2011 Annual Report - Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest ...

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6 Lesli Sanderson Camp Funshine Director Girl Driven A love for Girl Scout camp can grow for decades Every year, thousands of girls attend camp through Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. Many of them have such a good time that they come back the next year, and some of them come back for many more than just one. “I attended camp starting in the first grade,” Lesli Sanderson said.” Lesli’s mom Joni started volunteering when she was in fourth grade, because as a fourth grader she was too old to technically be a camper, but she could be a “tagalong,” a camper who is there with an adult volunteer. Nineteen years later, Lesli and Joni are still at Camp Funshine. Lesli’s younger sister Jackie was a Girl Scout, too. Joni volunteered all along as her daughters were campers and later Program Aides. Lesli and Jackie volunteered as adults, and in 2008 they took it a step further: they decided to take on the responsibility of directorship of Camp Funshine. Making Camp Funshine great every year is a family affair, even down to the grocery shopping. Campers plan the food they eat, and that means the family takes two cars to the grocery store the night before it all starts, shopping for the ingredients to English muffin pizzas, grilled cheese and other camp-friendly foods. “We normally spend 3-4 hours,” Lesli laughed. “We used to bring only one car but then we got better about organization.” Lesli, Jackie and Joni continue to be involved at camp because of the memories they love from childhood. “One of the main things that pushed us to take on directorship – we wanted to keep camp what it was when we were little and why we loved it so much,” she said. “We wanted to make sure that Camp Funshine stayed the same.” For Lesli, that meant a place where girls could go outside of their comfort zone, only to be surprised to learn the great things they were capable of. “I remember being a little girl and thinking, ‘Wow, look at those older girls!’ and by the time you get there you think, ‘That wasn’t that big of a deal. I can do it.’” “I hope that I can stay with it for as long as possible and that it continues to fill every year. I know that there are some years when it’s dropped really low, and thankfully it’s come back up and we are really strong again.” From her time on both sides of the experience – camper and volunteer – Lesli knows that it’s the Girl Scout organization and the people that surround them who make the future bright for the younger generations. “When the time comes – hopefully some distant time in the future - when I’m no longer director, that someone else strong steps forward to take it over and that we continue to have volunteers like we’ve had for it each year. They are the ones that make it happen. Some of our best staff are older girls – the PA’s that come year after year – they make camp for those little girls.“ Find more information and a video about volunteering for camp online at girlscoutsosw.org/camp/day_camps
Property Highlights Camp Cleawox A new staff house will be ready for camp season 2012. This new building has beautifully exposed glu-lam beams on the interior with a vaulted ceiling to give the feeling of even more space. The building is fully insulated and ADA compliant so it will give user groups greater flexibility when using the camp year-round. During summer months, it will be used for breaks, showers, training and meeting space for camp staff. For the rest of the year it will be available for user groups. It has a fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms and a large laundry facility. This project was not without its challenges as we had to completely redesign the septic system. This was not in the original plan and caused major delays in getting the building permits approved and construction started. It also had an impact on the budget. In addition to the staff house, we have also improved the physical appearance of camp by building fences and sight barricades to help keep users focused on camp activities. Camp Whispering Winds This summer our on-site ranger built a new lakeside storage shed. This shed houses all of the water safety equipment such as life jackets and oars that are used at camp. This structure allows for everything to be very well organized, easily accessible, clean, dry and secure. With remaining funds from this project, the ranger built ample exterior seating that makes a perfect spot for a quick safety refresher. We purchased a new commercial oven for the main kitchen at camp. This large oven has vastly improved efficiency in the kitchen and should last for a long time. Fortunately, the old convection oven was still in working order and it has been moved to the Mountaindale Outdoor Program Center. We are remodeling the bathroom in Richard’s Lodge. This bathroom will be fully ADA compliant and feature new fixtures and a much larger space. • A Girl Scout rider at Camp Whispering Winds leads a horse in the corral • Girl Scouts canoe at Camp Cleawox Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington | 2011 Annual Report 7 Sunset over the dock at Camp Low Echo
Page 1 and 2: 2011 Annual Report
Page 3 and 4: A message from the CEO and Board Ch
Page 5: Board giving reached 100%. Fundrais
Page 9 and 10: Statement of Financial Position for
Page 11 and 12: Girl Scout Gold Award Congratulatio
Page 13 and 14: Girl Scout Gold Award recipients, c
Page 15 and 16: Donors Thank you to the many genero
Page 17 and 18: Sharon Brabenac Del and Kaki Brenne
Page 19 and 20: Robert and Marilyn Millikan Anne Mo
Page 21 and 22: Brenda Y. and Steven King Russa Kit
Page 23: Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washin

2011 Annual Report - Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest ...

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