Girl Scouts Experience Fall Encampment
Submitted by Laura Axler
Camp Hoover in Newton, NJ, once again provided the perfect Fall Encampment experience for Madison-Harding Girl Scouts. On a cool Saturday in late October, 34 Girl Scouts in grades 2–8, as well as 22 leaders and adult members, headed up to the camp for a day of outdoor fun and learning.
The morning began with the 8th grade troops leading a flag-raising ceremony, then troops went off to their morning activity rotations. Next, at the low ropes course, they worked together to complete the various rope challenges and at arts and crafts, troops made dream catchers and dip candles. At lunch, the 8th grade troops led the Girl Scouts in several rounds of camp songs. After lunch, each girl worked on her archery skills then, hiked the beautiful trails to Swartswood Lake for canoeing or row boating.
The day culminated with a fantastic outdoor cooking experience. Each girl chose her own meal to make over the fire or outdoor stove. One group made grilled cheese in individual pan irons, but also helped to make cornbread baked in a Dutch oven over the campfire coals. Other girls made tin foil packets filled with ground beef and vegetables that they cooked on the coals. The third group worked together to follow a recipe for vegetarian chili. They cut peppers and onions, opened cans of beans, and measured spices into large pots that were then heated over camping stoves. For dessert, the girls could choose either banana boats or orange cake. To make the banana boats, they sliced open a banana, filled it with chocolate chips and marshmallows, then wrapped it in tinfoil. Meanwhile for the orange cake, they scooped out some of the insides of half an orange, filled it with vanilla cake mix, and finally wrapped it in tinfoil. Both desserts were then cooked on the coals as a sweet ending to a day of outdoor fun at camp.
For more information about the Madison-Harding Girl Scouts, contact gsmadisonharding@gmail.com or visit gsmadisonharding.com.
