Girl Scout Troop 30029 Christmas Caroling the Residents of Aperion Care – Members of Girl Scout Troop 30029 walked the halls of Aperion Care Nursing Home singing Christmas songs to the residents to lift their spirits. (Photo by Ted Brown)
Members of Girls Scout Troop Number 30029 have gotten in the holiday spirit by creating Christmas wreaths for the residents of Aperion Care Nursing Facility to earn their Silver Award Pins.
Tiarra Ceaser and Mikayla Lem-ons are two of the 12 girls that make up Troop 30029 and who are eligible to work towards their Silver Award Pins. The other members of the troop hold a variety of ranks including Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors in the 6th and 8th grade. They are Tiarra Ceaser, Mikayla Lemons, Shelia Taylor, Ice’Sha Tate, Kelechi Greene, Tiff-any Ceaser, Lynia Richardson, Kan-elle Windfield, Te’Onna Gordon, Kelsie Derico, Kayelyn Holloway and Tiffany Daniels.
Troop leaders are Daisy Leader Miss Willie Bolden, Brownie Leader Krystal Swain, Junior Leader Michae’ Love and Cadette Leader Deanna Ceaser. The troop is sponsored by Rev. W.N. Reed and the New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church.
Miss Bolden said Ceaser and Lem-ons are currently Cadettes in the 8th grade working towards their Silver Awards before they advance to the next level and become Girl Scout Seniors. Bolden said, “The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn.”
Bolden said in 2009, her Girl Scout troop started the process of making wreaths for the North Unit of Aperion Care but for some reason the tradition of making the wreaths for the nursing home did not continue. She said, “Now these girls want to keep the vision and the Christmas spirit going at the nursing home so they are making wreaths for the South Unit and the Progressive Care Unit. They made a total of 67 wreaths for the resident’s doors.”
Bolden said while the girls are hanging the wreaths on the resident’s doors they also will be walking throughout the nursing home singing Christmas carols for the seniors to enjoy.
Bolden has been their troop leader for the past 25 years. She said the tradition of designing wreaths and donating them to the nursing home stopped for some reason in 2010, but when this year’s girls saw that the tradition had stopped they wanted to see that it continued so that the residents of the other units would have a wreath for their doors. She said, “We are just continuing the vision that the other girls started.”
The girls use artificial wreaths for the project, but decorate them with festive decorations added.
Bolden said the Scouts do a lot of community service projects especially during the holiday season. On Saturday they will be ringing the Christmas donation bell for the Salvation Army at the Southlake Mall in Merrillville by the Sears lower door entrance from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In April, they will be helping at Feed My Starving Children where they will help to package food to send to unfortunate children. This will give them a feel for giving back. She said, “I’m trying to stress to them community service and how to give back because that’s important.”
They also have been saving their loose change to donate to the I.U. Dons Penny-A-Thon Drive directed by Indiana State Rep. Dr. Vernon G. Smith. Dr. Smith has supported the girls by having them travel to Indianapolis where they have acted as Pages for the State Legislation.
Bolden said Girl Scout Troop No. 30029 has been in existence for the past 25 years. She said, “I’ve seen girls over the years who were members of the troop graduate from high school and go off to college. Being a Girl Scout truly helps to mold young ladies.”
