By Mary Owen
Sublimity Elementary School has a new “buddy” bench, thanks to a local Girl Scout.
“I chose to build a buddy bench because I see so many young kids who feel left out or need someone to play with, but they don’t always know how to reach out,” said Addison Winstead (‘Addi’ for short), a 14-year-old Sublimity Middle School student who earned her Silver Award with the project.
“The buddy bench allows them an easy way to send a message to the kids and the teachers that they need some help finding a friend, someone to talk to or a game to play.”
The project took Addi about six months to finish from the time she started looking at the requirements to earn her Silver Award to when she actually presented the bench to the school. She spent about 60 hours on the project, about 10 more than suggested by the Girl Scouts, including receiving permission from Principal Missy Riesterer, finding plans online, and purchasing materials with her own money.
“The principal and teachers had already discussed getting a buddy bench, so they were extremely excited and supportive,” Addi said. “The students love it, and said they can’t wait to use it. They were surprised when I presented it at the assembly, and then a lot of them wanted a picture on the bench with me.”
Addi belongs to Troop 21890 in Stayton, and just registered for her seventh year of Girl Scouts.
“I feel proud of myself for building something that will help the kids in the community,” she said. “I hope this shows the kids that everyone can make a difference.
“We live in a great community with so many supportive adults, it feels good to give back when I can,” she added. “I can’t wait to hear the feedback in the next school year!”
According to Riesterer, students and staff love the buddy bench, which was used the very first day it was put out for students.
“Addi did a fantastic job with the entire project,” she added. “I was very impressed with her initiative and motivation to help younger students!”
The Girl Scout Silver Award is the second highest award in Girl Scouts of the USA. It can only be earned by Cadettes, who are in middle school. Candidates must identify an issue they care about, build their team or decide to go solo, explore their community, and select, develop, plan and put into motion the plan. When completed, the Cadette must reflect on the project, share her story and celebrate.
Addi plans to earn her Gold Award, the highest in scouting, once she is eligible.
“I’d like to thank Mrs. Riesterer and the Sublimity teachers for their support,” she said. “The success of a buddy bench depends on teachers encouraging the kids to use it and to be kind to those who do use it.”
