16 June 2009
Girl Scouts Too Soft For Roughing It?
Posted by admin under: camps .
Another Girl Scout camp is closing according to Tim Flach at The State in South Carolina. According to the story, girls would like camping more if they had air conditioning and flush toilets so the council is closing the least popular camp.
This is the last summer Girl Scouts can ride horses, swim and hike at Camp Congaree.
The 780-acre site near Pelion will be closed and sold as part of a realignment of Scouting facilities across the Midlands and Upstate — and a hard look at what Girl Scouting is all about in the 21st century.
The rustic camp will be replaced by a more-urban center in Columbia that Scout leaders say is more in tune with what girls want today.
The center will be a hub for girls interested in the arts, science and technology as well as time-honored pursuits like archery, canoeing and crafts.
Many girls aged 5 to 17 no longer want to rough it, officials said. So, yes — the center will be air-conditioned and heated and have indoor restrooms and showers.
…
Scout leaders decided Camp Congaree and six others in rural areas are outdated. Another site in the Upstate could be shut down later, too.
The decision to close the camps comes after a yearlong discussion with 12,000 girls and 5,000 adult assistants about the organization’s future, plus two studies by consultants.
A new approach is needed to increase Scouting’s appeal, leaders said.
“We’re not giving up on the outdoors,” said Mark James, a member of the board overseeing local Girl Scouts. “But we’ve got to recognize change, and we’ve got contemporary interests we must take into account in order to meet our mission.”
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Camp Congaree is 30 miles southwest of downtown Columbia, a half-hour trip.
It is the least used among facilities slated to close, Scout leaders say.
Last year, 219 girls went there, which was about 40 percent of its capacity. Scouting officials declined to discuss finances other than to say the $250,000 annual cost of running the camp far exceeds income.
Maybe I’m in some sort of bubble, but if I asked any of my girls if they’d rather go to a camp that specialized in outdoor activities or one that specialized in math, science, and technology indoors I know mine would pick the traditional camp every time. I don’t understand the study and the story didn’t help me out with this. The girls value air conditioning so much they would trade a more active program in exchange for a hands-on technology camp? I think I’m talking myself into making some calls to figure out how this is possible.
Update: I just got off the phone with Susan Schneider from the Girl Scouts of South Carolina, Mountains to Midlands Council. She told me about their recent merger of four councils and how some camps require more investment to bring them up to a current state than the enrollment makes worthwhile. She also pointed me to the site where they did their research into how to handle the merger including the closing of camps. The site is http://www.sheseesthefuture.org/ and the presentation there lists other camps that are closing: Camp Blue Cloud, Camp Cofitachiqui, Camp Drew, Camp Ponderosa, Camp Star Fort, and something called McCormick Lot.
I’ve made no secret of my disapproval of camp closings that have memories stretching many decades for thousands of families. Susan was very persuasive, however, in talking about the kind of experience that girls prefer and that I can validate from my own experience with my daughter’s troop. They like the group experience which is part of what the council is trying to accomplish. She also noted that for less than the cost of upgrading existing camps they can build a brand-new facility to address exactly the points that their survey said girls wanted.
I can’t bring myself to change my mind about preferring to conserve the historical camps, but I have to acknowledge the reality that enrollment has declined and the camps that previously served our nation’s young women are simply too much supply for a smaller demand.
The new camp hasn’t been planned out yet, much less built, but for an idea of what the council is trying to accomplish I was directed to look for a tech camp in Kalamazoo, Michigan. http://www.internaldrive.com/why-id/overnight-summer-camp-options-at-our-computer-camps/ was the first thing I found and it seems cool, but strikes me as more of computer camp. However, I was told that the council doesn’t plan to lose the outdoor experience and would most like partner with off-site locations to bring both outdoor and indoor experiences to their campers.
This along with other stories of this type make me think that there is a controlling faction within the professionals of the Girls Scouts of the USA who believe they know what today’s girls want and are trying to drag old fogeys like me into this new vision of the GSUSA for the 21st century.
To convince me that this amount of effort at redirecting the Girl Scout movement is correct I would need to see the new program implemented and successfully turn around the membership decline in at least three geographic areas. Otherwise, it’s all just conjecture, both my assertion that the old program simply needed better implementation and the professionals’ assertion that we need a new focus on leadership and technology skills.
The one thing that is provable is that enrollment has declined and therefore something has to happen or we can simply expect that trend to continue.
- Girl Scouts Los Angeles Resident Camps Terminated
- More Reorg Pains
- Singing Hills is Silent Now
- Closed, But Not Gone
- Declining Interest in Girl Scouts – By Parents
6 Comments so far...
Les M Says:
16 June 2009 at 6:24 pm.
While my dd would like a science and technology camp AS WELL, this is exactly why she’s counting the days until she finishes 8th grade and can join a Venture crew.
Vickster Says:
1 March 2011 at 5:06 pm.
This saddens me greatly as a former girl scout who spent countless summers at Camp Congaree. I can tell you how many times I slept under the stars, rode horses and sang “Barges” during the candle ceremony on the lake. I think they are loosing site of what made scouts so great.
Wick Says:
12 March 2011 at 5:31 pm.
“Each campfire lights anew…..the flame of friendship new”……Camp Congaree……Scar Face Mountain…..Piney Woods…..buddies……latrines……Indian Burial Grounds……square dancing…..Big House……Cricket…..Dining Hall……syncronized swimming……bathing caps…….buddy tags……hikes……sleeping on the green……capers……rest hour…..campcongarikityree….Christmas in July…..banquet on the last night…..hoppers…..Cullum Hall…..uniforms……flag ceremony……sing downs-so many memories.
Meggan Says:
15 March 2011 at 11:37 am.
Oh no, this is truly sad. I remember going every summer. These young girls are truly going to miss a great experiment. “Wick” you said it. That really brought back alot of great memories.
Ally Says:
30 April 2011 at 2:23 pm.
This is sad…. i spent so many summers and troop trips there…. i don’t think its the kids that want the air conditioning and the indoor restrooms in stead of roughing it… it’s the counselors and troop leaders! Shame on you for ruining girl scout tradition because your lazy. The only hope we have left is Camp Lutherock
Fran Says:
9 October 2011 at 9:37 pm.
Wick, I’m glad someone else remembers the Indian Burial Grounds. And ohh, the sleeping under the stars on Scar Mountain. Don’t forget the canoe races on the lake; or the Hatfield – McCoy feud in the meadow. Ghost stories, s-mores and hobo packs around the campfire. I spent 10 summers there and many, many weekends there over the years. ALWAYS loved it. This is truly a sad moment for all scouts.
