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POOLHOUSE
at
THE GIRL SCOUTS OF GREATER SOUTH TEXAS COUNCIL'S
CAMP BAYVIEW
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Laura Rebello, Director of Fund
Development, accepts $50,000 from the
Junior League of McAllen on behalf
of the Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas Council. |
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In 2004, the Junior League of McAllen sponsored the poolhouse at
the Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas' Camp Bayview through a gift of $50,000. The
Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas Council
has built an extraordinary camping facility to serve girls from the entire Rio Grande Valley. The facility
includes an
amphitheatre, covered pavilion, sporting areas, challenge courses, nature
trails, pool & poolhouse, conference
center and cabins.
In 2005, eleven girls from
Roosevelt Elementary attended camp in June with funds provided by the
Junior League of McAllen. In
addition to the donation for the poolhouse, the Junior League of McAllen
has also pledged to donate up to $4,000 each year in camperships to local
Girl Scouts who may not be able to afford camp. These camperships
help to ensure that the joy and activities of summer camp are experienced
by girls of all income levels. The girls participated in swimming
activities, drama workshops, scrapbooking sessions, wildlife programs,
outdoor cooking instruction and flag ceremonies. They expressed
appreciation for the opportunity of staying overnight in cabins with camp
counselors and making new friends.
 
The camp is located in Bayview, Texas. Built in 1928 by
Lon C. Hill who founded the city of Harlingen, the camp is an 18 acre
retreat with a large dining hall, modern kitchen, large central lodge, two
conference rooms, five acres of hiking thicket, suitable area for
playing fields, and sleeping accommodations for 86 including three
bungalows. The camp is on Los Cuates Resaca with very lush vegetation
and rolling hills.
The Girl Scouts of Greater South
Texas has over 8,000 girls registered – this means that 1
out of every 13 girls in the Rio Grande Valley is a Girl Scout! Half of
these girls reside in Hidalgo County (McAllen plus its adjacent
communities). Even more significantly, 2,000 of the girls in the McAllen
area are served by an outreach program which brings scouting directly to
girls who might not otherwise be able to participate. These underprivileged
girls meet at places such as the McAllen Boys & Girls Club, Zavala
Elementary, Navarro Elementary and Bonham Elementary. Overall, the
outreach program serves 17 housing authorities, 13 Boys & Girls Clubs, & 15
public schools in low income areas. The costs of scouting such as annual
dues and scouting handbooks are provided to these girls through grants
received by the council. Low income girls often do not have many
positive role models. Scouting provides a positive environment as well
as group that these girls can “belong to”. These girls have been heard
to say, “I like Girl Scouts because they don’t fight.” The Junior
League of McAllen, a women’s organization, is proud to be part of
a project that will help girls grow up strong for generations to come.
The Girl Scout mission is to “inspire girls
with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism and service”. The
many enriching experiences such as camp provided by Girl Scouting enable
girls to grow up strong and courageous. In partnership with committed
adults, girls develop strong values, social consciences, and convictions
about their own self worth. Girl Scouting has a proven track record of
developing girls into leaders. Girl Scouting promotes values supported by
the Junior League of McAllen such as volunteerism, honesty, innocence of
childhood, self confidence and self growth. These values are directly in
line with our Vision Statement which reads, “The Junior League of
McAllen, Inc. envisions significantly improving the quality of life of the
children and youth of our community, by preserving the innocence of
childhood, encouraging responsibility, and promoting a safe environment.”
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Junior League of McAllen, Inc.
