Girl Scouts and leaders upset over board plan to sell four Southern Illinois camps
The Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois council called an “emergency town hall meeting” Thursday night to deal with an uproar over a board decision to sell its remaining four camps.
About 150 leaders, parents and girls sat in the sanctuary of St. Matthew United Methodist Church in Belleville and listened to CEO Loretta Graham and other officials describe bleak financial conditions that require bold action to keep the organization solvent.
“Our (annual) deficit has grown so large that we could do real damage to our council if we don’t do something now to get our financial house in order,” said Graham, who took the helm two years ago.
The audience was mostly quiet during the presentation, but things got testy when officials announced that there would only be time for 10 questions at the end.
“This is a joke,” one woman complained, prompting applause from the pews. “We want more than 10 questions,” shouted another.
One of the 10 people who went up to the microphone was Theresa Wuebbels, 35, leader of Troop 1110 in Belleville. Her daughter, Morgan, 9, is a Belle Valley Elementary School student in Brownies.
Wuebbels said she broke down in tears when she received an email from the council Feb. 27 announcing plans to sell the camps, which have become part of her family tradition, beginning with her mother and continuing with her daughter.
Wuebbels started a petition on Change.org called “Save Southern IL Girl Scout Camps!” More than 6,000 people have signed in the past week.
“We have a lack of transparency,” she told Graham. “We have a lack of trust.”
After the town hall, several Girl Scouts opposed to the camp closings gathered in the church lobby to commiserate.
“We are very angry because they did not answer our questions,” said Lily Dothager, 13, a member of Troop 145 in Staunton. “They were just saying the same thing over and over again.”
Camps to close Dec. 31
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, headquartered in Glen Carbon, serves more than 9,000 girls in 41 counties. It was formed by the 2009 merger of the former River Bluffs and Shagbark councils. It’s governed by a volunteer board with 19 members.
At the town hall, Chief Financial Officer Kelley Young called the organization’s financial situation “precarious,” noting reserves have been used to cover 10 years of deficit spending.
Young spoke of declining membership and program revenues; reduced United Way funding and corporate contributions; poor cookie sales and rising prices charged by cookie suppliers; and higher maintenance and operating costs related to buildings, camps and vehicles.
“Usage numbers continue to decline (at camps),” Young said. “Camp Torqua is the only one with growth from fiscal year 2017-18 to 2018-19.”
Board members voted Feb. 26 to list for sale Camp Torqua near Edwardsville, Camp Chan Ya Ta near Worden, Camp Wassatoga near Effingham and Camp Butterfly near Farmington, Missouri. They cover more than 1,200 acres of woods, meadows, hills and lakes.
The email to Girl Scout leaders, labeled as a Long Range Property Planning Update, estimated the combined property value at $3.7 million and potential profit at $3.4 million after sales commissions and closing costs.
“Operating and maintaining the four GS of SI camps costs $375,000 annually (which does not include deferred maintenance costs), and the experiences provided are of the same types of experiences available at other locations throughout southern Illinois,” it stated.
In other words, the organization could rent facilities for activities such as camping, hiking, canoeing, horseback riding, archery, rock climbing and zip lining.
Officials plan to create a Girl Scout Experience Fund and invest the $3.4 million, expecting it to earn about $200,000 a year to underwrite costs of outdoor activities, as well as STEM projects, robotics competitions and leadership and life-skills training.
“One of the questions I’m sure you’re asking is, ‘Can we keep just one camp?’” board chair Deanna Litzenburg, of Trenton, said at the town hall.
“The board talked about this at length and decided it’s not fair to keep one camp to help one area of the council while disadvantaging another. We don’t want to cause any further division.”
“We understand that you’re all passionate about these camps,” Litzenburg added. “Please understand that the board did not come to this decision lightly. (We) agonized and wrestled over this decision and talked about it for many months.”
Long list of complaints
Opponents of the camp-selling plan came to the town hall with a long list of complaints. Several asked why they are just now learning of the organization’s money problems and why they weren’t given a chance to help before the shortfall became a crisis.
Officials said budgets are published on the council website and presented at annual meetings. That answer didn’t satisfy Christina Wright, 39, of Livingston, leader of Troop 145 in Staunton.
“We have been asking for years to get a list of maintenance projects and information on how we can help out at camp,” she said. “We have made proposals for fundraising, and it seems like none of them have been taken seriously.”
Others expressed concern that renting camps and using private outdoor-recreation facilities could increase individual costs and pose risks related to injury, abuse or exposure to people under the influence of alcohol or other drugs in less-controlled environments.
Wuebbels said Girl Scout camps have a “culture” that can’t be reproduced elsewhere.
It can run as little as $15 per girl for a weekend at a Girl Scout camp, which includes lodging, food, hiking, canoeing, archery, fishing and crafts, Wright said. “At a private camp, it’s $15 per night just for sleeping, no activities, no food, and that’s cheap.”
The council already partners with facilities such as Camp Ondessonk in Ozark and Touch of Nature Environmental Center in Makanda, Graham said. She promised to ask buyers of Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois properties to consider allowing girls to continue using them for a small fee.
Some people attended the town hall not to express opposition or support for camp sales, but to educate themselves.
“We’re here to find out what’s going on,” said Sandra Nelson, 52, of Dupo, manager of Service Unit 209, who came with her daughter, Jessica.
”There’s a $750,000 deficit, and I assume they’re closing the camps because of that. But I’m here to find out how we got to this point. I’ve been a leader for almost 20 years, and this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
STEM vs. the outdoors
Perhaps the deepest divide revealed at the town hall related to views by staff, board members, leaders, parents and girls on what the “vision” of Girl Scouts should be.
The national Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. has been moving from an organization focused on outdoor activities to one that provides more programs in STEM education, life skills (such as cooking classes) and entrepreneurship to help girls thrive in the 21st century.
Graham referred to founder Juliette Gordon Low, an “ardent believer in the potential of all girls and the importance of fostering their individual growth, character and self-sufficiency,” according to the national website.
“Our organization must be able to adapt and evolve and keep pace with our girls’ changing world,” Graham said.
The Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois council recently formed a Long Range Property Task Force that conducted an online survey to use as a guide in decision-making. Graham said it confirmed that many girls are interested in non-outdoor activities.
One woman in the audience pointed out that only 500 families responded to the survey. Another argued that STEM is taught in schools, while opportunities to spend time in nature are limited, particularly for girls from urban areas. Others predicted membership would drop without camps.
Parker Smith, 35, leader of Troop 175 in Godfrey, said the council was mischaracterizing survey results, which actually showed that 70 percent of local Girl Scouts are more interested in camp programs than other types of activities.
Christina Wright’s daughter, Tyler, 12, a member of Troop 145 in Staunton, agreed.
“You can take analysis from any survey, and the No. 1 favorite thing among the girls would be camping,” she said.
Hope Rosales, 16, a member of Troop 577 in Bethalto, said as student with a learning disability, she’s not good at science or math, but she makes friends and has fun at camp.
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois can overcome its current challenges, Graham told the town hall audience, but only if staff, leaders, board members, parents and girls work together.
“I understand your fears,” she said. “But I guarantee that if we don’t make some changes, we won’t be able to provide great program opportunities for the girls of this council, and we will be putting our council in jeopardy of not getting a qualified charter.”
Here is how the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois website describes its four camps:
- Camp Butterfly — This camp is 960 acres of gently rolling hills, rocky bluffs and water, near Farmington, Missouri. Known as the “Big Sky” place, its seemingly endless, sprawling lands embrace two large spring-fed lakes where campers can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including: hiking, canoeing, sailing, swimming, and more.
- Camp Chan Ya Ta — Enjoy 165 acres of remote environments and many moods located just outside Worden, Illinois. The campers at Camp Chan Ya Ta can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including paddle boating, fishing, volleyball, archery, hiking, wildlife viewing, stargazing and campfires.
- Camp Torqua — Explore 72 acres of meadows, rolling hills, and woods located near Edwardsville, Illinois. Program activities include a fitness course, hiking trails, pond exploration and a Team Challenge Course consisting of a unique series of outdoor obstacles.
- Camp Wassatoga — Usage of this year-round camp is restricted to registered Girl Scouts only. Accommodations include a heated lodge, several platform tents, and a picnic shelter with picnic tables.
This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
