Anonymous wrote:My girls do a Girl Scout day camp every year and love it. I've heard the sleep away camps are fabulous.

Which day camp?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD did not have good experiences with the GSCNC sleepaway camps. One year there were 20 girls in her group and 14 were from the same troop and 4 others also came together. Just her and one other girl came with no one. GS has also become so full of rules that they suck the fun out of everything. I say this as a longtime girl scout and former leader. We switched to a private sleepaway camp and my DD loves it. This is one time where you get what you pay for!

Oooh which camp?? Please recommend.

I should clarify… which private sleepaway camp does your DD love now? That’s what I’m looking for a recommendation for. 😀

Anonymous wrote:My DD did not have good experiences with the GSCNC sleepaway camps. One year there were 20 girls in her group and 14 were from the same troop and 4 others also came together. Just her and one other girl came with no one. GS has also become so full of rules that they suck the fun out of everything. I say this as a longtime girl scout and former leader. We switched to a private sleepaway camp and my DD loves it. This is one time where you get what you pay for!

Oooh which camp?? Please recommend.

I did GS Camp as a kid, then worked there later. I am now a Camp Director elsewhere, and my daughter always spends a couple weeks at May Flather. She loves it there!

She goes alone and always comes back with multiple friends. It’s rustic, but that’s part of the adventure.

Scouting America Camps are mainly run by Council's and can have different sleeping arrnagements. There are some where a specific District might rent a private camp for a week or to that use cabins but most of the Council owned camps use tents. Scouting America requires all Scouts who earn Eagle to earn the camping merit badge. That merit badge requires that Scouts attend one camp that is at least 5 nights camping in a tent, this is normally summer camp. Cabins do not count towards this requirement so if you have kids who prefer cabins to tents, they have to atend at least one camp where they are tent sleeping for 5 nights if they want to earn Eagle. Most high adventure camps will fill this requirement, although not Sea Base because there are a bunch of options were the Scouts sleep in dorms, like Scuba.

Cub Scout camps tend to be attended by Packs. You have to have a specific adult to Cub Scout ratio for the overnight camps and most parents attend with their kids, In Cub Scouts the Scout tends to share a tent with their parent. If a parent does not accompany a child then you have to find another Cub Scout that is comfortable sleeping in a tent without a parent because a Scout cannot sleep with an unrelated adult. Cub Scout camps provide programs that the entire Pack follows and they move together throughout the week.

Camping for Troops is different. Troops do attend a summer camp together. Scouts choose different merit badges and activities so they Troop does not stay together during the day. They attend meals together and they camp at the same site but most of the day the Scouts are at different classes and activities with maybe one or two Troopmates. Adults don't have to accompany their kid, there is no set ration. Our Troop normally ends up with 4-6 adults at the camp for the week. Adults do their own thing, there is normally some type of adult training offered and they can do activities if there is extra gear (canoeing/kayaking and the like).

Scouts ina Troop have the option of attending camp as a Provisional Scout. They come solo or with one or two Troopmates. They do not bring an adult leader. Some camps have a Provisional Scout week were the entire camp is made up of provisional Scouts. Some camps will allow a Scout to be attached to another Troop that is attending. They ill check with Troops that don't take up the full camp site and ask if they are ok with Provisional Socuts joining them. The Provisional Scouts will camp and have meals with the Troop then.

My daughter spent several summers at Camp May Flather, then was a CIT, then a counselor the summers before and freshman year of college. Absolutely loved it. I’m very grateful she had that opportunity!

Anonymous wrote:Another happy Girl Scout camp parent, here. Camp Winona (1 summer) and Camp May Flather (3 summers and kiddo is going to be a CIT II this July).

+1. Our daughter has done three summers at Winona (which does have flush toilets, none of the rest do by my understanding) and has had a great time but never had a buddy. She started with the three day camps and has worked her way up to a week.

Another happy Girl Scout camp parent, here. Camp Winona (1 summer) and Camp May Flather (3 summers and kiddo is going to be a CIT II this July).