Hey world-
GSNEO released their statement today. Its pretty much bad news all around. They are going to follow through with the "temporary closure" of Crowell-Hilaka for the 09-10 program year. The problem with a "temporary" closure, or mothballing, is that the camp is already in such a state of disrepair that after a year it will pretty much be unusable. This is extremely disappointing to the FOCH members, but we won't give up yet. More to come!
Dear GSNEO Members:
On behalf of the GSNEO Board of Directors and Staff, I would like to
thank you for you interest, commitment and dedication to the Girl
Scouts of North East Ohio. Over the past two months there has been a
great deal of discussion surrounding the future of several GSNEO camp
properties. The Board sent representatives to seven different
meetings in June and July to hear your questions and concerns
regarding the camps. As promised, we are now able to provide you with
an update on what actions the Board has taken with respect to the camp
properties.
First, let me start by saying that GSNEO was privileged to host a
GSUSA property consultant on Wednesday, August 5, 2009. The
consultant came to provide us with a framework to begin a much needed
GSNEO Long Range Planning Process surrounding our camp properties and
program. The consultant, along with volunteers from Great Trail Camp
and Camps Crowell-Hilaka, Board members and staff visited the
aforementioned properties. After the tours, the consultant provided
an overview of what trends were occurring in the Girl Scouting
community nationwide as its relates to camps. The consultant felt
that the recent Board actions were consistent with decisions being
made by Councils throughout the country. He pointed out that as the
mergers have occurred, many Councils have found themselves having to
re-evaluate among other things the following:
- How much money is necessary to operate and maintain
healthy and safe camps
-How their camps align with the Girl Scout Leadership experience
-What is the highest and best use of a property
-What portfolio of programs are important to Girl Scouting
-How to effectively price and market camping opportunities
-How many camps (and of what size) are sufficient to
provide the appropriate Girl Scout experience
As a result of the information gathered over the last 20 months, the
information presented at the seven Board/user group meetings,
countless letters, phone calls and emails from interested members, and
the information presented by the consultant, the following Board
actions will be implemented.
1. The Board will develop a long range vision/plan for all GSNEO
camps and camp related programs. A sub-committee of the Properties
Committee will be formed to evaluate our council's outdoor programs
and properties and develop a plan that meets the needs of our
membership and is economically sustainable by the council. This
sub-committee will be made up of board members, volunteers
representing users of each camp, and staff providing subject matter
expertise, geographic diversity, and a commitment to serve. The
sub-committee will present to the Properties Committee a recommended
vision/plan through 2012. The Properties Committee will consider the
recommendation and then make a recommendation to the Council's Board
of Directors. All final decisions about council property rest with
the council's Board of Directors. As the process for the
sub-committees work is finalized, more information will follow shortly
on the sub-committee composition and meeting schedule.
2. The Board is proceeding with the decisions made in March of this
year with respect to the following camp properties:
Relinquished to legal land owner-East Palestine Cabin,
Wintergreen Cabin, Camp Jessie Mae, and Wadsworth House.
To be sold: Camps Singing River and Lycopodia
3. Great Trail Camp will have limited, partial usage over the 09-10
membership year. The staff need an opportunity to operationalize the
new directive of the Board. At this time, the areas of camp to remain
open and when have not yet been determined. Shortly, more information
will be released to allow members to begin to register for this camp.
However, wait until a registration plan is communicated before you
call and try to schedule the camp. To make the process fair so that
everyone has the opportunity to register to use the camp after October
1, 2009, members who attempt to register before a process is released
to all members will be reminded that we are not taking reservations or
creating waitlists for this property at this time.
4. Camps Crowell and Hilaka will remain temporarily suspended for the
09-10 membership year pending the outcome of long range
visioning/planning process.
5. Separate fund-raising by 'Friends' of groups needs to be deferred
until the long range planning committee has finished its work of
identifying priority projects and the plan is accepted by the Board.
There will be an opportunity to support your camp this year through
both the Fall and Cookie product sales in the form of 'Pathway Passes'
or 'Cookie Dough' to be redeemed at camp or specifically designating
your incentive to a Girl Scout camp or project.
While the Board stands behind all of its initial decisions, even the
one to temporarily suspend operations at Great Trail Camp, the ability
to provide a camping experience within a reasonable distance for
members in the southern most areas of our the Council was a major
reason for the decision to provide limited use of Great Trail Camp.
We know that each of you have memories and hold dear particular camp
properties. And we want you and future generation of Girl Scouts to
have the opportunity to continue to make these memories in a way that
is engaging and meaningful. To do this, we must engage in as an
entire group (Board, members, staff) in this long range
vision/planning process. We are hopeful and excited for each of you
to play a role in assisting the Council in supporting the remaining
camps. By actively using the properties that remain open, serving on
and/or participating with survey requests of the long range planning
committee, supporting Council sponsored product sales, helping a new
leader take her troop to camp, the list goes on. I look forward to
seeing many of you actively working with us to create a GSNEO outdoor
program that will be second to none.
Yours in Girl Scouting
Karen McQueen
Daisy L. Alford-Smith, Ph.D.
Board President
Chief Executive Officer
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Waiting for notes from today's GSUSA camp visit
Well, the word on the street is that the future is not looking too hot for Hilaka. I do not know any details at the moment, and I will post as soon as I hear anything.
In the meantime, I wanted to share the proposal that Lynn (president of FOCH) sent on our behalf to council yesterday. This gives a rough outline of the plan that we have for saving Camp Crowell-Hilaka, from short term solutions to our long term plans.
We know that they have recieved it, but no feedback as of yet.
Let's keep our fingers crossed that the board will allow us to continue working on this problem!!
In the meantime, I wanted to share the proposal that Lynn (president of FOCH) sent on our behalf to council yesterday. This gives a rough outline of the plan that we have for saving Camp Crowell-Hilaka, from short term solutions to our long term plans.
We know that they have recieved it, but no feedback as of yet.
Let's keep our fingers crossed that the board will allow us to continue working on this problem!!
To the Board of Directors, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio
After having carefully considered the presentation on Crowell Hilaka July 20th, the members of the Friends of Crowell Hilaka ( FoCH ) have committed to several initiatives that we believe will dramatically boost camp usage.
Our proposal: Give us 18 months. Keep the camp open that long, and we can put programming in place that supports the GSUSA mission of girl leadership , bring the camp usage up, and, as word spreads, may well increase overall membership . These are outline below.
The most immediate questions we have for you are these:
Can an open House for Crowell Hilaka be held either the last weekend of September or the first weekend of October?
We can tie it in with the various events going on in the village of Richfield which is celebrating its bicentennial this year. IF we stress the GSUSA program "Girls Go Tech" and tie it in with the heritage of inventor James Kirby ( see attached FAQs) we have a program that will raise regional interest on several levels. We would especially like to involve the Inventor's Museum & Hall of Fame in Akron.
With a target date to "show off" the camp, all the girls who have been clamoring to go out and help save the camp will have the opportunity to clean, paint, trim trails, etc. Teams of older girls can function as tour guides, hike leaders, and historical interpreters.
FoCH would like to request permission to hold its Kick-off meeting at camp on that same weekend. We would of course pay rental on whatever site we use.
Re: the proposed council fund for FoCH - who would have access to the money and/ or records ? Would designated FoCH members be able to view the account at will? Would we be notified of deposits ? Would the council send an acknowledgement letter to the donor or would we?
The Hard Hatted Women group continues to express interest in making repairs/ showing our members how to do the repairs. However, they need to have the membership issue addressed; and they need to know that the work they do will benefit Girl Scouts for a long while to come.
Proposed FoCH initiatives;
Marketing - we are very pleased that the GSNEO website now features the camps. We have noted a major increase in the helpfulness of the registration staff when calling to check on site availability. a 100% improvement!
- we are compiling a PDF on Camp Tips available to leaders free on the FoCH website. This initiative is being led by Gold Awardee & doctoral student Rachel Oppenheimer and certified archivalist Niki Krause.
- developing a resource bank of experienced adult campers that can help troops plan their campout and then accompany them on the weekend. This is already started - we expect to expand.
- FoCH members are prepared to visit SU meetings to promote camping.
- just from within our own group we can generate enough funding to pay for some advertising for the proposed tech /historical open house. We would not have to dip into GSNEOs budget for that. A small committee has formed to research venues & costs.
Program - available immediately : letterbox/geocache hybrid based on the extremely successful "Treasure Hunt" feature of the first two Cadette/Senior Summits which were held at CrowellHilaka. With permission of the council, FoCH can easily underwrite the costs of a permanent, professionally done display which explains the GPS and compass navigational systems. As increased funding becomes available we could even provide GPS devices to be borrowed while at camp.
- as mentioned above, the proposed Open House event. Granted there is only a short time to pull off a large event. I myself organized the first Cadette/Senior Summit - a more complex program - in only slightly more time. The key is getting capable volunteer help. One of the main benefits to the event would be to give the girls some way of helping at camp. As word is spreading, troop leaders are joining FoCH - not just volunteering, but begging and demanding to be allowed to help save the camp. Energy is very high.
- there are more ideas in the pipeline - backed up by experienced leaders - but these are the most immediate or time-sensitive.
Repairs & Expenses-
-The first consideration is safety. The list provided did not prioritize, but it did look to us as though the lower dam and the water treatment would need to be tackled first. We believe the projected costs of the listed repairs to be very low. Based on a comparable plans at BSA camps, an overhaul of the water treatment system may be closer to $ 1,000,000 than to $ 10,000. Given the go-ahead, we would be pleased to begin soliciting donations, but naturally, donors would want some assurance that the property would stay in possession of Girl Scouts.
-Unless there are restrictions in the original funding of the Beaumont Pool complex, the feeling among our group is that we can live without the pool indefinitely.
- we understand from the ODNR report that the dam classification is likely to be downgraded to Class II. Even so, it may be necessary to work with ODNR to effect an emergency, temporary lake drainage; if it was deemed that the first priority would be water treatment.
Long Term - 3 & 5 year plans: There are many wide ranging ideas within FoCH. Some themes:
Allow each camp to focus/promote its unique aspects instead of every camp providing every experience
Developing ways to bring inner city and / or low income girls out to Crowell Hilaka
Develop short, i.e. afternoon length, programs at camp at favorable costs
Investigating "Green" architecture for any new construction
Bring girls more into the council decision making process
Respectfully submitted via e-mail ,
Lynn Richardson, interim president FoCH
Monday, August 3, 2009
Correction and Update
The meeting at Camp Crowell-Hilaka will take place on August 5th, and the board meeting as well.
I was unable to attend the FOCH meeting this Sunday, but they came up with a fabulous proposal for GSNEO involving keeping the camp open for a trial period, and this proposal will be sent to council tomorrow morning. Besides fundraising and fixing the structural problems, the main focus is going to be utilizing Hilaka the way it should be and we will introduce several programs that will bring girls to camp. Part of the problem with Hilaka over the past few years was that it was not being used to its full potential. There is also a plan to come up with a collection of "camp tips" that will be available online for troops looking to camp, who are less experienced or just looking for something to switch up their normal camp routine. There will be ideas for games, meals, songs, activities, and all the other things that make the camp planning experience a bit daunting to the newer troops.
A senior girl scout in the area got word of our cause and posted in our forum the other day. She was absolutely devastated that Hilaka was in danger of being shut down, and didn't understand how they could let such a wonderful place slip through the cracks. She compared the other camps in the council as "luxury camps" and suggested that she would rather just stay in a hotel because those places aren't "real camping." The other camps in the council, such as Timberlane, are very nice but they just aren't what a lot of troops are looking for. I hope that other girls like her will voice their opinions are write to council about how they feel.
All in all, we are going to make sure that GSNEO is aware of what a treasure Hilaka really is because it seems like they may not truly realize it at this point. That's all for now! Hopefully I will have another update soon.
I was unable to attend the FOCH meeting this Sunday, but they came up with a fabulous proposal for GSNEO involving keeping the camp open for a trial period, and this proposal will be sent to council tomorrow morning. Besides fundraising and fixing the structural problems, the main focus is going to be utilizing Hilaka the way it should be and we will introduce several programs that will bring girls to camp. Part of the problem with Hilaka over the past few years was that it was not being used to its full potential. There is also a plan to come up with a collection of "camp tips" that will be available online for troops looking to camp, who are less experienced or just looking for something to switch up their normal camp routine. There will be ideas for games, meals, songs, activities, and all the other things that make the camp planning experience a bit daunting to the newer troops.
A senior girl scout in the area got word of our cause and posted in our forum the other day. She was absolutely devastated that Hilaka was in danger of being shut down, and didn't understand how they could let such a wonderful place slip through the cracks. She compared the other camps in the council as "luxury camps" and suggested that she would rather just stay in a hotel because those places aren't "real camping." The other camps in the council, such as Timberlane, are very nice but they just aren't what a lot of troops are looking for. I hope that other girls like her will voice their opinions are write to council about how they feel.
All in all, we are going to make sure that GSNEO is aware of what a treasure Hilaka really is because it seems like they may not truly realize it at this point. That's all for now! Hopefully I will have another update soon.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A Big Week Coming up for Crowell/Hilaka
I have been basically braindead this past week studying for finals and working too much due to an assistant manager gone crazy. So kiddies, this will just have to be a short one for purposes of a quick update only.
AUGUST 2 - Friends of Crowell/Hilaka meeting.
AUGUST 4 - Architect/Property expert from GSUSA visits Camp Crowell/Hilaka, members of GSNEO board and property committee and 2 members of FOCH will be present.
SOMETIME NEXT WEEK - Board will meet to discuss the near future of Crowell/Hilaka as well as Great Trails, another GSNEO camp in jeopardy.
I will keep everyone posted on any decisions made.
Goodnight!
AUGUST 2 - Friends of Crowell/Hilaka meeting.
AUGUST 4 - Architect/Property expert from GSUSA visits Camp Crowell/Hilaka, members of GSNEO board and property committee and 2 members of FOCH will be present.
SOMETIME NEXT WEEK - Board will meet to discuss the near future of Crowell/Hilaka as well as Great Trails, another GSNEO camp in jeopardy.
I will keep everyone posted on any decisions made.
Goodnight!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
What I hope for Hilaka in the future...
Obviously, Hilaka's future is quite uncertain right now. We are unsure at this point if GSNEO will even authorize us to help repair the camp or raise funds to do so.
At the meeting last week, Council gave us a list of repairs that needed to be done at Camp. These items were CLEARLY rough figures, and they had a hard time answering where the estimates came from. Many items on the list were very vague, for example, "Roads, Culverts, and Ditches" - it is unclear if this means that they want to pave more of the roads, or do they need more gravel, or do the ditches need to be filled in? There was a lot of doubt on whether or not some of the repairs on the list were even necessary.
Other things that stuck out from the list was a $350,000 cost of repairing the pool and poolhouse. We were all extremely confused about this particular item because obviously the state of the pool should not hold back the use of the camp. The pool was mainly used for resident camp anyways, and since they did away with that years ago, the pool should NOT be a top priority. Obviously, if Council plans on making full use of the camp again it will be considered, but there are many other projects that need to be taken care of first, of course the dam and water treatment plant being of the utmost importance. We can re-stain the outhouses and build porches later.
The grand total was $802,000...but again, these are just estimates and I have a feeling some of these projects will be considerably MORE expensive than listed.
A property specialist from GSUSA is coming out to Camp Crowell-Hilaka on August 4, and the FOCH will have 2 members present representing our cause, and council will obviously have representatives there as well. The board will meet in the days following and decide where to go from there, maybe even IF there is anywhere to go from there. FOCH is well represented at the Aug 4. meeting at camp, but it is a bit nerve wracking nonetheless. This guy will only be at camp for a couple hours, just basically the amount of time it takes to walk through all the units. Council seems to be moving about the situation quite leisurely, while all of us at FOCH are eager to speed up the process and get the how on the road. So, we shall see how that situation pans out.
I think that we should get Crowell-Hilaka on the track to become accredited by the American Camping Association (ACA) and offer resident camp during the summers again. Every since resident camp has been taken out of the picture, the camp has gone steadily downhill from there. Camp Crowell-Hilaka currently has the most expensive troop camping rates in the State of Ohio, mostly because they are not able to make revenue from any other kind of programming. It is such a waste to let such a beautiful and historic campground go to waste the way Hilaka has been going.
I believe that within the next 3-5 years we can, and should, make Hilaka ready for summer camp again. It will be difficult, as the past nine years of non-activity will make it difficult to find staff that are as connected with the camp as the previous group of staff were. Hilaka sold off all the horses in 2005, which will be difficult as well because a good majority of girls who came to camp were in horse programs. I think that we can get back to where we were eventually, if we act quickly and with the camp's long term future in mind.
What do you guys think? What do you see in Camp Crowell-Hilaka's future?
At the meeting last week, Council gave us a list of repairs that needed to be done at Camp. These items were CLEARLY rough figures, and they had a hard time answering where the estimates came from. Many items on the list were very vague, for example, "Roads, Culverts, and Ditches" - it is unclear if this means that they want to pave more of the roads, or do they need more gravel, or do the ditches need to be filled in? There was a lot of doubt on whether or not some of the repairs on the list were even necessary.
Other things that stuck out from the list was a $350,000 cost of repairing the pool and poolhouse. We were all extremely confused about this particular item because obviously the state of the pool should not hold back the use of the camp. The pool was mainly used for resident camp anyways, and since they did away with that years ago, the pool should NOT be a top priority. Obviously, if Council plans on making full use of the camp again it will be considered, but there are many other projects that need to be taken care of first, of course the dam and water treatment plant being of the utmost importance. We can re-stain the outhouses and build porches later.
The grand total was $802,000...but again, these are just estimates and I have a feeling some of these projects will be considerably MORE expensive than listed.
A property specialist from GSUSA is coming out to Camp Crowell-Hilaka on August 4, and the FOCH will have 2 members present representing our cause, and council will obviously have representatives there as well. The board will meet in the days following and decide where to go from there, maybe even IF there is anywhere to go from there. FOCH is well represented at the Aug 4. meeting at camp, but it is a bit nerve wracking nonetheless. This guy will only be at camp for a couple hours, just basically the amount of time it takes to walk through all the units. Council seems to be moving about the situation quite leisurely, while all of us at FOCH are eager to speed up the process and get the how on the road. So, we shall see how that situation pans out.
I think that we should get Crowell-Hilaka on the track to become accredited by the American Camping Association (ACA) and offer resident camp during the summers again. Every since resident camp has been taken out of the picture, the camp has gone steadily downhill from there. Camp Crowell-Hilaka currently has the most expensive troop camping rates in the State of Ohio, mostly because they are not able to make revenue from any other kind of programming. It is such a waste to let such a beautiful and historic campground go to waste the way Hilaka has been going.
I believe that within the next 3-5 years we can, and should, make Hilaka ready for summer camp again. It will be difficult, as the past nine years of non-activity will make it difficult to find staff that are as connected with the camp as the previous group of staff were. Hilaka sold off all the horses in 2005, which will be difficult as well because a good majority of girls who came to camp were in horse programs. I think that we can get back to where we were eventually, if we act quickly and with the camp's long term future in mind.
What do you guys think? What do you see in Camp Crowell-Hilaka's future?
Just For Fun!
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Above are some unit pictures I have found from Camp Crowell-Hilaka resident camps. There are a few key ones missing, including Whitewater Wheelin from '99, a couple horse programs, as well as a few others I can't remember at the moment. These bring back some memories, that's for sure.
The cool thing is that I am still in contact with many of these girls and counselors still...ahh yes, the wonders of Facebook =)
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A Comprehensive History of Camp Crowell/Hilaka
I finally had the chance today to sit down and sort through all of the information that I have been given throughout the past few weeks of Camp Hilaka's history. I typed up this little summary of what I found, and it is indeed fascinating. Camp Crowell is the oldest standing camp in the Legacy Lake Erie Region of the GSNEO, with its inception in 1937. It is so sad that they have let such a gorgeous property fall through the cracks, especially one with such a rich and colorful history. The Friends of Crowell Hilaka are here to restore our beloved camp to the way it should be!
Enjoy!
History of Camp Crowell/Hilaka
Compiled by Jacqui Muth
In 1936, the Cleveland Girl Scout Council began looking for a centrally located campsite that could be owned by the council. The committee found the Kirby Estate near West Richfield, Ohio, which was being offered at $60,000.
To raise the money for the camp, Mr. Warner Seely chaired a committee composed of business and civic leaders, including Julia Crowell, James R. Garfield and Linnea Friede (do these names sound familiar?). The committee received publicity from public figures such as Lee Henry Hoover and Eleanor Roosevelt, who both credited Girl Scouts and camping as invaluable experiences for young women.
The Church of the Covenant widely publicized the campaign and the Cleveland Council held a benefit at their Annual Banquet aptly named “Camp Around the Calendar.” The campaign raised $61,157 from 5050 persons and secured a bid for the Kirby Estate.
On April 7, 1937, the Cleveland Council purchased 243 acres of land in West Richfield from Mr. and Mrs. Kirby, the owners of the Kirby Vacuum Company. It was dedicated to Julia Crowell, the first commissioner to the Cleveland Council, at the opening ceremonies on June 20, 1937, dubbing it “Camp Julia Crowell.” The property included a home built by James Kirby himself of timber cut and sawed on site, dedicated as “Kirby House” on August 17, 1937.
Mr. Kirby wanted a lake on his property, so he dammed a stream flowing from his half of the Upper Lake and filled a sizeable lake below, known as “Lower Lake.” They stocked the lake with fish and brought in water lilies with pink and white flowers, which can still be seen to this day.
He also built the millhouse and the first ever ball-bearing mill wheel. This wheel was so sensitive that a trickle of water was enough to generate power for his buildings. The mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1978 and stands today as a museum of historical Girl Scout artifacts.
The estate’s famous dance hall was later named “Garfield Hall” on August 9, 1937 in honor of Eleanor Garfield, President Garfield’s great granddaughter-in-law and the Cleveland Council’s second commissioner. It was built on railroad boxcar springs so that it would bounce for square dancing. This was the Kirby’s recreation hall and was used as a dining hall in the early days of Resident Camp at Camp Julia Crowell.
Loa Russell, a Girl Scout in the Cleveland Council remembers her first summer at Camp Crowell very clearly: “Our Innisfree unit [a unit for older girls at another Girl Scout camp] left the camp at Burton for an overnight at the new site in Richfield. I spent a summer as a CIT and later as a ‘gopher’ at the camp then the council hosted a National Leaders’ Encampment. There were a variety of program specialists as trainers. I especially remember a person who was the song leader. She inspired me with a lifelong love of folk songs.”
Girls travelled in droves to Camp Julia Crowell (or CJC as it was affectionately known by the scouts) throughout the 30s and 40’s. It was clear that a love of camping had spread throughout the Cleveland Council, and throughout the world of Girl Scouting as well. In 1942, a new policy was adopted to allow the summer camping program to be open to girls of all ages, regardless of race. In the summer of 1943, Camp Julia Crowell become one of the first overnight camps to allow African American girls to stay. The girls stayed at “Hickory Hill,” a platform tent site. Those who attended this historic summer at camp made lifelong connections from the experience.
By the late 40’s, troop camping was done at Camp Julia Crowell as well. Doris Becker was a senior Girl Scout the first time she went troop camping. “We went to Kirby House in the winter,” she remembers. “When we arrived on a Friday night, a pasta dinner was waiting for us. We went sledding down the hill at Garfield Hall and hiked the Upper Lake. When I arrived home, I told my mom if I ever had a daughter, would want her to become a Girl Scout and have as much fun as I did.”
Camp Julia Crowell became THE place to be for camping. Girls would register individually through the council and paid a camp fee of $18 for two weeks. The camp units the girls used were platform tents, with cots on the wooden floors. Outdoor programming varied according to the girls’ interests, and often included boating, swimming, hiking, cooking outdoors, and campfire activities. Meals were served in Garfield Hall. In 1949, “Hilltop Cabin” was built, and was the first winterized cabin at the camp.
During the war, Dean Rightnour spent three summers at Camp Julia Crowell. She can still see “the last night at camp, singing at watching all the wish boats flickering on the lake.” Dean says that a highlight of her summers was tending to the camp’s victory garden. “Each unit was assigned a day to hoe, cultivate, and pick weeds. I picked weeds. I had never had a garden, so I wasn’t really too sure what I was doing. All I remember was that I was very proud of the weeds I had picked – until I was told that those nice light yellow roots were carrot plants!”
Membership in Girl Scouts continued to grow throughout the 50’s and in 1955, the council began to offer family camping at Camp Julia Crowell. Families camped together in tent units and planned their own meals and activities. Family camping was popular throughout the rest of the decade.
The resident camp program continued to grow as well; in 1950, CJC welcomed 548 girls and by the end of the decade in 1959, 727 girls attended Camp Julia Crowell for summer programming. The camps were operated by approximately 80 staff members each summer, and the woods rang with voices of happy campers. A CIT program began in 1952, and by 1958 the CIT program was so popular that it became a two-year program available to girls at least 16 years old.
Unfortunately, on August 4, 1959, a tragic event struck at Camp Julia Crowell. Lightning struck a tree at 4:45 a.m., hitting two tents at a primitive camp site killing two 13-year-old girls. The families requested that contributions be made in the girls’ names, and the following summer the “High Lea Shelter” at Camp Julia Crowell was constructed in honor of Sallie Louise Parker, one of the girls who lost their lives in this tragic accident. Another memorial shelter, “Mable Smith Shelter” was dedicated on May 18, 1958, in honor of Mable Smith, a beloved 10-year staff member.
The 50’s also gave way to an historic event that changed Camp Julia Crowell forever. In 1957, the council purchased 93 acres of land adjoining Camp Julia Crowell and the other half of Lake Linnea and brought the total of the West Richfield property to 336 acres. This parcel of land was originally the Freeman Farm, one of the largest apple orchards in the State of Ohio. The Clarence J. Neal family of the Neal Storage Company had owned the property before the council’s acquisition.
There were four buildings on the Hilaka property at the time of purchase. Mr. Neal built “North House” in 1928 as his family home. The antique brick effect in the construction is authentic since the bricks were salvaged for some of the original buildings around Public Square in Cleveland. “Amity House,” or South House, as it was then known, was built by Mr. Neal’s son as a gift to his wife. On the premises as well were the “Coach House,” and a garage. The lake is called “Lake Linnea” in honor of Mrs. Linnea Friede, a volunteer who started her scouting career in 1921.
This new acreage adjoining Camp Julia Crowell was named “Camp Hilaka” and was dedicated on June 12, 1960 by Mrs. Margaret Bates, the third Vice President of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Two tent units, each with six platform tents, were opened for troop camping, as well as the buildings already on site. Several day camp sessions were held on the site as well.
The next few years were spent in drafting the development plans for the future expansion of Camp Hilaka. A camp development campaign to raise $65,000 was held from 1963 to 1966. On May 21, 1967, Hilaka’s major facilities were completed and dedicated. These major additions included “George Gund Hall”, “Louis D. Beaumont Pool” and shower house, “Chagrin Cabin,” eight other units and a water system and sanitation plant. In June of 1967, the first campers and staff arrived to officially open the first full season of resident camping at Camp Hilaka. In 1968, the camp saw the addition of the camp office and trading post and in 1969, a brand new boathouse and pier greeted campers, thus completing the Camp Hilaka development.
Resident camp and troop camping continued throughout the 70’s, but by the end of the decade, Resident Camp was suspended due to a decline in participation. A decision was made to further develop Camp Crowell/Hilaka and use it as the main focus for programming in the newly formed Lake Erie Girl Scout Council. Camping made a comeback in the 80’s and Crowell/Hilaka was THE place to be again.
The 1990’s were Camp Crowell/Hilaka’s golden age. The camp was filled every weekend with troop campers and the summers were full of happy campers from grades 3-12. Throughout these years, council-sponsored summer camping programs at Crowell/Hilaka included resident camp, core camp, Safari/Pathfinder Day Camp and Discovery Days. The council increased its emphasis on outdoor educational and recreational opportunities such as high adventure trips for older girls, including backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing and whitewater rafting.
Camp Crowell/Hilaka saw many improvements throughout the 90’s as well: the construction of a new tack building and riding rings for the horse program, winterization and restroom additions to Gund Hall and a new storage building and addition to the camp office. Major dam reconstruction was accomplished through the volunteer efforts of the local union of the Ohio Operating Engineers. A high ropes course, challenge course, and climbing wall were built. Spiff’s Garden, adjacent to Amity House lawn, was dedicated in 1991 as a memorial to Lisa Pruett, a senior Girl Scout member. In 1999, Hi Lea Shelter was rebuilt and rededicated as a memorial to Sallie Parker.
GSLEC made the heartbreaking decision to close summer camp at Crowell/Hilaka in 2000, and later sold off all of the horses in 2005. The camp has steadily declined since due to a lack of interest from the Council, and here we are in 2009, with Crowell/Hilaka in need of close to a million dollars in repairs. Many scouts from all over the country are desperately trying to save this historic landmark and our “home away from home.“ We can’t help but wonder how Council let such a gem of a place slip through the cracks, but now the focus is on trying to restore Camp Crowell/Hilaka back to its glory as the shining star that it should be.
Sources:
The Girl Scouts of Lake Erie Council. A Promise Kept: Ninety Years of Helping Girls Succeed. Copyright 2002, Cleveland Ohio.
Various timelines provided by the former Girl Scouts of Lake Erie Council.
Excerpts from the Camp Hilaka staff brouchure, circa 1990's.
Enjoy!
History of Camp Crowell/Hilaka
Compiled by Jacqui Muth
To raise the money for the camp, Mr. Warner Seely chaired a committee composed of business and civic leaders, including Julia Crowell, James R. Garfield and Linnea Friede (do these names sound familiar?). The committee received publicity from public figures such as Lee Henry Hoover and Eleanor Roosevelt, who both credited Girl Scouts and camping as invaluable experiences for young women.
The Church of the Covenant widely publicized the campaign and the Cleveland Council held a benefit at their Annual Banquet aptly named “Camp Around the Calendar.” The campaign raised $61,157 from 5050 persons and secured a bid for the Kirby Estate.
On April 7, 1937, the Cleveland Council purchased 243 acres of land in West Richfield from Mr. and Mrs. Kirby, the owners of the Kirby Vacuum Company. It was dedicated to Julia Crowell, the first commissioner to the Cleveland Council, at the opening ceremonies on June 20, 1937, dubbing it “Camp Julia Crowell.” The property included a home built by James Kirby himself of timber cut and sawed on site, dedicated as “Kirby House” on August 17, 1937.
Mr. Kirby wanted a lake on his property, so he dammed a stream flowing from his half of the Upper Lake and filled a sizeable lake below, known as “Lower Lake.” They stocked the lake with fish and brought in water lilies with pink and white flowers, which can still be seen to this day.
He also built the millhouse and the first ever ball-bearing mill wheel. This wheel was so sensitive that a trickle of water was enough to generate power for his buildings. The mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1978 and stands today as a museum of historical Girl Scout artifacts.
The estate’s famous dance hall was later named “Garfield Hall” on August 9, 1937 in honor of Eleanor Garfield, President Garfield’s great granddaughter-in-law and the Cleveland Council’s second commissioner. It was built on railroad boxcar springs so that it would bounce for square dancing. This was the Kirby’s recreation hall and was used as a dining hall in the early days of Resident Camp at Camp Julia Crowell.
Loa Russell, a Girl Scout in the Cleveland Council remembers her first summer at Camp Crowell very clearly: “Our Innisfree unit [a unit for older girls at another Girl Scout camp] left the camp at Burton for an overnight at the new site in Richfield. I spent a summer as a CIT and later as a ‘gopher’ at the camp then the council hosted a National Leaders’ Encampment. There were a variety of program specialists as trainers. I especially remember a person who was the song leader. She inspired me with a lifelong love of folk songs.”
Girls travelled in droves to Camp Julia Crowell (or CJC as it was affectionately known by the scouts) throughout the 30s and 40’s. It was clear that a love of camping had spread throughout the Cleveland Council, and throughout the world of Girl Scouting as well. In 1942, a new policy was adopted to allow the summer camping program to be open to girls of all ages, regardless of race. In the summer of 1943, Camp Julia Crowell become one of the first overnight camps to allow African American girls to stay. The girls stayed at “Hickory Hill,” a platform tent site. Those who attended this historic summer at camp made lifelong connections from the experience.
By the late 40’s, troop camping was done at Camp Julia Crowell as well. Doris Becker was a senior Girl Scout the first time she went troop camping. “We went to Kirby House in the winter,” she remembers. “When we arrived on a Friday night, a pasta dinner was waiting for us. We went sledding down the hill at Garfield Hall and hiked the Upper Lake. When I arrived home, I told my mom if I ever had a daughter, would want her to become a Girl Scout and have as much fun as I did.”
Camp Julia Crowell became THE place to be for camping. Girls would register individually through the council and paid a camp fee of $18 for two weeks. The camp units the girls used were platform tents, with cots on the wooden floors. Outdoor programming varied according to the girls’ interests, and often included boating, swimming, hiking, cooking outdoors, and campfire activities. Meals were served in Garfield Hall. In 1949, “Hilltop Cabin” was built, and was the first winterized cabin at the camp.
During the war, Dean Rightnour spent three summers at Camp Julia Crowell. She can still see “the last night at camp, singing at watching all the wish boats flickering on the lake.” Dean says that a highlight of her summers was tending to the camp’s victory garden. “Each unit was assigned a day to hoe, cultivate, and pick weeds. I picked weeds. I had never had a garden, so I wasn’t really too sure what I was doing. All I remember was that I was very proud of the weeds I had picked – until I was told that those nice light yellow roots were carrot plants!”
Membership in Girl Scouts continued to grow throughout the 50’s and in 1955, the council began to offer family camping at Camp Julia Crowell. Families camped together in tent units and planned their own meals and activities. Family camping was popular throughout the rest of the decade.
The resident camp program continued to grow as well; in 1950, CJC welcomed 548 girls and by the end of the decade in 1959, 727 girls attended Camp Julia Crowell for summer programming. The camps were operated by approximately 80 staff members each summer, and the woods rang with voices of happy campers. A CIT program began in 1952, and by 1958 the CIT program was so popular that it became a two-year program available to girls at least 16 years old.
Unfortunately, on August 4, 1959, a tragic event struck at Camp Julia Crowell. Lightning struck a tree at 4:45 a.m., hitting two tents at a primitive camp site killing two 13-year-old girls. The families requested that contributions be made in the girls’ names, and the following summer the “High Lea Shelter” at Camp Julia Crowell was constructed in honor of Sallie Louise Parker, one of the girls who lost their lives in this tragic accident. Another memorial shelter, “Mable Smith Shelter” was dedicated on May 18, 1958, in honor of Mable Smith, a beloved 10-year staff member.
The 50’s also gave way to an historic event that changed Camp Julia Crowell forever. In 1957, the council purchased 93 acres of land adjoining Camp Julia Crowell and the other half of Lake Linnea and brought the total of the West Richfield property to 336 acres. This parcel of land was originally the Freeman Farm, one of the largest apple orchards in the State of Ohio. The Clarence J. Neal family of the Neal Storage Company had owned the property before the council’s acquisition.
There were four buildings on the Hilaka property at the time of purchase. Mr. Neal built “North House” in 1928 as his family home. The antique brick effect in the construction is authentic since the bricks were salvaged for some of the original buildings around Public Square in Cleveland. “Amity House,” or South House, as it was then known, was built by Mr. Neal’s son as a gift to his wife. On the premises as well were the “Coach House,” and a garage. The lake is called “Lake Linnea” in honor of Mrs. Linnea Friede, a volunteer who started her scouting career in 1921.
This new acreage adjoining Camp Julia Crowell was named “Camp Hilaka” and was dedicated on June 12, 1960 by Mrs. Margaret Bates, the third Vice President of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Two tent units, each with six platform tents, were opened for troop camping, as well as the buildings already on site. Several day camp sessions were held on the site as well.
The next few years were spent in drafting the development plans for the future expansion of Camp Hilaka. A camp development campaign to raise $65,000 was held from 1963 to 1966. On May 21, 1967, Hilaka’s major facilities were completed and dedicated. These major additions included “George Gund Hall”, “Louis D. Beaumont Pool” and shower house, “Chagrin Cabin,” eight other units and a water system and sanitation plant. In June of 1967, the first campers and staff arrived to officially open the first full season of resident camping at Camp Hilaka. In 1968, the camp saw the addition of the camp office and trading post and in 1969, a brand new boathouse and pier greeted campers, thus completing the Camp Hilaka development.
Resident camp and troop camping continued throughout the 70’s, but by the end of the decade, Resident Camp was suspended due to a decline in participation. A decision was made to further develop Camp Crowell/Hilaka and use it as the main focus for programming in the newly formed Lake Erie Girl Scout Council. Camping made a comeback in the 80’s and Crowell/Hilaka was THE place to be again.
The 1990’s were Camp Crowell/Hilaka’s golden age. The camp was filled every weekend with troop campers and the summers were full of happy campers from grades 3-12. Throughout these years, council-sponsored summer camping programs at Crowell/Hilaka included resident camp, core camp, Safari/Pathfinder Day Camp and Discovery Days. The council increased its emphasis on outdoor educational and recreational opportunities such as high adventure trips for older girls, including backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing and whitewater rafting.
Camp Crowell/Hilaka saw many improvements throughout the 90’s as well: the construction of a new tack building and riding rings for the horse program, winterization and restroom additions to Gund Hall and a new storage building and addition to the camp office. Major dam reconstruction was accomplished through the volunteer efforts of the local union of the Ohio Operating Engineers. A high ropes course, challenge course, and climbing wall were built. Spiff’s Garden, adjacent to Amity House lawn, was dedicated in 1991 as a memorial to Lisa Pruett, a senior Girl Scout member. In 1999, Hi Lea Shelter was rebuilt and rededicated as a memorial to Sallie Parker.
GSLEC made the heartbreaking decision to close summer camp at Crowell/Hilaka in 2000, and later sold off all of the horses in 2005. The camp has steadily declined since due to a lack of interest from the Council, and here we are in 2009, with Crowell/Hilaka in need of close to a million dollars in repairs. Many scouts from all over the country are desperately trying to save this historic landmark and our “home away from home.“ We can’t help but wonder how Council let such a gem of a place slip through the cracks, but now the focus is on trying to restore Camp Crowell/Hilaka back to its glory as the shining star that it should be.
Sources:
The Girl Scouts of Lake Erie Council. A Promise Kept: Ninety Years of Helping Girls Succeed. Copyright 2002, Cleveland Ohio.
Various timelines provided by the former Girl Scouts of Lake Erie Council.
Excerpts from the Camp Hilaka staff brouchure, circa 1990's.
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