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Outdoor

Travel & Activity Reminders

As the Girl Scout year winds down in May, many girls are looking to see what they can spend their troop funds on. They’ve worked hard during cookie season and fall product season, so they’ve looked forward to reaping the benefits. They may have decided on a trip/activity and set it as a goal.

Hopefully as a troop co-leader you’ve guided and advised them on what kind of trips/activities they can apply their troop funds to. As a troop co-leader it is important to remember to do your due diligence and submit the appropriate paperwork for all travel/adventure/activities.

Below are a few resources from the Girl Scouts of Citrus Website (Please keep in mind that these are updated yearly, always refer to the website for the most current information):

Remember that safety is our number one priority, so please review the guidelines when advising the girls on their choices and before scheduling any activities to ensure that there is ample time to process paperwork and to confirm that they are approved locations.

National

Summer Camp Series: Secret to the Perfect S’more

We’re thinking Spring! And here at Girl Scouts of Citrus, we’ve convened our top camping and outdoor cooking experts for a very important business meeting: to compile the basics you need to know to create the perfect s’more this summer. This is a critical skill for every Girl Scout to know and practice!

1) Start with a solid campfire. If you’re cooking your s’more over a campfire, you’ll want to get nice, hot coals ready in the bottom. Start your campfire at least 30 minutes before you plan to toast your marshmallow. Remember all your safety skills as you’re building and tending your campfire.

2) Choose a roasting stick. You can definitely use a store-bought roasting stick. Make sure you choose a long handled one or an extendable version, so you can keep a safe distance from the flames. However, if you’re not opposed to a little bit of nature in your s’more, feel free to choose a nice long stick from the nearby forest floor!

3) Be prepared. It’s the Girl Scout motto! Prepare your graham crackers and chocolate square ahead of time, so once you have a melty, droopy marshmallow, you’re all ready to start sandwiching! Pro tip: place your graham with chocolate piled on onto a large rock or fresh log near the campfire to start warming up your chocolate square for ideal meltability.

4) Get to toasting! Unless you like your marshmallow burned (Hey, some people do – we don’t judge…), keep your ‘mallow out of the flames, but hold it over some of the hot coals that have burned down, or to the side of the flames (if you can’t get to the coals).

5) Rotate, for best results. Slowly spin your roasting stick, to ensure every side of the marshmallow becomes equally toasted.

6) Squish and enjoy! Carefully remove your golden brown marshmallow from the heat of the fire. It will be a little loose: Be careful – don’t let it fall off! Squish it between your two graham crackers. Ask a friend for help, if needed. Set your hot roasting stick off to the side to cool (and later clean). And enjoy!

Short and Sweet

Volunteer Appreciation week

Did you know that you are part of the largest girls’ leadership development organization in the world 🌎?! Because of YOU we build girls of courage, confidence, and character and prepare them for the lifetime of leadership, success, and adventure that every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ deserves.

It is fundamental in Girl Scouts to make the world a better place. Whether you are earning your first aid badge or working to complete your Silver Award project helping others is what Girl Scouts do. My troop’s first service project in 2009 was collecting long sleeve shirts for the Florida Farm Workers. We also assembled birthday boxes for HOPE Helps, collected pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, decorated holiday stockings for the Oviedo Kiwanis Club and colored greeting cards for Color A Smile. Each service project provided the girls an opportunity to grow in love and kindness for others in their community.

My most treasured gift that I have received as a troop leader, were cards written by the girls. Their thankful words provide encouragement to strive for excellent leadership and continued service in Girl Scouts.Recognize your service community, troop cookie chairs, fall product chairs, co-leaders, adult volunteers that assist during troop meetings, service community team, troop finance chairs and troop chaperones.

On April 22, we celebrate Girl Scout Leader’s Day. Ask your service community what they have planned to recognize and appreciate their adult volunteers and co-leaders. You can also show your favorite volunteer your love and gratitude during National Volunteer Appreciation week.

Here are just some of the ways you can show your appreciation…

  1. Craft…Cook…Create…Have the girls make something for your one-of-a-kind Girl Scout volunteers.
  2. Recognize the volunteer efforts on social media. Include why your volunteer(s) are special to you and include the hashtag #NVW2017 during National Volunteer Week April 23–29.
  3. As a troop leader my favorite volunteer appreciation gifts I received were cards written by the girls. Write your volunteers letters thanking them for their time, talent and commitment.
  4. Send personalized eCards. Pick your favorite G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ design, type their name, and share the card on social media or through email. www.girlscouts.org/sharethanks
  5. Submit Community Level Award nominations or a Board of Director’s Approved Recognition for the efforts of your adult volunteers. Nomination forms are available at www.citrus-gs.org/en/for-volunteers/volunteer-recognitions.html.
  6. Girl Scouts of Citrus recognizes 5/10/15/20 + years of adult volunteer service by providing Years of Service Pins. Provide the Years of Adult Volunteer Service to your Service Community Team. Adults with twenty or more years of service are presented their pins during the Annual Business Meeting.
  7. You can always get them something from the Girl Scouts store. GSUSA has a special discount going on in April. Use code VOLUNTEER18 for 15% off one item from the Girl Scout online store. *The code is available April 1 through April 30, 2018, for 15% off one item from a customer’s order.
  8. The Citrus Council Shop also has a special 10% discount on your purchase from April 16 – 19, 2018 and 15% purchases over $75.

Need help to provide more program and opportunities with your troop(s)?! During April recruit your family, friends, colleagues or school parents to register as an adult volunteer with Girl Scouts of Citrus. www.citrus-gs.org/en/about-girl-scouts/join.html

Volunteers are not paid – – not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless. *Anonymous

Outdoor

Easy and Exciting Foods to Boost Camp Morale

Campers love a good meal, with almost $200 million a year being spent on camping cooking equipment. However, the choice can seem limited, since you’re out in the wild, with often little more than a campfire to rustle up some grub. Part of the mission of girl scouting is using your creativity and ingenuity to find creative and exciting solutions to problems. Building a campfire, then sitting around it, singing songs and telling stories is a great morale booster when things get tough. Great food can do even more to keep spirits high.

Philly Cheesesteak

Food lovers who enjoy camping needn’t worry about what’s on the menu when you can take the city’s most delicious dishes and recreate them in the great outdoors. Dating from 1930s south Philadelphia, the cheesesteak has become one of the nation’s most beloved sandwiches. Bursting with calories, this will give you the energy to get through an active outdoor adventure.

 

Get yourself a large loaf of bread and slice almost all the way through, several times. Stuff the holes with roast beef, cheese, peppers, and onions. Wrap in tin foil and place over the campfire. Cook until all the cheese is melted and you have an incredible, juicy, smoke flavored snack to feed a whole scouting group.

Ice cream s’mores

Any kid who goes camping has made s’mores and, while they are undoubtedly delicious, they can become repetitive and boring. Add a dash of excitement by creating ice cream s’mores. This will be the perfect snack for a short break or a great dessert to follow the main course.

You’ll need to fill an ice cream cone beforehand with mini marshmallows, bananas, raspberry, peanut butter, and chocolate. Then wrap it all up in tin foil. Place the wrapped cone over the fire and within 3-5 minutes, you’ll have a hot gooey snack that’s ready to eat.

Photo credit: AlmostSupermom.com

Cinnamon rolls

If you want a sugary dessert snack to boost morale and energy, then cinnamon rolls are an exciting option. The campfire cinnamon roll recipe couldn’t be easier to follow. Take a croissant roll and wrap it around a skewer. Dip the skewer in cinnamon and sugar, then cook over a campfire for five minutes.

 

There’s no need to stick to the same boring dried pasta and roasted marshmallows when camping. Use a bit of initiative to come up with something really delicious, such as cheesesteaks, s’mores ice cream cones and cinnamon rolls. These well-deserved snacks will put everyone in a good mood after a long day’s work.

Leadership

Girl Scouts Launches The Girl Scout Network on LinkedIn…

More than 50 million Girl Scout alums can now follow the Girl Scout Network page on LinkedIn to support female advancement in the workforce and help prepare girls for a lifetime of leadership and career success.

Today, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and LinkedIn launched the Girl Scout Network on LinkedIn. Just a few days before Equal Pay Day on April 10, GSUSA and LinkedIn are manifesting their shared commitment to equal opportunity in an invaluable new career resource that promotes girls’ and women’s empowerment, leadership, and advancement in the world. With the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2017 findings revealing that gender pay parity is still more than 200 years away, Girl Scouts and LinkedIn are taking action to help tip the scales for women in the workplace.

The Girl Scout Network invites YOU (and our more than 50 million Girl Scout alum sisters) to connect with one another on The Girl Scout Network to enhance your career development. Anyone who was a Daisy, Brownie, or higher in Girl Scouts is an alum and is welcome to join—whether she was a Girl Scout Brownie for one year, or went through the whole program and earned her Girl Scout Gold Award. Millions of girls already benefit from being a part of Girl Scouts as they grow up, and this new community on LinkedIn will similarly offer support for female professionals. It will also allow alums the opportunity to share their experience with the next generation and join forces with like-minded women to effect change.

Stories about unequal and unethical treatment of women continue to populate headlines across the United States. The Girl Scout Network  on LinkedIn will offer inspiring personal stories from girls and alums as well as ways to support and help prepare girls to lead. The page will also provide new and relevant statistics about female leadership to inform and energize female professionals in their careers to take the reins and be trailblazers in our country and the world.

The Girl Scout Network will also provide a place for employers and human resource professionals to recruit women who possess both the hard and soft skills crucial to career success, such as complex problem solving, process skills, and teamwork and communication—all of which girls learn through Girl Scouts. In fact, Girl Scouts completed a grand total of 12.6 million skill-development programs over the past four years. Girl Scouting Works: The Alumnae Impact Study, a 2012 Girl Scout Research Institute report, also found that Girl Scout alums outperform non-alums in key economic indicators, including higher household incomes and higher socioeconomic statuses. And a 2014 Girl Scout Research Institute report found that 68% of alums attribute their success in life to Girl Scouts.

“As the largest girl leadership organization in the United States, Girl Scouts is responding to the clear national need for strong leadership, pay parity, and a robust talent pool to meet our nation’s skilled labor needs,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “We are thrilled to align with LinkedIn to establish a network of tens of millions of Girl Scout alums. I encourage all Girl Scout alums to help fuel the talent pipeline and enhance their professional networks by joining the Girl Scout Network on LinkedIn.”

“Being a Girl Scout opened my eyes early in life to what it means to be a leader and team player,” said Alyssa Merwin, vice president, Sales Solutions Americas, LinkedIn. “Now online communities like the Girl Scout Network will provide critical outlets for millions of girls and young women to continue benefitting from the power of this network as they navigate their careers. LinkedIn is proud to collaborate with Girl Scouts to advance a shared commitment to creating economic and workplace opportunity for all women using our LinkedIn Company Page platform.”

And if you’re an alum, you’re in good company! Girl Scout alums include 76 percent of current female U.S. Senators, 67 percent of current female U.S. Governors, and every female U.S. Secretary of State. In addition, more than half of women leaders in business are Girl Scout alums. Girl Scouts’ legacy is one of girls and women supporting one another and effecting change through civic engagement.

Girl Scout alums interested in joining should visit The Girl Scout Network and click “follow.”

Troop Tips

What is Early Bird and Why it Matters

We completed cookie sales and now we are preparing for Early Bird registration. You might be asking, “What is Early Bird Registration?” or “Why should I participate in Early Bird Registration?”

Well…before the girls can continue their Girl Scout adventure they need to RENEW their membership.

Early Bird registration helps Troop Co-Leaders know whether girls will be back when school resumes and if there are openings in the troop. By asking parents and girls to participate in early bird registration, they get to secure their troop spot. This becomes especially important to prepare before back to school recruitment, where you’ll get another influx of girls wanting to join troops.

Mark your calendar – Early Bird registration begins April 1st and ends May 15th. Current memberships expire September 30, 2018.

As a Co-Leader You Have IMPORTANT Homework

  • Ask your troop before April 1st if they are re-registering with their current troop, joining another troop or will become a Juliette.
  • Ask your troop if you are using troop funds for renewal or if the adults are purchasing their own adult/girl memberships.
  • Check your Troop Roster in MYGS at https://gsmembers.force.com/members/login.
    • Do all the adult volunteers have positions? Who’s helping the girls during year?
      • Troop Positions can include Fall Product Chair/Cookie Chair/Finance Chair/Co-Leader(s)/Parent Helper.
      • Ask your Parent Helpers with troop meeting set-up, purchasing supplies or snacks, leading/teaching a badge requirement, and clean-up.
    • Clean Up your Troop Roster

Early Bird Renewal & Payment

  • Co-Leaders that re-register the entire troop CANNOT select Financial Aid as a payment option. If the troop has decided to use the funds for girl registrations, you can pay using your troop account at checkout.
  • Steps to Renew
    • Login to MY GS.
    • Co-Leaders click the Troops tab.
    • In the top right corner, change CURRENT YEAR to NEXT YEAR.
    • For each member, choose to RENEW, or DECIDE LATER. Click Continue.
    • Accept the Promise and Law. Click Continue.
    • Proceed to Checkout

Please Note: If you add a new member and purchase a 2019 membership, they will not appear on your current roster until October 1, 2018.

If your Girl Scout is joining a new troop or will become a Juliette (Individual Girl Scout) in 2018- 2019, complete her Early Bird registration for the 2019 Membership Year in her current troop.

  • Contact Victoria Katz at Citrus Council – vkatz@citrus-gs.org to discuss Juliette Scouting as an option.

 

Early Bird Incentives & Bonus

During early registration troops receive special incentives and bonuses from Citrus Council. Your Service Community can also earn incentives.

Early Bird Incentives are offered each week and accumulate the earlier you register.

Don’t miss the $.05 per box bonus on next year’s cookie program!

Troops that reregister 80% of girls and 50% adult members will qualify to receive 2 free t-shirts. Following the Early Bird campaign, an email will be sent to each qualifying troop with instructions on how to order their t-shirts. T-shirts will be distributed at the fall community meetings.

Be sure to visit the council website for Early Bird Renewal Resources

Are You Considering Disbanding Your Troop? Here are a few things you can work on before making that leap.

  • Change the frequency of the troop meetings. Consider meeting once a month or bi-monthly.
  • Schedule troop meetings before or after a troop outing.
  • Provide additional girl led opportunities – girls leading the meetings, older girls hosting badge workshops.
  • Ask the girls to select badges, journeys, take action projects, earning higher awards during the year.
  • Meet with your service community team for support or guidance.
  • Ask Co-Leaders in your service community if they want to combine troops.
  • Ask for additional troop adult volunteers.

After you’ve exhausted all other options and are set on disbanding, be sure to review the Troop Disband Report/Checklist with your troop prior to disbanding the troop.

www.citrus-gs.org/content/dam/girlscouts-citrus-gs/documents/TroopForms/Troop-Group-Disbanded-Report-Checklist.pdf

 

After Early Bird Registration

When you go back to school there are so many girls that want to join new and existing troops. You and your Girl Scouts can encourage girls to join during fall recruitment and help other troops in your service community from disbanding.

Support your Service Community Recruitment Team by assisting with set-up, girl activities, distributing recruitment information and clean-up during recruitment events.

Girls also receive a special Recruiter Patch for their efforts.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook @Floridagirlscout

Featured

Knowing when she’s ready for Resident Camp – 5…

Let’s cut to the chase: Really, only you and your daughter can decide when she’s ready for overnight camp. But, here are some questions to consider and skills to practice, before signing up or dropping her off at check-in.

Questions to consider and discuss as a family:

  1. Has she expressed an interest in camp? This is an excellent first step. If she’s asking about camp and shows a genuine interest in pursuing the opportunity, it’s worth continuing the conversation.
  2. Is she up for the adventure? If she’s a go-with-the-flow, unfazed, slightly oblivious, bundle of energy…she’ll probably fit right in. But, if she prefers to follow a careful routine or clings to you in new settings or unfamiliar situations, you’ll want to have a discussion about whether she’s ready to get outside her comfort zone.
  3. Is she prone to homesickness? Most campers experience some level of homesickness, as they adjust to a new location and being away from the familiarities of home and family. Consider whether she has spent the night (or multiple nights in a row) away at her grandparent’s house or at a friends house. How did she handle those experiences? What were the challenges? How did she cope?
  4. Is she comfortable in the outdoors? Camp is unfamiliar territory to some first-time campers. Consider how much time she typically spends playing outdoors, with bugs, heat, dirt, and rain. Has she ever slept outdoors in a tent – even in the back yard – or have you gone camping in an RV or cabin as a family?
  5. Does she have the skills to care for herself? Our trained staff counselors will ensure her safety and well-being at all times, but our campers are expected to care for their own bodies and belongings. Before coming to camp, she should be able to: pick out clothes appropriate for the weather and dress herself; brush her own teeth; brush/comb her hair and put it in a ponytail, if applicable; correctly apply her own sunscreen and bug spray; make her bed and keep her belongings neat and tidy; keep track of her backpack for an entire day; change into and out of her swimsuit; sleep through the night without wetting the bed or sleepwalking (if accidents happen, our staff are prepared to support her, though – and they’ll keep it as discreet as possible).

Here are a few tips to prepare for her first session of summer camp:

  • Discuss camp openly with her. Debate the pros and cons of the experience, and come to a consensus together. Invite her to fully participate in picking out her camp session based on the theme or dates.
  • In your discussions, make a list of questions she has that you don’t know the answer to, and reach out to our summer camp expert, Aimee Beauchamp, to get all the answers.
  • Practice spending more than one night at her grandparents’ house or a friends house, or in a tent in the backyard. Debrief the experience and ask what she liked, what she didn’t like, if she was ever scared, what feelings she felt, what challenges came up, etc.
  • Create a camp countdown with a calendar on the fridge where she can “X” off each day or paper rings where she can remove a ring as each day gets closer to camp.
  • Practice each of the skills she’ll need to care for herself (see #5 above).
  • If you’re the parent of a camper, get yourself ready! Sometimes, parents are more nervous about a first-time camp experience than the camper is! That’s understandable, though – it’s a big step in her growth and independence. In the weeks, days, and moments leading up to her camp experience, be aware of your verbal and non-verbal communication. Are you encouraging her to be brave, try new things, and overcome challenges? Her confidence will soar if you believe she can do anything she puts her mind to.

When you decide – together – that she’s ready for the camp experience, check out all session options at www.citrus-gs.org; or use GSUSA’s Camp Finder to locate a camp across the country (maybe near Grandma’s house!).

Cookies

Troop Funds and Troop Spending

Earning the troop funds this year was hard work, but selling fall product and cookies really paid off in the end. So how will your troop spend their earnings?

Helping girls decide what they want to do, and coaching them as they earn and manage money to pursue their goals, is an integral part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE). Your Girl Scout troop plans and finances its own activities, with your guidance. At the same time the girls learn valuable skills that serve them throughout their lives.

Girls can save the money for something big they want to do… like go on a trip or end-of-year party. They can also look to do a lot of little things throughout the year. It really depends on what the troop decides on.

I suggest putting the money into three piles to help your troop decide what to do with the earnings.

  1. Spend a Little
  2. Save a Little
  3. Give a Little

You and your troop can decide how much of your earnings should go into each pile.

Spend a Little

Last year my troop decided to go to Wonder Works and iFly Orlando. Both were fun and entertaining experiences. The girls braved indoor skydiving one day and challenged themselves at the high ropes course at Wonder Works another day.

We also wanted to be sure our troop continued as a troop. So while the girls had fun with some of the money, they were also responsible enough to save for troop expenses and older girl programs. We spent some of the saved funds for badge supplies and Citrus Council programs.

There are many ways a troop can spend their troop earnings. They can decide to spend it on everything from uniforms to summer camp registrations, and everything in between.

Some items that come to mind:

  • Early Bird Registration fee for adults & girls
  • Uniforms
  • Journey books
  • Bridging Supplies or Kits
  • Girl Scout Summer Camp registration
  • Discounted Program events hosted by Council
  • Service Community Camporee

Save a Little

It’s always a good idea to save a little money for a rainy day. You just never when you’ll need that extra bump. It might be tapped to help the troop reach a goal or to help with unforeseen expenses. Generally, it’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

This can also be a great way to build for a long term goal. So while the troop spends some of their funds on fun activities throughout the year and troop expenses, they can also put aside a little at a time. The goal being to build enough of a reserve for a big party or a nice troop trip.

Give a Little

Our girls are always thinking of others before themselves. Setting up a pile for them to donate to a charity of their choice can be a great way to support them in this. It was amazing to hear about how so many troops donated a portion of their earnings to help their community and to those in need during Hurricane Irma and Maria.

Some troops also work on Take Action Projects. Often times there are specific supplies needed for these projects. Rather than looking for donations, troops can use this portion of their funds to buy the much needed supplies.

Your Role

As a co-leader it is your role to help guide your girls in their financial decisions. Having them learn about saving, earning, and spending can help them in adulthood.

It is also important to remember that all volunteers listed on troop/group bank accounts are ultimately responsible for troop/group finances. Misuse of Girl Scout funds is a serious offense and will be treated as such, including but not limited to termination as a Girl Scout volunteer.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook @floridagirlscout

National

4 Reasons to Gear up for Early Bird Season

“The early bird gets the… PRIZES!!” No worms here, just fabulous prizes and the satisfaction of getting something marked off your to-do list early.

Let’s start at the beginning: What is “early bird”? What are we even talking about here? Good question! Here’s some background: the annual Girl Scout membership year officially begins on October 1 and ends the following September 30. If you’re a current member, you’ll need to renew your registration for next year by September 30 or sooner. And if you do it super early…[you guessed it?!]… you’re an Early Bird! The Early Bird season kicks off on April 1 across the country, and it will end on May 15 for Girl Scouts of Citrus. You can still renew your registration from May 15-September 30, but you’ll just be “on time,” not an early bird. Got it? Ok, great.

——

Here are the 4 reasons you’ll want to participate in Early Bird Renewal:

  1. You’ll earn a free, exclusive Early Bird patch. All girls who register between April 1 and May 15 get our commemorative Early Bird patch to sport proudly all year long on their vest, sash or tunic. Oh, and re-registered adults get one too!
  2. Prizes, prizes, and more prizes. Each week, there are new incentives for you and your troop, and/or chances to be entered into a prize drawing. The earlier you renew your registration, the more prizes you can win! All incentives are cumulative, so if you renew during week 1, you’ll be eligible for ALL the prizes throughout early bird season.
  3. It makes life easier for Troop Leaders, too. Troop Leaders get to head into the summer knowing whether their girls will be back in the fall and can begin looking forward to more adventure together. Or if they have some openings in the troop, they can offer spots for new girls ready to have the experience of their young lives. You’ll be able to hit the ground running once the new year begins.
  4. Parents get some benefits as well. By renewing now, parents get to make sure their daughter(s) will be right back in the same troop come fall by securing their spot. Plus, it will be one less item on your very full list when fall arrives and you’re deep in back-to-school mode.

Stay tuned for more information about prizes, patch design, and even more Early Bird fun!

———

Helpful Reminders:

Key Dates
Early Bird Renewal: April 1-May 15, 2018
On-Time Renewal: May 16-September 30, 2018

Girl Scouts of Citrus Early Bird Page

Renewal Fees
Girls: $25 annual
Adults/Volunteers: $25 annual
–or invest in lifetime memberships for adults (age 30+) for $400, or young alums (age 18-29) for $200.
More information on Lifetime Membership.

Outdoor

Benefits of Unplugging at Camp

From the backyard to the backcountry, Girl Scouts has a long, storied, and successful history of getting girls outdoors. In fact, many Girl Scouts tell us “camping trips” are one of the best things about their Girl Scout experience. It’s true: connecting with nature in a girl-led setting is a big benefit of belonging to Girl Scouts. Studies show that girls today are not spending nearly enough time outdoors.

Technology and structured activities leave less time for girls to get outside and enjoy nature. But as a Girl Scout, she’ll have plenty of opportunities to create her own outdoor adventures and develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and the out-of-doors – whether with her troop at camp or with friends and family.

And that’s great news – because when Girl Scouts get outside, they:

  • Discover that they can better solve problems and overcome challenges
  • Develop leadership skills, build social bonds, and are happier overall
  • Become team players and care more about protecting our environment.

And we know she loves technology (hey – we do too: STEM is one of our program pillars), but leaving her phone at home provides even more benefits to the camp experience:

  • Girls use all of their senses and attention to observe interactions around them and begin to form new friendships.
  • Resiliency boosts when girls begin to problem-solve on their own, with a friend, or with their counselor; rather than relying on a text to mom or a YouTube how-to search.

It can be an uncomfortable transition at first, for both campers and parents. Talk to your camper about what it will be like to spend an entire camp session without technology: what excites her about that? What makes her nervous about it? How will each of you adjust your behavior and expectations in the days and weeks leading up to camp, during camp, and after camp?

Aimee Beauchamp, Girl Scouts of Citrus’s very own summer camp expert, shares this insight and advice on how to prepare: “The camp staff can bridge communication between campers and parents in cases of emergency or in other specific situations, but be careful not to promise your camper that she’ll be able to call home every night or at any time she requests. It won’t be realistic in the camp session’s busy schedule, and it shouldn’t be necessary either. By fully participating in the summer camp experience, your camper is rising to the challenge to step out of her comfort zone, practice her independence, and problem-solve with friends. Empower her to use the resources around her! Encourage her – she can do this. And you can too.”

Girl Scout camps have the opportunity to employ incredible youth development professionals as camp counselors. Counselors are trained to facilitate building friendships between campers, and ensuring campers’ needs are met. They help girls connect with each other through positive communication and shared experiences. Our supportive counselors will ensure your camper has every opportunity to succeed.

When girls spend quality time outdoors, disconnect from technology, and increase their exposure to nature and new friendships, they thrive physically, emotionally, and intellectually. And there are tons of Outdoor Programs for girls to choose from. Visit www.citrus-gs.org for all the details.