Girl Scout Troop 81178 out of Thurmont, MD earned the Bronze award by helping our community learn about the Chesapeake Bay. The juniors researched the bay and what was causing all the issues with the pollution of the bay. In doing, the girls learned so many interesting facts that they wanted to help. The girls wrote a letter to the Town of Walkersville asking for permission to paint trashcans that would be placed around the parks to help gain attention to throw trash away.
Some of the fun facts they learned about the bay:
- The bay holds 18 trillion gallons of water, which would fill more than 50 billion bathtubs to the rim.
- A six-foot person could wade through more than seven hundred thousand acres of the bay without being submerged.
- The deepest part of the bay, which is called “The Hole”, is more than 170 feet deep.
- In 2017, Mr. Trash wheel collected 699,000 cigarette butts, 123,040 chip bags, 1,130 glass bottles, 109,410 polystyrene, 109,880 plastic bottles and 106,640 plastic bags.
Learning this information, the girls knew that that they needed to help people understand the importance of throwing away trash in the trashcans.
Planning Our Project
The girls researched different designs that they felt would grab attention of people and started to design trashcans. When they went to the Town of Walkersville they were able to tell them about the bay, and why it was important to save the bay with all its resources. They proposed the trashcan designs and asked permission to put them around the parks in Walkersville.
Once the town approved the project, the girls got busy with getting trashcans, paint, supplies, and planning a cleanup day at the parks. After the girls painted the trashcans, they then went around to the parks and cleaned up the trash on the ground. Between two parks, we cleaned up around two full trash bags that could have made its way to the bay.
In doing this project, the girls learned and experienced many things. They learned that every little bit helps and it doesn’t matter how old or big you are, there is always something you can do to help. They also learned the importance of throwing their trash in proper places as it can make a bigger impact on things they may not be able to see. The girls also got practice with public speaking as they put together their presentation and then presented it to the town. In doing all this they learned how to work together as true Sisters to complete something that we hope will go further in to the future.
Scouting for Service
Our Girl Scout troop is made of twenty-five girls, which range in age from five to twelve. We have five leaders that are helping to support each of the girls. We are a very active troop with not only activities but giving back to our community in different ways. Each summer, we have our Daisy Girl Scouts pick a community service project to do. The first was collecting school supplies for our local schools. We collected enough supplies to fill 44 school bags, each with all the items a student would need on their first day of school. Since then, the girls have done different things like plant trees at the park, collect food for the food bank, and collect supplies for our military.
We as a troop pride ourselves in helping others around us and living up to our Girl Scout mission and hope that each of girls take their law and promise to heart, and that they use it everyday as they go into the world and face different obstacles. We as leaders do our best to make sure that we build the girls of courage, confidence and character that will make the world a better place.
As a troop, we strive to change one girl at a time. We say that if we can change one girl, we have made a difference. Our troop is a true sisterhood, they love spending time together, camping, hiking, crafting, and just spending time together.
The Importance of Scouting
I love being a girl scout leader. When I joined, it was to help my daughter who was in kindergarten break out of her shell. She was quiet, shy and reserved from other children her age. I wanted her to have what every parent wants their child to have: confidence, leadership skills and courage to try new things. When I looked into Girl Scouts, it seemed to be everything that I wanted and more for my daughter. I joined and became a leader to help her and others live the Girl Scout mission.
My daughter is now in sixth grade and she thrives in the Girl Scout program. She can stand in front of a room full of local firefighters to present them with an award. I have seen her at cookie booths, talking to potential customers about the cookies, and what our troop is going to do with our earnings. She has a newfound confidence to lead others in projects, help in her community, and be the person I knew she would always be. She loves camping, hiking, crafts, service projects and many other things.
Thanks to Girl Scouts and their programs, she has been able to do all these things and more with her fellow sisters. I truly believe in the Girl Scout mission and want to make sure that all girls get the same opportunities that my daughter did. That they too can be built in the Girl Scout mission. I want girls to have fun, make new friends, and share experiences. But most of all, toshow them all the possibilities that the world holds just for them.
