirements for the Golden Eaglet before graduating from high school in 1937, but it was not awarded until the following summer when she came home from college. There was a court of awards around a campfire at Sinnissippi Park in front of 1,487 scouts in June 1938.

As a student at the University of Illinois, Elizanne was part of a group organizing college age Girl Scouts and was a camp counselor during her summers. 

After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1942, Elizanne came home and went to work in Employee Relations at WF & John Barnes in Rockford. Elizanne married H. Walter Lewis in 1943.

In 1945, Elizanne was co-leader of a Wing Scout troop at Harlem High School, whose troop members completed aviation ground school and worked at Machesney Airport.

After Walt returned from serving in the US military during World War II, Elizanne and Walt chose to build their family home on the river just north of Rockford. They had three children who they raised in Rockford. In 1969, Elizanne and Walt moved to England with Walt’s position with Ingersoll, and then in 1972 they moved to Germany, but in 1974, they chose to return to their home and friends in Rockford.

Elizanne and Walt believed strongly you have to contribute if you want to live in a good community, and both were active volunteers. Elizanne was a Cub Scout leader when her sons were young, and a Girl Scout leader for some of her daughter’s troops, then on the policy development committee of the Girl Scout Council, before becoming Vice President and President of the Council. While in Europe, she taught English and mentored immigrants. She was President of the League of Women Voters a few times, including during the battle to get the public hearings over the Byron nuclear plants to be held in Rockford or Byron instead of in Washington. She became Chair of the City-County Planning Commission in the 1970s, supporting thoughtful development in the area, and bringing some of the advanced planning processes of the Girl Scouts to the Plan Commission. 

Elizanne died at the age of 97, on May 6, 2017.