Geddes named Grand Marshal of parade
The parade Grand Marshal for the 2022 Peach Blossom Festival Parade is Ellen Geddes. Geddes represented the U.S. in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 where she finished 10th overall in the individual foil and 11th in the individual epee.
In addition to fencing, Geddes breeds horses through Magnolia Sport Horses in Aiken, and has 17 additional Magnolia Sport Horses broodmares and young stock at Maplewood Farm in Johnston.
Area Girl Scouts earn Gold Awards
Samantha Miller of Aiken and Emily Gue of Graniteville earned Girl Scout Gold Awards.
Through the Gold Award, girls not only provide solutions that last to some of society’s biggest problems – like cleaner oceans, equity in girls’ education, and greater access to science and technology training – they grow more confident and strengthen skills that will carry them into a successful future in both school and their career. It is the most prestigious award in the world for girls, the most difficult to earn, and it is only available to Girl Scouts.
Miller’s project addressed the lack of awareness of juvenile arthritis in children in her community. Often portrayed as an ailment that develops later in life, her goal was to educate members of her community, including local Girl Scouts, about arthritis, its distinct types, what it can be like to have a physical disability and the importance of physical activity while having a disability.
Gue partnered with Westminster Memory Care to address the issue of elderly people with Alzheimer's and dementia through the use of baby dolls. In her research, she found that baby dolls are therapeutic to people with Alzheimer's as it is a helpful way to calm and soothe them when they are agitated. Working with her troop, Westminster Memory Care and her youth group, Gue was able to educate her community on Alzheimer's and doll therapy and collect dolls to be used at the memory care facility. After distributing the dolls, she saw firsthand how the dolls improved their mood and their use on a day-to-day basis.
Gold Award Girl Scouts spend, on average, one to two years on each project. The requirements of the Gold Award are designed to strengthen each girl’s leadership skills, encourage her to explore career opportunities and to make a commitment to self-improvement.
