Giving Confidence for the Holidays

A gift can say a lot of things, but what we usually want it to say is "I care." When you have a Girl Scout in your life, you look for every opportunity to give her new experiences that'll let her see how amazing she is and all the potential she has. We can't say enough about how camp is the the best embodiment of Girl Scouting. But don't let us do all the talking! Here is a post written by our Camp Texlake counselor, PJ, about why giving a Girl Scout camp for Christmas (or Hannukah, or Kwanzaa or just because!) is the gift the keeps on giving.

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I’m really excited that our summer camp guide debuted Tuesday, December 9 so that you have the chance to actually start planning what’s coming up this summer, just in time for the holidays! I know what you may be thinking, “Who in the world wants to talk summer camp around the holidays?” Well, I’d like to invite you to think about Giving the Gift of camp this holiday season to a young lady in your life. Here are just a few reasons why:

• Recent studies show that the satisfaction of having a fun experience far longer, especially with children, than the instant gratification of getting stuff.

• Less clutter in your house (hey, whatever keeps the house clean!)

• Physical health benefits – The most obvious is getting exercise, but did you know the large amount of time spent outdoors at camp raises levels of Vitamin D, helping protect children from future bone problems, heart disease, diabetes and other health issues? Kids spending time outside has even shown, in clinical research, to help improve distance vision and lowers the chance of nearsightedness!

• Mental health benefits- Learning leadership skills, building confidence and discovering independence are just the tip of the ice berg for what girls learn at Girl Scout Camp. Camp experiences help kids learn life skills and even become more resilient to life pressures and stress 

This post would be days long if I listed all of the benefits camp has to offer, so I suggest you check out my favorite list for yourself. 

Now I know getting a piece of paper isn’t as much fun for kids to unwrap, so I polled a few Girl Scouts and here are some suggestions from actual Texlake campers for getting camp as a gift this year:

• Give a stuffed toy along with a homemade gift certificate for camp. If your girl picks a horse camp, for example, give her a stuffed horse. Bonus, she can take the stuffed animal to camp when summer comes!

• Let your camper choose the camp. One girl I spoke with wanted to get a “gift card, a camp [guide] and how much money I can spend” so she could pick her own camp!

• Give a journal (for older girls) with some fun pens. One camper told me “I want to write down all the things I want to do at camp and check off the list.” 

• Give a camera along with the camp registration so she can start thinking about capturing memories. Disposable cameras don’t cost too much and digital cameras from almost any budget are available for girls who are ready for those kinds of electronics. 

What holiday gift suggestions do you have for giving the gift of camp confidence this holiday season? 

Camp Series: KJ Falchuk, GSCTX Camps Coordinator

One of the core experiences of Girl Scouts is camp—we've long been known for encouraging the development of female leaders through our camp program and we are getting ready for one of the best seasons yet.

With the release of our long-awaited Camp Guide, we’re also launching our Camp Series: a weekly feature on our blog where you’ll get to know more about the whole journey, from counselors to camp grounds and everything in between.

Today we kick off with our Camps Coordinator, KJ Falchuck.

KJ Flachuck, Camps Coordinator

My name is KJ Falchuck and I’m the Camps Coordinator at GSCTX as of October 2013. I have the best job in the world! Not only do I get to coordinate camp staff and operations at Camp Kachina and Camp Texlake, but I get to meet and talk with amazing Girl Scouts year-round!

Although I wasn't a Girl Scout growing up, I've long loved going to camp and being outdoors.  I am so happy to be welcomed as a Girl Scout as an adult and to be able to learn so much from Daisies to Ambassadors and beyond!

Since I wasn't a Girl Scout, I went to a church camp growing up and loved it so much that I worked in it for 7 summers: 5 in Texas, one as a backpack guide in Colorado, and one in Brooklyn, NY!  Camp is a powerful, wonderful experience--near and far!

One of the best things about camp is learning about who you are.  I learned at camp that instead of trying to be someone else, I should always try to be the best version of myself!  Camp was the first place where I really knew that I belonged outside of my family; that is what I want all campers to feel as well!

My fondest memories of camp are playing the guitar with hundreds of people singing camp songs around a fire.  What could be better than singing at the top of your lungs with a bunch of friends outside?

While camp is full of heroes, my personal heroes were my first counselors from Camp Chrysalis. They taught me that it is a lot about responsibility, joy, and that it’s quite an honor to be a person's very first camp counselor!  

Given my own experience at camp, my favorite thing is to see transformation.  Girl Scout campers realize how powerful, smart, and capable they are.  By the end of a week at camp, girls have made new friends and done things they never dreamt possible!

If I could tell girls anything about camp it’s that we need you!  Yes, you!  Every camper makes our week brighter.  Can't make it this summer?  Check us out year-round on the weekends!  We can't wait to see you at Girl Scout camp!

I’m KJ Falchuck and camp is camptastic!