January 2005 Volume 31 Issue 1  

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

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

Answers to Grandpa Bob’s Brain Teaser Review from the November/December issue.

Which mammal is the smallest? (The bumblebee bat is one inch long and weighs 1/20 of an ounce.)

Which animal is the tallest? (The giraffe measures more than 19’ tall.)

Which animal lives the longest? (The giant tortoise of the Galapagos Islands can live more than 150 years.)

Which animal has the largest eye? (The giant squid eye is 15” across. Larger than a dinner plate.)

Which animal is the largest? (The blue whale can grow to more than 100’ long.)

Which animal is the fastest runner? (The cheetah can run up to 65 miles per hour for short distances.)

Grandpa Bob’s Brainteasers:

Here’s another question for you: How do lakes form?

How to use a camp
ice machine

Did you know there is a right and wrong way to use an ice machine? The Council provides ice machines for your convenience, not because it has to. Just like luggage carts, the purpose is to assist in making your stay at any camp more comfortable and perhaps a little less stressful.

When using an ice machine NEVER scoop ice with your hands! ALWAYS use the ice scoop provided for this purpose. The Texas Department of Health frowns on anyone, anywhere, anytime putting their hands into the ice bin that more than one person or group will be using. It may seem a bit harsh on the surface but consider that, especially in a camp environment, everyone’s hands may not always be clean. It is possible to share colds and other ailments if you scoop ice with your bare hands – don’t do it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that ice is provided to supplement the ice you already have with you. The machine cannot keep up with the demand if everyone fills their ice chests when they get to camp instead of starting the weekend with a full load and then supplementing their supply as it melts.

So be considerate of your fellow Girl Scouts in how much ice you take from the bin. Take only what you need, not always what you want, and everyone will have plenty. Remember,

it’s a convenience and it can be lost if we’re not considerate of each other’s needs.

Underground work continues at
Camp Robinwood

For those who have read the Around Camp Column you know that Camp Robinwood is a favorite camp for many folks. I’m really pleased about that and that is why this property has been undergoing improvement for several years. What improvements? Well, most of them have been underground the past 4-5 years and you would not see them. The camp’s electrical system has been upgraded and two new wells are in place. These are things that are both very expensive and have to be accomplished a piece at a time over several years. While dollars are being spent in these areas, above ground projects, that you can see, may have to wait their turn in the schedule of things to do.

The next major renovation is to the water system. Although the project has already begun it will be invisible to those who come to camp. Be assured, Camp Robinwood is a treasured asset and evidence of that is the investment being made in upgrading the utilities, replacing old wells with new ones, planning for a lodge that will serve the camp population and a new unit for girls.

Your patience is appreciated.

A gentle reminder

It is not unusual for troops to wait a considerable amount of time for a placement to come to one of the Council camps. Imagine when the time finally comes and you have a confirmed reservation and you’re going to camp and maybe even in the unit you requested; and maybe, just maybe in one of the newest units! There you are – finally – and here comes a troop or group marching right through your space, that you paid for, uninvited, and right in the middle of an activity you had planned for many months. Makes you mad, doesn’t it?

The Council is very fortunate to have a wide variety of opportunities and camping styles for girls to choose from and it is understandable that we’d like to get a look at all of them when we finally get to camp. However, we would be offended if someone walked into our hotel room at Disney World just because they wondered what it looked like, or our home because they heard we had a really neat entertainment center set up in the bedroom. It’s the same at camp. Folks in camp have applied, and paid for their unit and have a right to their privacy while they are there. So, please be respectful of their needs and if you just feel like you would like a closer look at the facility ask permission to look around or to have them show you around if they have time. Be a good neighbor. Be a good Girl Scout.