At Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, we aim to exemplify in our words and actions what it means to be a Girl Scout; one of the core tenets of Girl Scouting is to use resources wisely. As the owners of the only operating overnight Girl Scout camps in the state, we have a responsibility to keep them operating at full capacity with the best opportunities available for girls. After thoughtful consideration and thorough evaluation, our Board of Trustees has made the difficult decision to put Camp Deer Trails in Harrison on the market so that we can redirect our resources into providing programming and experiences for girls.

In addition to mounting maintenance costs, Camp Deer Trails needs significant improvements in order to be the quality camp that our girls deserve. The cost-benefit analysis of maintaining the property made it clear that in order for us to provide the best experiences for our girls across Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, selling the property is essential. Profits from the sale will allow us to focus intensely on bold girl programming, as well as our existing properties. Our four other beautiful properties have full-time staff members who provide the type of support necessary to create and maintain an environment where girls can grow in courage, confidence, and character. At these properties, we provide adventure activities such as rock climbing, horseback riding, target sports, and more. The sale of Camp Deer Trails will allow us to invest in more empowering experiences for girls.

This situation is an opportunity to build girls’ critical thinking and decision-making skills. Throughout their lives, girls will be asked to make difficult decisions such as this. We can use this experience as an opportunity to talk with girls about how to evaluate the costs and benefits of a decision, and how the right decision is not always the easiest.

A farewell event will be planned, with information forthcoming. We are in the process of winterizing Camp Deer Trails; depending on the timing of the sale, it may reopen for use in the spring of 2020.

While this decision has been difficult, we see it as an exciting opportunity to reinvest in vibrant, engaging experiences for girls, and we look forward to providing more innovative, dynamic programming to attract girls to the great outdoors and our beautiful camp properties. 

At Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, it is a priority that our resources are always used in the best interest of the girls that we serve. In partnership with our Board of Trustees, we routinely review building improvements at each of our properties and make the best decisions possible with the limited funds available. 

When we first moved to the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor Regional Center, we came one step closer to realizing the dream of providing girls and volunteers a home for meeting space and programming.  Our Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor Regional Center recently has had increased buyer interest due to its proximity to the interstate as well as the rising market value of this site for potential commercial ventures.  This interest, coupled with the cost of the many improvements needed at the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor Regional Center, has compelled the Board of Trustees to make the decision to relocate our Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor Regional Center. Profits from the sale of the center will allow us to reinvest in our girls.

While the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor Regional Center has been a great home to us over the last several years, a new home would allow us to use our resources more wisely by providing a space better suited for the needs of our girls and our organization.

Our Leadership Team is diligently searching for the best-suited alternate site where girls can learn and prosper.  We look forward to the opportunity to find a new home where we can continue our important work of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. 

At Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, it is of utmost importance that we keep our girls safe while role modeling courage during this brief period of increased risk of illness due to the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus carried by mosquitoes.  At this time, the first frost appears likely in mid-October, after which the risk of contact with mosquitoes is greatly reduced.

In the meantime, we are taking the following precautions:

· Increasing mosquito-prevention activities such as looking for and removing standing water where mosquitoes breed.

· Increasing both biological & chemical applications that target mosquitoes, in partnership with our licensed vendors.

· Installing mechanical mosquito control devices in key areas.

· Moving all scheduled evening activities indoors as recommended by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, including campfires, cookouts, and tent camping.  Tent campers holding reservations will be offered first choice to change their reservation to a cabin reservation.

· Reminding campers to wear long sleeve clothing and apply insect repellent containing DEET.

· Working with concerned troop and group leaders holding events through mid-October to reschedule their event to a date after the first likely frost, on a first come, first served basis, at no additional cost.

This situation can serve as an example of how Girl Scouts discuss and analyze the conditions of a circumstance and teach girls to understand the steps in decision-making and problem-solving. As Girl Scouts, we want our girls to learn the power of critical thinking skills, and the importance of adapting to specific circumstances. A calm, thoughtful dialog around and reaction to this issue allows us the chance to further model the 15 outcomes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience that are so important to girls’ development and future success. We’ve included a copy of Girl Scout leadership outcomes and an outline of critical decision-making steps.

Keep in mind the three key processes of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience: girl-led, cooperative learning, and learning by doing. Below, we’ve outlined some steps to take when discussing this with your girls and families. Please remember to involve your girls in the decision-making process so they can develop their skills and experience firsthand the value and importance they contribute in the decision-making process. Girl-led decision-making gives girls the chance to practice critical thinking skills and learn to maintain grace and composure during a challenge. Our job as leaders is to gently walk behind them to guide and encourage their engagement and thinking around these real-life scenarios. Enjoy your girls! Watch them grow in confidence and skills and celebrate the power of Girl Scouting at its best.

Decision-Making Process

· Step 1: Identify the decision. Realize the need to make a decision and determine how to conduct a girl-led, cooperative learning decision-making dialog around the issue.

· Step 2: Create a trusting environment for participants to identify and share their feelings about the situation.

· Step 3: Gather relevant information and facts.

· Step 4: Identify the alternatives and solutions to the problem.

· Step 5: Weigh the evidence and all relevant data.

· Step 6: Engage the group in dialog on how the facts impacted understanding of the issue, created clarity and thus impacted their feelings around the issue

· Step 7: With the group, choose among alternatives and cooperatively decide on a course of action and the steps needed to achieve results.

· Step 8: Decide cooperatively which members in the group will take action, follow up, and assist in details.

· Step 9: Review your decision & its consequences.

· Step 10: Discuss which competencies the girls learned. Have each girl review the 15 outcomes sheet to discover what they learned and share with the group.

These moments give you as leaders the chance to involve girls in a way that builds many of these outcomes, further assuring the development of their future leadership skills. We look forward to continuing to offer safe opportunities for girls to build courage, confidence, and character by participating in outdoor adventures at our beautiful camp properties.