News & Updates

Girl Scout Resident Camping to be Reviewed
(August, 2008) The Council Realignment Committee, on behalf of the six legacy councils, has announced that the soon-to-be formed Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles will not offer resident camp programs in the summer of 2009. Please note: This decision does not include troop camping, core camping or current council day camps.

Over the past decade, attendance at Southern California Girl Scout Resident Camps has declined significantly. Ten years ago, 7,436 Girl Scouts attended resident camps throughout Southern California, compared to 3,091 in 2007. Resident camp programs in San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties enrolled only 5.18% of eligible Girl Scouts in 2007.

Of the three councils whose resident camps have operated continuously since 1997, all have sustained significant drops in attendance, averaging a 35% decrease in total girls attending in 2007.

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.

Along these lines, the Council Realignment Committee has requested an analysis of the interests and expectations of Girl Scouts and their families, along with a review of current facilities and their condition. As work on this begins, volunteers will be an important part of the process; please watch for upcoming announcements about how to become involved.