For more than 20 years, six local Girl Scout Troop leaders have spent a week under the stars with a camping trip to the beautiful Boundary Waters. These women continue to do this because they developed a deep appreciation for camping as young Girl Scouts. Though the Boundary Water trip itinerary may change from year-to-year, one thing is constant—there is always a campfire with Girl Scout songs.
Last year, Girl Scouts River Valleys launched the Every Girl in a Tent program to encourage girls to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Girl Scouts knows that outdoor education develops lifelong skills and is a foundational component of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
The group continues their life-long learning as Girl Scouts by participating in the Outdoor Training programs and by incorporating the newest ideas, equipment, and techniques gathered from others in the wilderness field. With their combined 200 years of service to Girl Scouts, these six women have developed a special bond and sisterhood. Beyond their Boundary Waters trip, they share life experiences like birthdays, new homes, weddings, heartaches, and Birkebeiner events.
Each camping trip brings new challenges, and they continue to test their limits by overcoming obstacles in camping with a sense of fun and adventure. Mary Selby put it best:
“They say laughter will add years to your life. If that’s true, this group will live forever.”
Photographed above from left to right: Beth Voermans, Debby Markham, Sue Zellmer, Myra Smisek, Pat Hobbs, and Mary Selby.
