Posted 1:16 am Thursday, May 24, 2012
Send to Kindle
Girl Scouts Help Give Troup Park Makeover
By KELLY GOOCH and JACQUE HILBURN-SIMMONS
Staff Writers
A group of eight fourth- and fifth-graders from Troup Elementary School were able to give their local park a makeover while learning about community service.
The group, made up of Girl Scouts, helped paint existing equipment, clean up and paint barbecue pits, put mulch underneath equipment, clean up picnic tables, build a fence and build a bridge at Patriot Park.
“This was tre-mendous,” Troop leader BJ Vickers said. “It’s just amazing what they’ve been able to do. They were glowing, saying, ‘Look at what we did,’ not what ‘I’ did, but what we did.”
The project was initiated because the girls must do a Bronze Award, a leadership activity and the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve at the junior level.
“This is the last year to achieve that, and we had to find something to benefit the community,” Ms. Vickers said.
Staff Writers
A group of eight fourth- and fifth-graders from Troup Elementary School were able to give their local park a makeover while learning about community service.
The group, made up of Girl Scouts, helped paint existing equipment, clean up and paint barbecue pits, put mulch underneath equipment, clean up picnic tables, build a fence and build a bridge at Patriot Park.
“This was tre-mendous,” Troop leader BJ Vickers said. “It’s just amazing what they’ve been able to do. They were glowing, saying, ‘Look at what we did,’ not what ‘I’ did, but what we did.”
The project was initiated because the girls must do a Bronze Award, a leadership activity and the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve at the junior level.
“This is the last year to achieve that, and we had to find something to benefit the community,” Ms. Vickers said.
Since the group met at Patriot Park, the fourth- and fifth-graders routinely saw how dilapidated the park was and that it didn’t get much use, she said, and the idea was launched.
The Girl Scouts couldn’t afford all the materials, so they asked businesses in Troup and its surrounding areas if they would help sponsor.
“The girls have learned how to communicate with others who are not their age and get things accomplished,” Ms. Vickers said.
The girls began work in mid-April and participated in multiple work days. Most of the work is done, other than minor things, such as putting up a sign.
The Girl Scouts couldn’t afford all the materials, so they asked businesses in Troup and its surrounding areas if they would help sponsor.
“The girls have learned how to communicate with others who are not their age and get things accomplished,” Ms. Vickers said.
The girls began work in mid-April and participated in multiple work days. Most of the work is done, other than minor things, such as putting up a sign.
Fifth-grader Emily Neel helped fix up the swings.
“My favorite part was the painting,” she said with a giggle. “I got it all over me.”
Savannah Woodall, a fourth-grader, said the project had its difficult moments — heat, thirst and bugs — but the hard work was worth it.
“It makes the park look better than it did before,” she said.
Savanna Cox, another fifth-grader, said she’s really pleased with the results.
“The grass was really tall,” she said. “And there was a bunch of glass. I think it looks good … so much better than it did before.”
In the end, Ms. Vickers said she hopes the girls learned how to help the community and get the community involved in a service project.
“I enjoyed them. They had a blast,” she said.
“My favorite part was the painting,” she said with a giggle. “I got it all over me.”
Savannah Woodall, a fourth-grader, said the project had its difficult moments — heat, thirst and bugs — but the hard work was worth it.
“It makes the park look better than it did before,” she said.
Savanna Cox, another fifth-grader, said she’s really pleased with the results.
“The grass was really tall,” she said. “And there was a bunch of glass. I think it looks good … so much better than it did before.”
In the end, Ms. Vickers said she hopes the girls learned how to help the community and get the community involved in a service project.
“I enjoyed them. They had a blast,” she said.
