RAHWAY GIRL SCOUTS FALL CAMPING TRIPPlease respond as soon as possible!

The Rahway Girl Scouts are planning on going camping together over the weekend of September 26, 2014. We are looking at this as a great way to spend time together as a “Service Unit” and also with our own troops. We need commitments ASAP from our Girl Scout families in order to plan well and prepare. Following are some facts we already know that we would like to present to you to help you make your decision to commit:

DATE: Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28, 2014

TIME: Leave after school Friday, leave camp by noon on Sunday

LOCATION: Camp Lou Henry Hoover, Newton, NJ (Stillwater Township)

o The cost per person will be $25 (if a troop or individuals decides to visit only for the day on Saturday, the cost will be $15 per person). This money will be used for programs and food. The Service Unit will cover the cost of the cabin and tents.

o It is a rule that all campers must be registered Girl Scouts, dads included. We would prefer that brothers stay at home (this is a GS event, after all). With proper planning we can house everyone with the convenience of separate bathroom facilities and sleeping quarters. Regarding registration, note that the Girl Scout year begins October 1 and ends September 31 at which time registration expires and must be renewed (with the exception of a lifetime membership). The cost for Adult Volunteers is $15 per year and for scouts age 17 and under it is $30 per year. In addition to adults registering (all registrations are now done online), adults must also fill out an Adult Volunteer Application and pass the required background check.

o We will be carpooling to camp (from Rahway, it’s approximately a 2-hour drive). All drivers of Girl Scouts must be registered Adult Volunteers. Only one vehicle is allowed at each site. All others must be parked in parking lot.

o We are looking at renting one large cabin (hopefully Evergreen, which sleeps 46 on bunk beds) and one platform tent site (Maple Glen, which sleeps 46, is the site we are considering). A description of the campsites/cabins and all other pertinent camp info is posted on our website under the “MORE” tab (click on the Fall Camping button and then look for the letter that begins “Dear Camping Coordinator”). Some inexperienced troops/individuals might not be comfortable in the tents so we need a headcount commitment ASAP in order to make sure we can rent the right type of space to accommodate our city’s Girl Scouts.

o Even if it rains, we will camp. There are no refunds or cancellations due to bad weather unless the campground itself is closed.

o All attending Girl Scouts must return a signed permission slip and also have a current health record filed with their troop leaders (mandatory). Each troop must complete a Troop Trip Application.

Right now it is crucial that we reserve the cabins/tents before they are rented by someone else. Please return the questionnaire on the back of this page to your troop leader ASAP, and then return your permission slip with payment to your troop leader by June 16th (your troop leader will email you the permission slip). If you are a Juliette or are a registered Girl Scout without a troop (adults included) WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US TOO!!!! We will do our best to accommodate everyone.

www.rahwaygirlscouts.weebly.com

FALL CAMPING TRIP COMMITMENT QUESTIONNAIRE(All Girl Scouts should complete this questionnaire to help us plan for housing & programs)

1. Are you interested in camping over the weekend of September 26th, 2014?

2. Tell us why, or why you do NOT, want to go camping:

3. Do you want to sleep over (two nights), or just come for the day?

4. Have you ever camped before? If you HAVE camped before, tell us about it:

5. Have you ever slept in a platform tent?

6. Would you rather sleep in a tent or in a cabin?

7. Do you know how to swim?

8. Have you ever paddled a canoe or a kayak?

9. Would you be interested in trying a ropes course?

10.Do you like to hike?

11. If necessary, would your parent/guardian be able to drive you to camp?

YOUR NAME: _______________________________ TODAY’S DATE: ______________________