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Help send a girl to camp this summer

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Greetings,

Every year, donors like you provide the opportunity for our girls to go to camp. Thank you for your past support! 

All this and more await the girls at camp this summer:

Right now, campers here in your community are crossing their fingers and hoping they can go to camp this summer.  Will you make the magic of camp possible for these girls?

Families who have to make hard decisions about their finances want their girl to have the same opportunity as every girl. They want to send them to camp. When you make a gift to the Campership Fund you’re bringing hope to these families. Hope that their girl will be able to have the same experience as all girls, hope that if even for just a little while, she will be able to smile, run, laugh, have fun and will be able to answer the question ~  What did you do this summer? “I went to Girl Scout Camp!”

With your help they can!

Having enough Campership dollars to help families send their girl to camp continues to be a challenge. In the past four years, we have seen an 80% increase in families asking for assistance. We need your help now!

You’ve read what the girls have to say about camp and now I’m asking you to open your heart and make a gift to the GSWNY Campership Fund today to help send more girls to camp this summer.

With gratitude for your support,

Janet DePetrillo

Director of Camp Administration

Help Send More Girls to Camp Today

[This post originally appeared on gswnyblog.com]

2019 Camp Seven Hills Program Spotlight – May 10, 2019

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Summer camp is just around the corner and we wanted to remind you about some really cool programs that are taking place this summer.  So don’t delay, sign up now and reserve your spot for the hottest place in town, Girl Scouts summer camp! 

Register for Camp

Letterboxing It’s a Real Life Camp Treasure Hunt! (for girls in grades 1-3 fall of 2019) Session 2: July 14-19, 2019

Put your problem solving skills to the test as you spend this adventurous week searching for clues and solving riddles to find the treasures hidden throughout camp. Girls will practice the art of letterboxing by learning the basics, making stamps, thinking of clues, and creating a camp letterbox. Challenge your camp friends to see who can find the camp letterbox first. All of the other great aspects of camp are also included in this great creative week. Girls will earn requirements towards the following Girl Scout badges – Daisy – Rosie’s Petal (Make the World a Better Place) / Brownie – Letterboxer

Night Owls with Lasertron Sleep-In (for girls in grades 7-12 in fall of 2019) Session 1: July 7-12, 2019

Are you ready to experience nature’s nightlife at Camp Seven Hills? Prowl around our trails at night, search the sky for a shooting star, have a glow-in-the-dark party with games, plan a kitchen raid, and shop in the Tuck Shop, all at night. You will also head out to Lasertron for a laser tag sleep-in. Stay up all night playing laser tag and games along with pizza and pop. After a hard night of play, sleep late the next morning with time to enjoy your favorite camp activities in the afternoon. Girls must be at least 46 inches tall in order to participate at Lasertron.

Scuba Diving Explorers (for girls in grades 7-12 in fall of 2019) Sessions 2-3: July 14-26, 2019  

Experience the underwater world through a mask, snorkel, and breathing device. Professional scuba instructors from Dip N’ Dive will take you through every step necessary for you to obtain your Jr. Open Water Diver or your Open Water Diver scuba certification. Spend a week at camp training in our Seven Hills pool covering the first phase of your certification. Spend your second week completing the second phase: open water dive with overnight conducted at the Windmill Quarry, located in Fort Erie, Canada. When you surface, don’t forget to leave time for all of the other great activities at Seven Hills.

Camp Seven Hills Family Camp Weekend – July 19-21, 2019

Make it a family affair at Camp Seven Hills. During your day enjoy swimming, boating, horseback riding, crafts, games, archery, or hiking the forest trails. Spend the evening around the campfire toasting marshmallows and chatting with family and friends. The possibilities are endless. Open to all girls and their families. Arrival time is Friday at 8 p.m. and departure is Sunday at 9 a.m.

Families will be placed in platform or cabin tent units only. Each sleeping tent sleeps four to five people. A family of six or more will be placed in two (2) sleeping tents. Horseback riding is on a first come, first served basis for an additional fee of $10 per person. Riders must be able to ride without assistance. Riders must be at least 6 years old or older.

Primitive Archer Girl (for girls ages 14 and up) Sessions 4: July 28-Aug. 2, 2019

Connect with trees and your inner archer. Starting from scratch, raw materials, and girl power, you’ll make your own wooden self-bow through traditional woodworking. You’ll be instructed on the wisdom and knowledge of traditional bow crafting, how to use basic hand tools, cordage twisting for bow strings, ancient fire-bending techniques to straighten arrows and fletching with real feathers. You will, of course, have the chance to test out your handiwork with target practice in the woods and on the fields to round out this amazing experience.

2019 Session 5 Programs at Camp Seven Hills

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Today we’re covering our final week of camp, happening Sunday, August 4, to Friday, August 9. Registration for our final session closes July 22, 2019. For more programs, visit our  Resident Camp Guide on our website.

Girls in Grades 1-3 in Fall 2019

  • It’s My First Time Mini Session: Mini sessions run Sunday to Wednesday. As a first-time camper, you’ll spend four days and three nights enjoying of the very best that resident camp has to offer. Sleep in the one of our cool lodges at camp, while you swim, play games, make crafts, explore the forest, learn to make a fire, cook outside, and sample so many other fun parts of camp life. Don’t forget to bring your best friend along with you!
  • Pony Pals: If you are a girl who loves horses, this introductory program is for you! Spend the week learning the basic ins and outs of the horse program. You will get your first riding lesson, take a tour of the barn, meet the horses, and try grooming, feeding, mounting, dismounting, and tack care with these friendly, four-legged friends. Girls will have one introductory riding lesson and one guided horse ride. Girls must wear long pants and boots with 3/4-inch heel.

Girls in Grades 4-6 in Fall 2019

  • Camp Adventure Girl: This is your chance to learn some serious outdoor skills and time-honored wilderness techniques like fire and shelter making, finding and purifying water, and identify plants for food, medicine, and utility. What is a solar still? Which way is north? Put your skills to the test. All this and other fun stuff at camp await you. Do you have what it takes to be a Camp Adventure Girl? Successful completion of this program will gain you membership into the Camp Adventure Club.
  • Climbing Masters: Challenge yourself and master the elements of the Seven Hills Ropes Course. Test your skills on elements such as Islands in the Sky, Two-Line, Catwalk, Dangle Duo, Burma Bridge or Zip-Line. You can do all of this while still enjoying the splendors of camp life. Girls will earn the Seven Hills ropes course patch along with the activity rider for each ropes course element that they participate on.
  • Long Reins, Free Walk: This program is open to riders at ALL LEVELS – beginner to advanced. The emphasis will be on the basics of English riding and how to apply them to dressage. Lessons also include stable management, basic barn chores, grooming, cleaning the stalls, and feeding the horses. Lessons will be given based on ability and girls will perform a dressage presentation at the end of the camp week. Girls will also learn what a judge would be looking for in order to get the most points and what the different rules are in the sport. Campers will earn the horse patch with rider level(s). Girls participating in the two-week program will remain at camp the entire two weeks.
  • Secret Agent Super Sleuths: Calling all future CIA and FBI agents to Camp Seven Hills! Turn your unit into your very own Secret Super Sleuth Headquarters as you create secret codes to communicate with your secret agent pals. Put your skills to the test as you crack the code to the Camp Seven Hills Break-Out, then take a trip to the Buffalo Escape Room, where you can challenge your sleuthing skills in real time! Girls will earn requirements towards the following Girl Scout badges: Junior – Detective / Cadette – Special Agent
  • Seven Hills Sisterhood: In this program you and your friends make the choices that work for you. Select your favorite programs such as sports, outdoor skills, swimming, arts and crafts, and relaxation.

Girls in Grades 7-12 in Fall 2019

  • Mud Warriors: You and your fellow warriors will face off and compete in mental and physical challenges. Try your hand at a mud scavenger hunt, or a mud slip and slide, or maybe a mud obstacle course. The possibilities are endless! After a day of hard competition relax with a soothing mud bath or mud facial. All of the other great camp activities such as swimming, boating, outdoor cooking and more are also included.
  • Night Owls with Lasertron: Are you ready to experience nature’s nightlife at Camp Seven Hills? Prowl around our trails at night, search the sky for a shooting star, have a glow-in-the-dark party with games, plan a kitchen raid, and shop in the Tuck Shop, all at night. You will also head out to Lasertron for a laser tag sleep-in. Stay up all night playing laser tag and games along with pizza and pop. After a hard night of play, sleep late the next morning with time to enjoy your favorite camp activities in the afternoon. Girls must be at least 46 inches tall in order to participate at Lasertron.
  • Riders Up!: This program is open to riders with skills at ALL LEVELS – beginner through advanced. The emphasis throughout the week will be on the rider’s position, how to control your horse, and learning about dressage. Stable management will also be taught including basic barn chores, grooming, cleaning the stalls, and feeding the horses. The girls will also learn what a judge would be looking for in order to get the most points and what the different rules are in the sport. Girls will receive lessons based on their riding ability and will perform a small horse presentation at the end of the camp week. Campers will earn the horse patch with rider level(s).
  • The Seven Hills Amazing Race: You have seen it on TV. Now it is your chance to do it at camp! Girls will test their teamwork to overcome and conquer challenges across six “countries” in camp. Road blocks might include climbing, shelter or raft building, archery, canoeing, tent pitching, fire building, outdoor cooking, kayaking, and more. It’s non-stop adventure to the end! Successful completion of this program will gain you membership into the Camp Adventure Club.

Taste of Camp at Camp Seven Hills is THIS Saturday, May 4

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Taste of Camp is a great way to see our grounds, meet our staff, and ask your questions about summer camp. Plus, attending means you’re entered into a drawing for a free week of camp!

For those interested in resident camp, our second Taste of Camp event is happening at Camp Seven Hills next Saturday, May 4, from 1 to 3 p.m.

New to summer camp? Visit us this spring to get a glimpse of what your summer camp experience will look like. Informational sessions, tours, and a sampling of camp crafts will be available. You will also have an opportunity to register for summer camp 2019, and a chance to enter your name for a free week of camp and other cool camp prizes.M

May 4, 2019 – 1 to 3 p.m. 
Camp Seven Hills Goodyear
10150 Olean Road (Rt 16), Holland, NY 14080

Be a CIT/Riding Instructor this summer at Camp Seven Hills

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If you’re interested in teaching riding at the camp level, this program is for you! This is a special training program for girls who are 15-17 years old. It covers the first four sessions of camp (July 7 to August 2) and registration closes June 1, 2019.

Concentration will include extended riding and teaching skill training, as well as counseling techniques, leadership, self-esteem and ways to work with younger campers. Riding Counselors in Training (RCIT) will receive certification in First Aid and CPR and their CIT pins after successful completion of this program.

You must be at the intermediate to advanced levels of riding for this program. RCITs will earn the horse patch with rider level(s). Prospective RCITs receive an additional application packet that must be completed prior to the start of your RCIT program.

Girls that complete the full RCIT program will be invited back the last week of camp as a Camp Seven Hills Intern.

For questions on riding ability, please contact GSWNY’s Director of Camp Administration at 1-888-837-6410, or email: summercamp@gswny.org

Thank you for supporting Girl Scout Camp Week 2019!

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[This post originally appeared on gswnyblog.com]

Last week we held our annual Girl Scout Camp Week and we had a blast! Thank you to everyone who answered trivia, registered for camp, or showed of how much you love camp by sharing this image or posting pictures in your camp gear!

  • Taylor C., a Randolph Cadette from Troop 10151, is going to Camp Timbercrest this summer for the 3rd time! And this is her 4th year overall going to GSWNY summer camp!
  • Hailey, a Cadette in Troop 24004, said, When I camp I must have one of my camp shawls and my Thin Mint Build-A-Bear. When I camp with my parents I love sitting around the camp fire eating s’mores!

We held two week-long contests for answering trivia and registering for camp. At the end, we gave away five gift cards, one camp onesie, and A FREE WEEK OF CAMP! Check the image below for all the winners.

It wasn’t just our Girl Scout friends who joined in the fun – Council Staff also had a blast! Here’s a glimpse at some of us in our camp gear:

Just because Girl Scout Camp Week is over for this year doesn’t mean we have to stop celebrating camp! Check out this playlist of videos on our Facebook Page to stay in the loop for all things camp!

2019 Session 4 Programs at Camp Seven Hills

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Our penultimate week of camp begins Sunday, July 28 , and runs to Friday, August 2. Registration for our fourth session closes July 15, 2019. To view our other programs, check out our Resident Camp Guide on our website.

Girls in Grades 1-3 in Fall 2019

  • Letterboxing: Put your problem solving skills to the test as you spend this adventurous week searching for clues and solving riddles to find the treasures hidden throughout camp. Girls will practice the art of letterboxing by learning the basics, making stamps, thinking of clues, and creating a camp letterbox. Challenge your camp friends to see who can find the camp letterbox first. All of the other great aspects of camp are also included in this great creative week. Girls will earn requirements towards the following Girl Scout badges – Daisy – Rosie’s Petal (Make the World a Better Place) and Brownie – Letterboxer

Girls in Grades 4-6 on Fall 2019

  • Be Happy, Relax, and Namaste: Come on, be happy, and join us for a week of camping and relaxation. Create your own Japa Mala bead strings used in ancient Japanese meditation, design thankful jars to share with others, learn, and practice the latest yoga poses, and with help from your yoga instructor, make a special Zen Garden. All of the necessary things for you to relax, have fun, and Namaste.
  • Climbing Masters: Challenge yourself and master the elements of the Seven Hills Ropes Course. Test your skills on elements such as Islands in the Sky, Two-Line, Catwalk, Dangle Duo, Burma Bridge or Zip-Line. You can do all of this while still enjoying the splendors of camp life. Girls will earn the Seven Hills ropes course patch along with the activity rider for each ropes course element that they participate on.
  • Long Reins, Free Walk: This program is open to riders at ALL LEVELS – beginner to advanced. The emphasis will be on the basics of English riding and how to apply them to dressage. Lessons also include stable management, basic barn chores, grooming, cleaning the stalls, and feeding the horses. Lessons will be given based on ability and girls will perform a dressage presentation at the end of the camp week. Girls will also learn what a judge would be looking for in order to get the most points and what the different rules are in the sport. Campers will earn the horse patch with rider level(s). Girls participating in the two-week program will remain at camp the entire two weeks.
  • Seven Hills Sorcery: The train to Camp Seven Hills’ magic school is leaving! Head to the platform, and get on board! Once at camp join your fellow wizards as you make oozing potions, create your own house wardrobe, and play an exciting broomstick sports match. Who will win the Camp Seven Hills Wizard Cup?
  • Sneak-a-Peak Mini Session: Mini sessions run Sunday to Wednesday. This program is for those who enjoy all the fun of camp, but would like to spend only a few days to check it out. In this session you can swim, play games, make crafts, explore the forest, learn to make a fire, cook outside, and making new friends.

Girls in Grades 7-12 in Fall 2019

  • Duct Tape Art: For girls with an artistic eye, this is the week and the place to create well, just about anything using duct tape. Use your imagination and creativity and make a purse or a wallet, or even jewelry. The possibilities are endless with just a little imagination and lots of duct tape! Cookouts, hiking, s’mores, laughter, swimming and so much more are also included.
  • Riders Up!: This program is open to riders with skills at ALL LEVELS – beginner through advanced. The emphasis throughout the week will be on the rider’s position, how to control your horse, and learning about dressage. Stable management will also be taught including basic barn chores, grooming, cleaning the stalls, and feeding the horses. The girls will also learn what a judge would be looking for in order to get the most points and what the different rules are in the sport. Girls will receive lessons based on their riding ability and will perform a small horse presentation at the end of the camp week. Campers will earn the horse patch with rider level(s).

Girls in Grades 9-12 in Fall 2019

  • Primitive Archer Girl: The program is only for girls ages 14 and up. Connect with trees and your inner archer. Starting from scratch, raw materials, and girl power, you’ll make your own wooden self-bow through traditional woodworking. You’ll be instructed on the wisdom and knowledge of traditional bow crafting, how to use basic hand tools, cordage twisting for bow strings, ancient fire-bending techniques to straighten arrows and fletching with real feathers. You will, of course, have the chance to test out your handiwork with target practice in the woods and on the fields to round out this amazing experience.