DALTON, Ga. — In the corner of a room, three women giggled and reminisced about their days in Girl Scout Troop 1161.

“Do you remember when we baked a cake underground in the rain?” Jana Galloway of Acworth asked Charlene Rowenhorst of Dalton.

Rowenhorst said she thinks about the fun they had all the time.

“The first spaghetti we cooked we put everything in the pot,” Rowenhorst said. “Raw meat and noodles, onions, everything. It was our first time cooking at camp, we were probably 10 years old.”

The women and others from Troop 1161 were attending the ToGetHerThere Luncheon at The Farm on Wednesday where the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta honored the troop’s leaders in the 1960s and 1970s, Billie Little and Ida Minor, with the 2017 Women of Distinction Award.

“The Woman of Distinction Award is the highest award given to Girl Scout volunteers,” according to information from the organization. “It is presented to honor women who made significant impacts in the community, achieved professional success and served as an example of the Girl Scout ideals of courage, confidence and character.”

Rene Conlon of Gainesville calls Little and Minor “two of the greatest women ever.” Conlon said they are good role models.

“The lessons we learned were invaluable,” she said.

The women were also honored by their children during the luncheon.

Lynn Bailey said Minor was an “amazing mother and troop leader.”

“I don’t think at the time any of us appreciated what these leaders were putting into our lives,” she said.

Bailey said the troop members enjoyed spending time with their friends.

The members of Troop 1161 were very active, often hiking, camping and volunteering. All 20 girls received First Class rank, the highest in Girl Scouting at the time.

Bailey showed badges earned during her Girl Scout days and said each one has a story behind it. She said sometimes she wonders why Little and Minor spent so much time investing in the girls for so many years.

“We weren’t always angels, we became sassy teenagers at some point,” she said.

Despite that, Bailey said, the women kept them in line because it was important for the girls to respect authority and each other.

“I look back at all these years and I believe the reason they were able to do that is because these ladies have such a strong foundation in their own lives of godly character and that comes from something deep inside of them,” she said.

Laurie L. Lokey, the daughter of Little, said service didn’t stop for the women after Girl Scouts.

“My mom continues to make this world a better place for her children and grandchildren,” she said. “She and Ida have continued to live by the Girl Scout promise to serve her God, country and help people at all times.”

Lokey said she appreciates them for being “incredible, inspiring, women of faith” that have served Girl Scouts and the community well.

Tommy Minor, the son of Ida Minor, said he recently ran across a piece of paper with details of a trip to Europe that Troop 1161 took.

For 20 girls and three adults the cost was $17,583.63.

“They raised it through lots of work,” said Tommy Minor. “That’s about $75,000 today.”

The trip to London, Paris and Switzerland was a first for the girls.

“It is really amazing to me that these girls were able to accomplish this through my mom and Billie’s efforts,” Tommy Minor said. “I know they gave their hearts and souls to the Girl Scouts. I would say the two girls that got the most out of that relationship would be mom and Billie.”

Billie Little agreed.

“The honor really belongs to all of my girls and their families for making the experience I had possible,” she said.

Alan Little, son of Billie Little, said he still runs into people whose first question is “How is your mom?” followed by stories of how much she impacted their lives.

“To me that is a great testimony,” he said. “The fact that all those girls are here makes me think if I stumbled upon any of them I would get a similar response.”

Dixie Kinard, a former Girl Scouts board member, said Little and Minor “deserve our praise” for all they’ve done in the community and for Girl Scouts.

In Whitfield County there are 500 Girl Scouts, said Patricia Edwards, a volunteer, and their biggest need is more leaders.

Edwards said she watched Little and Minor interact with the women from the troop before the luncheon and was in “awe of the bond between them.”

“These ladies exemplify what Girl Scouts is all about,” she said.

Norris Little, Billie Little’s son, said, “These ladies have never been CEO or CFO but probably influenced more people in their lives. They find their identity in service and helping others.”