Oct. 14, 2025
Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians will honor education champion Dr. Edna Varner at the 2025 Trefoil Society Luncheon, an annual event recognizing a distinguished woman in each region who exemplifies the spirit of Girl Scouting.
A Chattanooga native, Varner was the first in her family to attend college and has continued to support educational achievements throughout her career as an educator, administrator and advocate.
The luncheon celebrating Varner will be held at Waterhouse Pavilion, 850 Market St., in Chattanooga, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $75 and available for purchase at TrefoilSociety.org.
“We encourage Girl Scouts to pursue meaningful ways to contribute to their communities and Dr. Varner is a great example of a leader who has made a real difference,” said Lynne Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians (GSCSA). “We’re pleased to pay tribute to a public servant whose efforts continue to support education, fine arts and affordable housing in Tennessee and North Georgia.”
Varner has served in education for more than 30 years. She was a founding faculty member for the Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences and retired as principal of The Howard School. She continues to serve as a teacher coach and senior advisor for the Public Education Foundation.
Varner remains active in public service. She serves as board secretary for Chattanooga Girl Leadership Academy and Chattanooga Prep, board treasurer for ArtsBuild and education chair for the NAACP. She is president of the Chattanooga Rotary Club and serves as a board member for the UC Foundation, the Sports Authority, as well as a commissioner and vice chair of the Chattanooga Housing Authority.
The Trefoil Society luncheons are named after the trefoil-shaped pin that Girl Scouts receive to symbolize the acceptance of ethical leadership values and are held in the council’s Appalachian Highlands, East Tennessee and Tennessee Valley & North Georgia regions each year.
Anna Catherine Critchfield, a 2025 Gold Award Girl Scout, will speak at the luncheon about how Girl Scouts has impacted her life.
Sponsors for the Trefoil Society Luncheon include First Horizon Bank, Chattanooga City Lifestyle magazine, Chattanooga State Community College, Miller & Martin law firm and River City Company. Other companies or individuals seeking to honor Dr. Edna Varner with a sponsorship should email [email protected] or call Alicia White Price at 865-244-4188. All donation checks should be sent to Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians, Attn: Philanthropy, 1567 Downtown West Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37919.
About Girl Scout Council of Southern Appalachians
Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, offering programs that give every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of entrepreneurship, adventure, and success—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for community causes, or make their first best friends. The Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians has approximately 10,000 girl and adult members in 46 counties from southwest Virginia, through eastern Tennessee, and northern Georgia. Membership is open to all girls from kindergarten through their senior year in high school. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors and millions of alums, Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. To join us, volunteer, reconnect or donate, visit girlscoutcsa.org or call 800-474-1912.
