Belmont’s Kelly Hayes earns Girl Scout Gold Award

BELMONT — When the South Road Cemetery maintenance building was struck by lightning years ago, it was already in poor condition. Kelly Hayes, 17, a Belmont High School senior, earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for her work replacing the siding on the building, installing flower hangers, and creating a pamphlet about dealing with loss which she distributed to schools and the library. She spent more than 80 hours on her project.

“It is a full-sized, garage-type building and took a lot of effort to re-side,” said P. Woodbury Fogg of the American Legion. “This is also a project that has considerable community impact. What Kelly Hayes has done significantly improves the appearance of the cemetery and the efficiency of its maintenance and upkeep. Her work is truly a public service, and much appreciated by those of us who must frequent the South Road Cemetery, as it is by the families and friends of those buried there.”

While she has basic construction skills, cold weather was one obstacle Kelly overcame, working from July through December. In her Gold Award report, she said she learned to be more patient, and have even more respect for blue-collar workers than previously. “Construction work is physically and mentally draining, but I gained skill in the field,” she said. “I learned that I have compassion for others and have an eagerness to help. Before this project, I was not aware of such issues as the vandalism and littering present in the cemetery. Afterwards, I was more aware of the issues and interested in fixing them.”

The cemetery is privately owned, so Kelly did not have to go through the town for permission for the work. The owners provided money for needed materials. Project advisor Ruth Mooney said the town administrator sent a letter explaining what a benefit it was to the community, as the cemetery is visited daily by town residents. “It is a beautiful spot,” said Mooney, “and Kelly’s work has only added to the beautification of the area. As chairman of the board of selectmen for our town, it is so nice to see young people get involved.”

Belmont Town Administrator K. Jeanne Beaudin agreed. “The recent community service project undertaken by Kelly Hayes was a benefit to the community in that additional funds did not have to be raised by taxpayers to offset the additional maintenance of the building. This young lady’s efforts are greatly appreciated by my office, as each year it comes more difficult to justify our Health and Community Service Agencies’ budgets to the voters.”

Kelly had help from her father, her mother, who is also her troop leader, and sister, Girl Scout Kyleigh Peters. About to graduate from Belmont High School, Kelly plans to study English at Franklin Pierce University, with an eye on teaching or creative writing.

Sixteen young women earned their Gold Award in the 2017-18 membership year in New Hampshire and Vermont as part of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.

For more information about Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org.