Girl Scouts get back to basics at day camp
Two dozen girls from Florence, Hillsboro, and Peabody spent part of last weekend at Peabody Country Club attending the annual Girl Scout Day Camp.
Girls from kindergarten to eighth grade learned traditional camping skills as well as crafts, astronomy, and participated in group events like skits and singing.
Camp director Linda Fisher of Peabody said, "Its been hot. In fact we probably couldn't have picked a hotter weekend, but it has been fun too. And I think the girls have enjoyed it."
Brenda Culbertson of Washburn University, Topeka, taught the girls some basic astronomy Friday night after dark. They reported they were able to see the planet Mars.
Other guest speakers and instructors included Dinah Richmond, Peabody, who told of her career in the United States Navy. She said that women in the service have more opportunities now than they did when she enlisted after graduation from Peabody High School in 1969.
Richmond also talked to the Girl Scouts about flag etiquette and patriotism.
The campers fixed their own meals and kept the camp area cleaned up. Craft projects included building and assembling lanterns they used in the camp and then took home with them. They also made calendars as a stamping project.
Mandy Avery, Wichita, and April Kreutziger, Goessel, worked with the youngsters on basic camp skills. Avery and Kreutziger have been active in scouting for decades.
"We found that this group is fairly new to scouting," said Avery. "There aren't a lot of older girls involved right now so we decided to work on the basics of Girl Scout camping with these kids.
"We helped them figure out their skits, hold scavenger hunts, reinforce safety and group manners — things like that," she added.
Many of the younger girls in the Daisy and Brownie troops didn't spend the night in the camp. Avery and Kreutziger hope they will stay with program so they will be part of the overnight routines when they are older.
"Its a big part of scouting," said Avery. "And its fun. There are camping opportunities all over for Girl Scouts. But you have to get the basics in first."
The camp ended Sunday afternoon.
