Holmes County Scouts honored for leadership, service and achievement

Part of becoming a Scout is learning when and how to become a leader, and recently, several Scouts and leaders in the Holmes County Scouting community took great strides in doing exactly that.

Holmes County’s Girl Scouts Troop 338 and friends and families gathered recently for the summer Court of Honor, and several members came away having earned some very nice accolades.

Emily Wise, senior patrol leader, served as the master of ceremonies for the event. Scoutmaster Rebecca Schlabach, rank advancement chair Amity Wise and outdoor chair Karen Gotter presented the badges and awards to the Scouts.

Overall, six Scouts advanced in rank, and 22 merit badges were earned from the girls’ efforts over the past several months.

In addition, the troop earned its Scouting for Clean Waterways Badge for cleaning and disposing of a gooseneck trailer load of tires out of the Killbuck Creek. Merit badges earned include badges in the areas of art, canoeing, sculpture, chess, first aid, orienteering, mammal study, nature, geology, theater and sustainability.

Leading into the event, the troop has had an active few months, having participated in BSA summer camp including a pair of Scouts from the troop — Michelle Hickling and Cheyenne Strait — who worked full-time on camp staff.

According to Sarah Biltz, director of program and marketing, it was a great time of growth, and the girls earned plenty of experience from their time there.

“I love watching Cheyenne Strait and Michelle Hickling share their passions with our Scouts — Cheyenne with her excitement for reptiles and nature and Michelle with her joy for fishing,” Biltz said. “Their energy makes camp a place where kids discover new skills and confidence. Cheyenne worked in the ecology lab, and Michelle worked at the Cub Scout camp.”

As a way of saying thanks to the duo, the troop members gave each a sweatshirt in recognition of a job well done.

While the two staff leaders were growing through their experience, so too did all the troop girls who attended the event.

While at camp the Scouts participated in the Buckeye Council’s Pipestone Award.

For 100 years Scouts of the council camps have earned the right to wear this token. To this very day, the Pipestone Award comes from a spot in Minnesota where descendants of the Native Americans still work to retrieve this stone from the Earth.

The program’s intent is to reward Scout campers who excelled in advancement and spirit during their week in camp.

“Nowhere else can this award be earned other than at Ohio’s Seven Ranges Scout Reservation,” Biltz said. “The Scouts who wear the Pipestone prize it highly. Its spirit pervades our camp.”

The following Scouts earned Pipestone Awards:

—First year: Evelyn Byler, Annie Kandel, Lee Kandel and Amity Wise.

—Second year: Tabatha Apple and Julie Miragliotta.

—Fourth year: Emily Wise.

—Fifth year: Melissa Biltz.

Outgoing Scoutmaster Melissa Biltz turned over the leadership reins to new Scoutmaster Rebecca Schlabach.

“It has been an honor to serve this troop and see the troop grow in our county,” Melissa Biltz said. “The troop is strong and in great hands with many girls and adult leaders who will undoubtedly continue to make a difference in the future.”

GSA Troop 338 is sponsored by Scouters of Holmes County and meets at NewPointe Community Church. Melissa Biltz is moving to become the troop’s committee chair, and Brodie DeHass serves as the charter organization representative.

Young women interested in Scouting America are welcome to attend a troop meeting, held the second and fourth Mondays of the month from 6-8 p.m. at NewPointe Community Church, or call new member coordinator Lee Kandel at 330-763-4668.

Any girl who has completed the fifth grade or is at least 11 may join the troop. No previous Scouting experience is necessary.

The three overarching goals of Scouting are to foster character development, train for participating in citizenship and cultivate personal fitness in young people. These aims are achieved through various methods including outdoor activities, leadership development, community involvement, and living by the values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law.