Friday, May 18th, 2007

Girl Scout takes rocky road to top honor

New Bremen area teen creating outdoor spot at spiritual center

By Shelley Grieshop
Photo by Shelley Grieshop/The Daily Standard

Bethany Bertke of New Bremen puts a rock in place atop a grotto she is building at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein. The project will help Bertke earn the Girl Scout Golden Award, the highest honor given to a Girl Scout ages 14-18.

MARIA STEIN - Bethany Bertke is earning the highest Girl Scout honor - one rock at a time.
A junior at New Bremen High School, the energetic young lady is building a grotto on the grounds of the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein to obtain the Girl Scout Gold Award, the most honorable Scout award that girls age 14-18 can earn.
A Scout since second-grade, Bertke of Troop #254 chose the project idea after a visit to the center more than a year ago.
"We decided to come out there as a troop one night to see what they might need. Someone suggested a grotto and I thought, 'That sounds easy,'" she says.
But after battling mosquitoes in the dense woods about 100 yards behind the center and nursing aching muscles from hauling bowling ball-sized rocks, she quickly learned there would be more to the project than she'd thought.
Following the advice of Deacon Greg Barhorst of St. Augustine Catholic Church, Minster, who also is Bertke's adviser, she first visited other area churches and shrines to get a variety of grotto designs.
"Some were much bigger than I had in mind," she said, adding many of the larger ones she saw were built by farmers using heavy equipment.
After getting the green light last year from the Girl Scout council and Spiritual Center board members, she began the physical portion of the project.
With the help of her parents, Tim and Mandy Bertke, other family members and friends, a pickup truck and skid loader, she hauled the various sized rocks down the trail behind the Respect Life Memorial. One by one the rocks from various locations in the area were piled more than 6 foot high and 20 foot wide, surrounding a cement platform in the center for a future statue.
"I'm still building up the back," she says of the rock pile, adding the unfinished project must be completed by her 18th birthday in order to comply with Girl Scout rules.
Bertke, now a Senior Scout, has her eye on a 24-inch bronze statue to grace the grotto. Appropriate for its location it is called "A Quiet Moment" and portrays Jesus embracing Mary and baby Jesus. The statue retails for $5,000 and Bertke hopes that donations will help make the proposed addition a reality. By Scout law, Girl Scouts cannot directly solicit money for their projects.
If extra funds are available, she'd also like to add benches or kneelers for reflection at the serene spot, she says.
Dan Roche, the director at the center, says he's thrilled that Bethany chose the Spiritual Center as the location to earn the top honor.
"We support her project and truly appreciate the young people getting involved at the Spiritual Center," he says.
In 2006, approximately 5,500 girls received the Girl Scout Gold Award after following strict guidelines set by officials of the Girl Scouts of America.
Photo by Shelley Grieshop/The Daily Standard

Donations are being accepted for a statue for a Girl Scout grotto project at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein. Anyone interested in helping fund the project can send checks to: Spiritual Center of Maria Stein, P.O. Box 95, Maria Stein, OH 45860, c/o Bethany Bertke Gold Award Project.

Additional online stories on this date
WAPAKONETA - During the past 23 years Auglaize County highway crews have manufactured and installed more than 250 bridges with more than 10-foot span [More]
MINSTER - The Fort Recovery girls and the Minster boys both grabbed the early lead at the Division III district track meet at Minster, and both teams did it behind athletes winning each of the throwing events. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Celina City Schools board of education has named Curt Shellabarger to the newly created position of director of curriculum.
At Thursday afternoon's special meeting, the board approved a two-year contract for Shellabarger, current high school principal, as well as some other personnel changes.
Finding qualified officials for youth sporting events is becoming increasingly difficult, Celina Parks Director Jeff Fortkamp told city officials this week.
A St. Marys man faces up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine after reportedly having sex with a girlfriend who is a minor.
Samuel E. Burfor
A 30-year-old St. Marys man pleaded not guilty in court Thursday to making unwanted sexual advances to a teenage girl in February.
Joseph Stemen, 4
BOWLING GREEN - A trio of Celina errors led to six unearned runs for Ashland as the Arrows rode the right arm of Cory Metcalf for a 6-2 victory on Thursday night in Division I baseball district semifinal action at Carter Park.
DESHLER - The St. Marys softball team faced a team outside of the Western Buckeye League for the first time of the postseason on Thursday in Division II softball district finals action at Deshler, but the final outcome was still the same.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The tennis season ended for the Celina doubles team of Neil Hoyng and Alex Ball at the Division I district tournament held Thursday at Sandusky.
BATH TOWNSHIP - The Division III district softball final matchup between Coldwater and Archbold was a difference between the start and finish of the game.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Patrick Henry was never able to quite figure out Coldwater's Sam Slavik as the senior ace fired a no-hitter to lead the Cavaliers past the Patriots, 3-0, in the second game of the Division III baseball district tournament at Ed Sandy Field in Elida on Thursday.