20 August 2008
Girl Scouts Los Angeles Resident Camps Terminated
Posted by admin under: camps .
The Los Angeles area Girl Scouts councils are merging at the end of 2008 and one item already on the chopping block from the merger is summer camp. The latest issue of the realignment news notes that southern California resident camps have experienced over a 50% drop in enrollment over the last 10 years. So, there will be no resident camp in 2009. The following excerpt is what worries me -
While outdoor programs, camping and environmental education remain a positive and integral component of Girl Scout leadership development, the Council Realignment Committee recommends that:
1) a careful examination of the program and business aspects of resident camping be initiated to ensure that the best interests of girls can be met, and
2) that before a new summer resident camp program is launched, the council has a long-range plan and infrastructure in place to sufficiently sustain a reinvigorated camping experience for Girl Scouts.
So, troops will still be allowed to rent the camps, but there will be no formal summer camp program where the girls learn that they can be strong and independent by living in the outdoors for an extended period. Obviously, any troop that wants that experience can provide it for their girls by going on a backpacking trip or just renting space at a camp for a week. What will be lost, apparently, is access to infrastructure requiring specialized abilities or knowledge: horses, climbing courses, and probably watercraft.
I hope Los Angeles is atypical and does not represent the trend for Girl Scouts across the nation. Losing resident camp is a big deal to me. After all, Girl Scouts can rent any camp, including Boy Scouts camps. I worry that the new focus on leadership, which seems to me to favor corporate leadership, will allow camping to remain a second-tier issue that will be unresolved beyond 2009.
Outdoor activities has been one of the bell-weather issues for me to see where the GSUSA is heading. While it is still one of the greatest institutions in the nation for girls I would rather not see it diminished through a lack of focus on the core components of the program. Be assured this is one item I will be following with great interest.
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3 Comments so far...
Smoky Scout Says:
20 August 2008 at 4:26 pm.
While troops can still do extended camping trips and rent established facilities, suspending the resident camp program will desert the girl whose troop members may not like camping or whose leaders can’t take a week off from work to take the troop on a camping trip. As the issues of declining physical fitness and increasing environmental awareness are everyday news topics in this country, it seems to me that GSUSA has an opportunity to be a national LEADER in a movement to INCREASE outdoor programming.
Walter Underwood Says:
20 August 2008 at 6:07 pm.
They will also lose their experienced and trained staff. Running a safe waterfront requires a lot of training and even more experience. Camps need to keep their staff pipeline full, bringing in new junior staff, keeping and training up the best, and passing on the practice of running a fun and effective camp. When you shut down, even for a year, that is a huge problem for starting back up. All your staff probably have new jobs. You start from zero.
Cici Says:
20 August 2008 at 7:06 pm.
Walter is right. The Girl Scout Council of San Fernando Valley (part of the council being combined in this article) has a property called Camp Lakota. They’ve done resident camping for so long that my co-leader remembers going there. A few years ago, they canceled the summer sessions. My daughter and several of her friends made sure to register early to get the session of their choice (which they did). When the council notified everyone that they had to shut down because they did not have adequate staff, it was too late to get a spot at most camps. As a leader, we heard no warnings that there might be a problem, so we could not try to enlist help. My girls went to a camp much further from home (Camp Azalea Trails) and had a very bad experience. The next year, they did not want to return to Azalea Trails and they were afraid to register at Camp Lakota. Consequently, they discovered Hollywoodland (a city run girls camp). They have been camping there ever since.
Local leaders knew that closing down resident camp should not have been an option. We felt that they were too hasty and did not search the vast pool of volunteers available within the troops. I worried that attendance would be affected. Since then, they have not been filling up. This year, again, there was no resident camp. Troops could attend for 4 days (Thurs - Sun). This departure from tradition must not have been successful.
There are so many parts to Scouting. Leadership, communication, self confidence, community service, sports and fitness… All of these things can be gained from other school clubs and organizations. One of the most unique experiences in Scouting is the access to camping. It is very sad that more importance isn’t being placed on this.
When the price of Girl Scout cookies went up a few years ago to $4 / box, we told all of our customers that part of the proceeds were NOW going to go to Camp Lakota. People responded well to that. So, what was the point if they’re not going to use it? Numbers have gone down? That doesn’t mean you give up. Is that what the girls should learn? You work to increase your client-base. They need to make sure that they are not losing money. Beyond that, they should be happy to give wonderful program opportunities to every girl in attendance.
Our troop has done many memorable events. Not all of them were as well attended as others. We had more people go to Movie Night than to Northern California or Yosemite. That did not in any way make the trips less successful. There are always so many reasons why people can’t attend something. Hello! Times are VERY difficult right now. We need to hang in there and the girls that benefit now will spread the word.
