The Golden Link - January 2004 Volume 30 Issue 1 


by GSSJC Facilities Director
Bob Spaeth

Girl Scout Camps
Agnes Arnold, Aranna,
Camwood, Casa Mare,
Misty Meadows, Robinwood,
Silver Springs, Whispering Pines

Readers can contact the Facilities Department by calling Director Bob Spaeth at 713-292-0208 or e-mail bspaeth@sjgs.org.

Grandpa Bob's Brain Teasers
Why is the ocean salty and how did it get there?
 The answer is scientists simply don’t know. They do know that salt is water-soluble, and so it passes into the oceans with rainwater. The salt of the earth’s surface is constantly being dissolved and is passing into the oceans. But scientists don’t know whether this can account for the huge quantity of salt that is found there. If all the oceans were dried up, enough salt would be left to build a wall 180 miles high and a mile thick. Such a wall would reach once around the world at the Equator! That’s a lot of salt!

Here’s another question: What causes waves in the water?

Around Camp
Girl Scout camps are the best place to be year-round
 

The fishing village construction project is moving along at Camp Agnes Arnold. The kitchen shelter and the central shower building slabs have been poured and the kitchen shelter has what is beginning to look like a roof. The view of the lake from this location is at the highest point in the new unit, and it is spectacular! The water and sewer lines are in for the central


    

shower building and it will be built very soon.
Campers at both the Shady Oaks tent unit and fishing village will have half of the new shower building. That means flush toilets and hot showers for all.
The Shady Oaks kitchen shelter will now be lit and two security lights have been placed in the unit. Those who have camped in Shady Oaks will agree that it gets pretty dark at the back of camp.
The piers for the boathouse and fishing pier are also going in and will be completed shortly. This will be a great place to both fish and dock canoes for those staying in the unit.

    

The Program Department has great things planned for the fishing village when it is finished. The target completion date is May 15 before resident camp sessions begin.

Attention reserve rangers
The reserve rangers are taking on a new look! New ball caps, visors, and polo shirts look really good and will make the reserve rangers easily visible at camp. Reserve rangers will be issued either a visor or ball cap and a polo shirt when they arrive at camp for work. Reserve rangers who are scheduled for a weekend should notify the staff ranger of their shirt size and their choice of either a ball cap or visor so it will waiting for them when they arrive. The first hat/visor and shirt will be provided. Each additional hat/visor and shirt will need to be purchased.

Lake Ann is full again
Lake Ann at Camp Robinwood had been lowered several feet so some necessary repairs to the dam could be made. It didn’t look good for a while but patience paid off. The work is completed, it has rained, and the lake is full once more. The pond scum is also gone thanks to a cold front and the influx of water.