An Open Letter to the Membership of Girl Scouts of Nassau County

The Board of Directors of Girl Scouts of Nassau County voted to accept the offer from The Nature Conservancy and the Town of Southampton to purchase the property known as Camp Tekakwitha at the September 13th Board Meeting. The offer which was accepted was for a fair market price.

The Board is charged with deciding how to maximize the Council’s resources in order to perpetuate Girl Scouting here in our jurisdiction. Our decision to accept the offer from The Nature Conservancy and the Town of Southampton allows us to put our assets to work for the girls, and it will preserve precious open space for public use. We are confident that this decision balances the stewardship of our fiduciary assets and the land. It is entirely consistent with our belief in the Promise and the Law that we respect (and protect) the environment while at the same time use our resources wisely.

This bittersweet decision was made after years of examination and exploration of how our camps are being used and what could be done to increase utilization. Our membership has continued to vote with their feet, and we have seen a steady decline in the number of girls using our camp properties despite our best efforts to change this. Meanwhile, the need for improvements to the camps has escalated, without the financial resources to make those improvements. As a result, the condition of the camps has deteriorated.

This decision marks a turning point for how Girl Scouts of Nassau County can best provide relevant and contemporary programming for the Girl Scouts in Nassau County. We are happy we will be able to offer an improved camping experience at our larger property, Camp Blue Bay. The details of how the proceeds from this sale will be fully utilized will continue to evolve over the coming years. Our commitment is to put the capital to work earning interest. This interest will be used to expand programming for girls. We will be developing a site for Girl Space, a facility where girls can come together as Girl Scouts to “discover, connect and take action.” We will be better able to support our adult volunteers with additional field staff and training resources. And we will be able to direct funds to Camp Blue Bay for improvements to roads, plumbing upgrades, an adventure course and other programming.

We look forward to sharing news of expanded Girl Scout programming here in Nassau County and planned improvements at Camp Blue Bay. We will keep our membership posted through our publications, website and various meetings.

Thank you for your continued support of Girl Scouts of Nassau County.

Sincerely,

Christine T. Rio
President and Chief Volunteer Officer

p.s. If you have questions or desire additional information, please contact Donna Ceravolo, Executive Director/CEO, email ceravolo@gsnc.org or phone 516-741-2550, ext. 200 or view the FAQ's.