At the Fall Council Meeting in October, Council President Cora Ann Blytas made a kick-off announcement for troops (not parents) to begin contributing to the capital campaign for improvements at Camp Robinwood.

“We are asking troops to match funds already raised to help build improvements at Camp Robinwood. Those improvements include a replacement lodge and a new camping unit. It will require $500,000 to attain this goal,” said Blytas.

Founded in 1949, by a group of prominent African-American businessmen who saw the need for a camp that would be open to girls of all ethnicities, Camp Robinwood has a special history. By the early 1960s and before the Civil Rights Act was passed, African-American and Caucasian Girl Scouts attended fully integrated camp sessions at Camp Robinwood.

Today, Camp Robinwood is a popular site for troop camping and Summer Carousel. Unfortunately, the lodge’s lack of air conditioning and its small size limit more extensive use of the camp. The current lodge was built in 1958 as a troop camp cabin. It was pressed into lodge service when the original lodge was torn down in the 1980s.

Plans are for the camp’s existing Lakeview Dormitory to be converted into a lodge and its interior to be completely renovated. To make up for the 40 beds that will be lost when the dorm is converted, the current lodge will be torn down and a cluster of cabins will replace it. The site will be terraced to conform to the shape of the hilltop.

The new lodge will have:

• a large commercial kitchen,
• seating for 200,
• a climate-controlled program area, and
• most important, it will create a sense of community by providing a place where the entire camp can assemble and share meals together.

Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council’s (GSSJC) entire family will get involved to help troops achieve their campaign goal, including board members, who are speaking about the campaign at service unit meetings during November. A list of special troop recognitions and incentives was given out at the October 16 Council meeting. This information is also accessible on the Council’s Web site. The troop campaign will end in September 2006, so troops have 24 months to plan and implement a way in which to support the campaign. No gift is too small or too large. All contributions will be recognized.

The Council launched the capital and endowment campaign 21 months ago to raise funds to improve facilities and to start an endowment that will provide lasting revenues to maintain the

Girls voted on a mascot for the new campaign and Robin Rabbit came out the winner. Look for more of Robin in the months to come.

camps and continue Girl Scout programs.
If you have any questions, please contact Iska Wire, Manager Individual Giving, at 713-292-0346 or iwire@sjgs.org, or Marianita Paddock, Director of the Capital Campaign, at 713-292-0207 or mpaddock@sjgs. Watch for upcoming articles that will keep you informed of and inspired by the progress GSSJC is making!