What an awesome day sitting on the old bench at Camp Casa Mare with one of my best friends and co-leader as our Brownies were having a blast at Whale Tales during Aquatic Weekend. It was only my second trip to Camp Casa Mare, but as I was leaving that day I knew it would be one on the most memorable, at least for me! I grew up in a small town where we didn’t have Girl Scouts. When my daughter, Candace, entered kindergarten I think we were the first to show up to the Girl Scout rally at our school. She was so excited about being a Daisy, and I was equally excited about being a leader. Our troop started out very small, only five girls, but we quickly grew.

As our first year flew by and we began preparing to bridge to Brownies, I received a phone call requesting that two little Juliettes be allowed to participate in our bridging
activities. One of those little girls was Donna Litton, a pre-school friend of Candace, and her mother, Angelina. Candace and I were both thrilled to see them again. By the end of that first step to bridging, out troop had grown by two and I had a new co-leader. It was very obvious to me that all were going to be incredible additions to our troop.

Now I find myself two years later sharing another amazing experience with my friend and Brownies at Camp Casa Mare. Angelina grew up at Camp Casa Mare due to her love of sailing. She was introduced to sailing at a very young age by her father. Because of her background and knowledge of sailing, she was given special privileges to sail with the “big” girls. She reminisced most of that morning about all of her years at camp and spending time in the “Big House” which she misses dearly. She also shared

Dawn Donaldson and Angelina Litton at Camp Casa Mare.

stories about the older girls wanting to sail with her. Actually, most of these girls wanted to sunbathe while Angelina did the sailing, but she didn’t mind. She felt special and honored to be out on the water with them.

After lunch with the girls at Aquatic Weekend, I went over to view the history and memorabilia of the camp. I didn’t know Angelina as a young Girl Scout, but standing there I knew I recognized that young girl hoisting a sail as several older girls stood there watching her. I immediately went to get her and show her my discovery. We were both very overcome with emotion as the tales of Camp Casa Mare danced through our minds. It was truly a memorable moment for me, but a lifetime of memories for my wonderful friend, Angelina Litton.

Angelina is an excellent example of what a Girl Scout can learn and accomplish through the experiences of camp. She continues to sail with her husband and is teaching her three daughters about the world of sailing. Her calendar is very full with numerous regattas that she sails in throughout the year. She is also quite anxious to begin teaching our Brownies. I am so proud to have Angelina as a co-leader in my troop. She brings so many talents and adventures for our girls. I can only hope that our little girls will share a sun-filled day together at Camp Casa Mare on the old bench where they will make their own memories to share with their future Girl Scouts.