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 do some mountain ranges
look blue if they are covered with green forests?
The blue haze worn by some mountain ranges has
something in common with the smoggy haze of big
cities. Smoggy haze is a form of human-made pollution
caused by vehicles and factories. Blue mountain
haze is a kind of natural pollution created by
plants like pine trees on warm, windless days.
Imagine a high mountainside covered with pine
trees on a hot day when the air is still. Sticky
resin oozes from the pines. In the resin are terpenes,
fragrant hydrocarbons. As the temperature rises,
pine tree terpenes evaporate into the air as tiny
oily droplets. Floating in the air, the droplet
collides with ozone, which has sifted down from
the upper atmosphere.
The terpenes and ozone chemically react in the
air, forming a haze. The tiny particles of the
haze scatter blue light from sunlight, tinting
the haze blue. With no wind, the haze hangs around
the mountaintop giving the appearance of a blue
fog or smoke–hence the name “Great
Smokies” or “Blue Ridge Mountains.”
Next question: Why don’t
we have ice ages anymore? |
Graffiti is still a problem
at camps |
In the November/December issue
of The Golden Link I addressed the ongoing
problem of graffiti and the steps being
taken to make people aware of the damage
it does to the Council camps and to hold
those responsible when they can be identified.
I have to think it helped because I’m
optimistic by nature and believe that most
good Girl Scouts are inclined to behave
responsibly.
During a pre-resident camp inspection tour
of Camp Agnes Arnold I saw more graffiti
than I have seen in a long time and specifically
in the Tanglewood Treehouse Unit. Most of
the rest of camp was free of the stuff.
The result is I have “flagged”
some troops and one service unit that will
not be permitted back into camp without
first meeting with me and providing |
assurances that Girl Scout
property, which is for the use of all Girl
Scouts not just themselves, will not be
treated in such a manner.
Girl Scouting teaches responsibility, but
not all accept it. Girl Scouting also encourages
caring about others, especially other Girl
Scouts, but not all get the message. Leaving
a place better than you found it is not
just a cute saying but a way of operating
and understanding that others will come
after you to enjoy the opportunities and
facilities you enjoyed. To say, “Well
that’s the way I found it,”
is both short sighted and teaches others
that the most important thing is –
number one. How tragic to have so few friends
other than one’s self.
I suppose I’m being a bit preachy
and to that I plead |
guilty. But I must tell you that it is
a disappointment when one observes what
can only be described as a lack of caring.
The upside is that most of the Girl Scouts
in the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council are
serious about their commitment to the high
standards represented by the Girl Scouts
and for that I am truly grateful.
I appreciate those leaders and girls who
believe and practice that graffiti, or any
type of vandalism, is not a smart thing
to do and that it not only reflects poorly
on those who do it but cheapens the look
of the camps in which we all take such a
great deal of pride. Thanks again to all
those who have been good Girl Scouts and
thanks, in advance, for helping to keep
our camps some of the very best in the nation.
|
Fishing Village Update
– It’s done! |
The project is complete
and the first girls are either ready to
occupy the unit or already have. The village
will provide a great place for older girls
to get away from main camp. It can support
specialized activities or be a quiet, out-of-the-way
area with a great view. Girls will be able
to gather together on their cabin porches,
on the dock by the lake, and on the deck
areas designed to accommodate larger groups.
The dock has places to tie a canoe, fish,
and it even has a fish cleaning station
for campers who are cooking their catch
for dinner. If not, remember the catch and
release policy.
In the August issue of The Golden Link there
will be more pictures of the finished project
and hopefully with Girl Scouts in them!
It is a great unit with great potential. |
Cabins have porches to allow girls a place
to gather.
 There
is good fishing from the dock.
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