Girl Scout troop beautifies St. Marys on Sunday
Girl Scouts from Troop 2018 may consist of first graders and kindergartners, but didn’t stop them from beautifying St. Marys on Sunday. The troop started off at Memorial Park, went over to the splash pad, as well as the trail between.
“I needed to do a community service project where I coordinated something. I thought about the Girl Scouts, and thought getting one of their badges would be perfect,” said Chelsea Felton, a parent to one of the scouts.
“We decided to do a clean up project because it was for their badge they were working on,” said Felton. The badge’s requirement was that they needed to help with a landmark in their city, and to get local citizens also involved. Memorial Park happened to be that local landmark they chose, and the girls got to work. “Making it a walk seemed like a good idea, and seeing as it is cookie season, we also added selling cookies.”
“They were working on their Earth and Sky Journey Badge. They get three throughout the journey,” said the Troop 2018’s Leader Elizabeth Osborne. She explained that the journey takes six steps, and that it they range from using resources wisely, to leaving no trace behind when they’re out in nature. “The girls love being outdoors. Its different steps they learn about nature, and how to keep plants safe.”
“I think they learned to take care of their community and to try and preserve it like the badge is meant to teach them,” said Felton. Osborne said that the girls had a good time, and that they love exploring.
“They weren’t huge fans of picking things up, but they looked at it as almost a treasure hunt, because they found some cool things while cleaning,” said Osborne. She noted that the girls even turned picking up trash into a game. “Some of them counted who could pick up the most cigarette butts. They were competing with each other and making it fun for one another.”
Osborne said that she hopes that the girls get a lot out of scouting beyond cleaning the environment.
“I want them to have a safe
environment when they can learn new things. I want them to learn how to be leaders themselves,” said Osborne. Osborne said that they try to combine awards that they can achieve, with activities they’re interested in doing. “We try to make it as interesting as possible, and our girls like to keep on the move.”
Osborne outlined that the troop is always looking for people who want to teach, and help out with the troops.
“If they have a skill set they have that they want to teach the girls about, being farming or whatever, the girls are always down for learning,” said Osborne, before continuing. “If they’d like to be a guest speaker, or do an activity, we’re always looking for that and it would be fun for them.”