Songs and laughter filled the air at Camp Pine Valley in Meansville, Georgia recently. Approximately 118 Girl Scouts from 14 different troops in Fayette County gathered together to participate in a camp out for Service Unit 617 over a weekend.

For many troops, the fun got underway Friday evening when dinners were prepared on camp stoves and open fires and the singing and skits began. As the night concluded, the girls snacked on traditional s’mores and then headed off to their respective tents to share bedtime stories.

As more Girl Scouts arrived at the camp on Saturday, festivities commenced with an opening flag ceremony. Throughout the day, the girls were involved in many activities such as hiking, drawing, knot tying, outdoor emergency training, poetry writing, assembling first aid kits, learning about endangered species and more. All of these events were planned so that the girls could enjoy the outdoors while earning several Girl Scout badges in the process.

The highlight of the weekend for many girls was on Saturday afternoon when the troops had an opportunity to go canoeing, kayaking and paddle boating in the lake. The girls learned some basic outdoor water safety tips while enjoying the beautiful fall weather. Following the lake activities, many troops went over to the camp pool for a refreshing swim.

With the fading sun and the closing flag ceremony, the girls took turns performing skits and singing songs with the entire service unit Saturday night. Back at the units later, the campfires crackled once again as the girls ate their s’mores and reflected on their favorite parts of the day.

Sunday morning arrived with many tired Girl Scouts. After breakfast and a morning ceremony, troops played a few more games before heading back to their units to begin packing and cleaning. 

The weekend was a great success. Service Unit 617 would like to extend a big thank you to Aimee Herrmann from troop 295 for organizing and hosting the camp events as part of her Silver Award project.