|
Preparing a shipment of food
for Hurricane Katrina victims.
Learning sewing during an
AHG Troop meeting. |
Community service is an important aspect of American
Heritage Girls. My troop provided numerous opportunities to
serve and encourage other people. We made blankets for a
children’s hospital in Africa, decorated placemats for a
local hospice, sent cards to soldiers, served treats at a
local church for Mothers’ Day, and participated in a
clean-up project at a local nature center, to name a few. I
have become more aware of things I can do to help others
because of my participation in American Heritage Girls.
I am grateful for the opportunities I had through
American Heritage Girls to learn leadership skills. I gained
confidence through practice with the reassuring support of
my adult leaders. In my last year as a Patriot, my unit
organized a pancake dinner for our troop. While I
personally had no experience in planning such an event, many
of the other girls in my unit had put on a spaghetti dinner
the previous year. Even though I was responsible for the
event, I learned that a good leader should always be willing
to accept advice from her “followers.”
Part of the Stars and Stripes Award requirements is to
develop a service project to benefit someone in your
community. In order to earn this prestigious award, I
designed table skirts for a local non-profit handbell choir
and directed my peers in creating them. In this way, I
gained experience in leading a group, and I filled a need in
my community using a skill that I enjoy - sewing.
As a homeschool student I was able to incorporate badge work
into my curriculum. I received high school credit for
completing the Money Management merit badge and for several
papers I wrote in connection with my religious award. I also
gained practical housekeeping skills while earning the
Family Helper and Home Care and Repair merit badges.
Homeschoolers tend to enjoy learning, and from earning merit
badges to practicing leadership skills, American Heritage
Girls presents endless opportunities to learn. |
