BROOKINGS A local 17-year old has attained the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts. Grace Boltjes of Brookings earned the Gold Award one of just 12 bestowed this year by the council overseeing Girl Scouts in South Dakota, North Dakota and portions of Minnesota and Iowa.
Its kind of the equivalent to Eagle Scout, Boltjes said. You have to do for the Gold Award like a minimum of 80 hours of work. You do something in the community. So you have to find out what your community needs help with, and then you just make sure youre there to help.
She contacted a retirement center to ask about their needs.
It turned out that Peaceful Pines in town was new, and they needed some memory care stuff, Boltjes said. I made memory care fidget blankets. Ive always just loved sewing. For my last project that was my Silver Award I also took on a sewing project and sewed cat and dog beds for the humane society. For this, I wanted to take it a step further and find something else I could do to help the community while still doing the sewing that I love.
Fidget blankets have stimulating activities sewn into the fabric to help soothe patients with memory impairment.
All memory care places have something for their patients like this, Boltjes said. You can make them in many different forms. I just made quilts with fidgets on them little things to keep the hands busy. Its things like zippers that can zip up and down, shoelaces that can tie, or pockets patients can stick their hands in.
Before making the blankets, she interviewed the residents.
I learned a lot about the human connectionjust talking with people, learning their names, who they are, and what things meant a lot to them, Boltjes said. All the blankets I made are different every single one of them. Its not for a certain patient, but each is different so wed have a variety. Like some of the people were farmers and they liked the feel of denim. So I made sure to sew a denim pocket on them.
She said it was labor intensive.
I made 20 blankets, Boltjes said. When I first started, it would take a long time to make a blanket. I think my first one took 10 hours to put everything together. After that point, it takes anywhere from six to nine hours for a blanket. I used a sewing machine and also some hand-stitching. You have to do a combination of both for sure.
A few family connections inspired Boltjes. In 2023, her sister Harriet achieved the Gold Award.
I think my sister was the first to get her Gold Award here in Brookings in many, many years, Boltjes said. Her project was about Oakwood and came because of our great-great grandma who lived in the cabin at Oakwood. That inspired her. My great grandparents, they struggled with I think it was dementia. I do find both psychology and that family connection interesting.
Boltjes also produced a how-to video.
Part of my project was making a video where I show other girls how to make fidget blankets, she said. Id love to do something in the film industry or in editing someday.
She hopes others in her troop will pursue the Gold Award also.
The Gold Award is the main goal for Girl Scouts aside from like the friends you make along the way, Boltjes said. I definitely think if any girls out there are even thinking about the Gold Award, at least get a plan started and try for it. Nothings going to happen if you dont try.
Last year, 2,961 Girl Scouts nationwide achieved the Gold Award.
Boltjes received her award June 8. A public reception for her takes place June 14 at 3 p.m. at Peaceful Pines, 900 20th Street S.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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