Scouts bring rakes, smiles to Knickerbocker cleanup

The third-grade girls of Bay Village Brownie Troop 70034 – along with some siblings – spent a recent afternoon raking, weeding and cleaning up the grounds of the Knickerbocker Apartments under the guidance of building superintendent Dan Hubbard (center).

Girl Scout Brownie Troop 70034 composed of third-grade girls from Westerly School in Bay Village arrived at the Knickerbocker Senior Apartments on April 11 to help clean up the debris on the lawn and flower beds which accumulated during this past winter.

This project is one of many projects throughout the year which help the girls earn their Community Service badge. Armed with their own rakes and garden gloves the girls, accompanied by their troop leader Amber Dent and several mothers, went right to work raking leaves, removing twigs and stones from around bushes and benches and even pulling some weeds.

The girls packed large bags to the brim and carried them to the dumpster. At times the bags were almost as tall as the girl who carried them. We were surprised to see three boys working alongside the girls. The boys each had a sister in the troop. The youngest boy, a kindergartener, took a bag back to the dumpster. He just wasn't quite tall enough to lift the bag to the top, so reporter and Knickerbocker resident Bruce Leigh hoisted the bag over the side and into the dumpster. Bruce, a former Boy Scout, reminds us that for scouts of any age it's all about teamwork.

The team worked diligently in spite of the nippy air. Asked what they thought of the Knickerbocker from their perspective, Brownie Phoebe Sutherland commented, "It's the best place ever. It's a good environment."

Lucy Mastromatteo said, "I think it's a nice place to live."

Hannah Dixon summed it up nicely by adding, "It's awesome."

The girls wanted to know if we lived at the Knickerbocker, did we like it, did we have friends who lived there and was it a nice place to live? Of course the answer was yes on all counts. We were encouraged by the fact that these young ladies were interested in our lives and our opinions. After all, there are quite a few years between us. We found the girls very insightful for their age and willing to share their thoughts. Abbie Dent even introduced me to "Scratch" Dent, a tiny gray koala bear she brought along to "help."

Girl Scout Brownies meet once a month after school to plan their projects and learn the basics of scouting. Brownies are the second level in the Girl Scout program. Daisies are in kindergarten or five years old. Girl Scouts are accepted through age eighteen. The Campus Girl Scout program is available to college girls who wish to be active in scouting on campus. This program focuses mainly on community service. On March 12, 2014, Girl Scouts of the USA celebrated its 102nd anniversary.

The residents of the Knickerbocker would like to thank the scouts and their helpers. We appreciate your hard work. Even though our flowers aren't quite in bloom, our yard was a splash of spring color that afternoon. Your bright clothes, colorful rakes and huge smiles and grins delighted all the seniors who were fortunate to witness the Girl Scout Brownies and their helpers spruce up our grounds and help us keep our yard and neighborhood beautiful.

Bruce Leigh and Dianne Borowski

Bay Village

Read More on Community Service
Volume 6, Issue 8, Posted 10:38 AM, 04.15.2014