The Leeds Historical Society is partnering with Aubry Mabery, a member of Leeds Area Girl Scout Troop 30234, as she works toward achieving the Gold Award — the highest honor in the Girl Scouts — through a project that honors local veterans and preserves their stories for future generations.

Mabery has a longstanding relationship with the Leeds Historical Society Museum, located at the historic J.W. Bass House, 1129 Montevallo Road SW. For her Silver Award, she inventoried many of the museum’s artifacts and created a digital archive stored on the Society’s cloud-based system.

As Miss Leeds Fire Prevention, Mabery used her platform to raise awareness about the damage fire and smoke could cause to historical buildings and museum artifacts. Drawing on that knowledge, she advocated for the installation of smoke and fire detectors in historic structures throughout Leeds.

For her Gold Award project, Mabery turned her attention to the Leeds-area veterans featured in the museum. She digitized their portraits and stories, creating a media-based exhibit that brings to life the individuals behind the service.

“I wanted to preserve the stories of those who have indirectly inspired me,” Mabery said. “This has also been a growing experience that helped me to understand my goals and aspirations. The people I’ve worked with have been so kind and understanding. They’ve shown me how historians can respect the history that inspires us and ‘preserve the cornerstones of our past in order to inspire our future.’”

As part of her project, Mabery also developed an interactive scavenger hunt that the Historical Society will continue to use as an educational tool for visiting students and families.

The public is invited to a special presentation of Aubry’s work Sunday, May 25, from 2–4 p.m., at the Leeds Historical Museum inside the J.W. Bass House. The exhibit will be part of the Society’s Memorial Day Weekend programming.

“We are proud to support Aubry’s inspiring project,” said Randy Ray, President of the Leeds Historical Society. “She embodies the values of both the Girl Scouts and the Historical Society — a commitment to learning, leadership, and the preservation of our shared history.”