Many Girl Scouts enjoy their first camping experiences at day camp. This year GSSJC will have 32 day camps scattered across the Council’s 21 counties.

Like most Girl Scout activities, day camp has evolved over time. During your great-grandmother’s time, day camp was for girls who for various reasons, could not attend resident camp. This purpose of day camp comes from an issue of the Houston Girl Scouts’ newsletter from the mid 1930s. At that time day camping was a “new phase of camping.” Day camp was held on the grounds of the Council’s headquarters building on White Oak Bayou after the six weeks of resident camp at Camp Tejas.

FYI: Camp Tejas served Girl Scouts from 1929 through 1959 when the land became part of NASA. The site occupied by Girl Scout Little House (Council Headquarters) was city owned land along White Oak Bayou.

The director for your great-grandmother’s day camp was the Council’s executive director (CEO) who was also camp director for the six weeks of resident camp. Day camp sessions were twice a week for four weeks, a total of 8 days, from
9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Campers brought their own lunch and the Council made arrangements with a local dairy to provide milk for each camper.

The fee charged per day was five cents (that’s 5¢ a day, total of 40¢ if a girl came all eight days)! The fee was for “handicraft materials.” Other activities for the girls included “archery, nature study, pioneering, singing, dramatics, rank advancement, story telling, and first aid.” A girl could sign up for all eight days, or attend for only one day if she chose. Reservations were to be made at least one week in advance. Those attending were divided into units of eight girls with one counselor. There was a registered nurse at camp at all times. The

girls received information about day camp from their troop leader. Brownies were not mentioned as participants in day camp.

When the grandmother of today’s Girl Scout was looking for a day camp experience our Council name was Houston and Harris County Girl Scouts. The girls were encouraged to attend the day camp nearest her home, but there was actually a choice of about 15 locations available. The fee was now $2. Some camps had transportation provided at an additional fee. Each day camp had a volunteer director, registrar, and site chairman besides the unit leaders. Brownies, Intermediates, Seniors, and non-scouts were welcome. A standard ratio of trained adults per number of participants was strictly maintained. A Red Cross trained first aid expert was also part of the staff for every day camp. Day camps were segregated for grandmother, African-American Girl Scouts attended separate day camps. Each site for day camp was approved by the Girl Scout Day Camp Committee, inspected by
the Public Health Department and sprayed.

Each girl brought her own nose bag lunch which was now identified as: a sandwich, vegetable, fruit, and cookies. Drinks were provided. There was a camp uniform girls were encouraged to wear. No halters or sandals were allowed.

Program for the girls included cookouts, nature, singing, hiking, field trips, campcraft, and archery. Intermediates usually also had an overnight. Girls were assured in the camp brochure that they would “have the fun of living out-of-doors, cooking over open fires, lashing, hiking, nature crafts and dramatics, playing, and living happily together.”
If the grandmother lived in Liberty, Montgomery, or Waller Counties, or the Baytown area of Harris county, she was part of South Texas Girl Scout Council. That

Girls enjoy day camp in 1973

council also offered day camp opportunities to its members.

When the mother (who is sometimes the leader) for today’s Girl Scout attended day camp, headquarters was in Girl Scout’s own building on Commonwealth Street, and the name had become San Jacinto Girl Scouts and our jurisdiction served 21 counties of southeast Texas. Mother could choose from about 30 different day camps scattered all across the Council. General day camp program of handcraft, nature study, songs and games, and outdoor skills were a part of all day camps. Special interest day camp programs offered canoe instruction, swimming, backpacking, horseback riding and related badges, and heritage activities. Some of the specialized day camps had specific stated prerequisites for attendance. The fee for two weeks of day camp was now $5.

No suggested uniform was mentioned, but halters and sandals were not permitted. Each girl was to bring her own lunch and unbreakable drinking cup. A camp patch for 75¢ is mentioned. “Kaleidoscope” day camps offered even more specialized program.

What is offered for Girl Scouts this summer at day camp? See the special day camp information in this issue of The Golden Link to find out! Girls will enjoy the interesting activities with trained adults in a healthy and safe environment. Twilight camps continue to increase in popularity with today’s girls since they were introduced in 1991. What will be the next innovation for day camp?