Former Girl Scout campers, staff gather to say goodbye to Camp Redwing
FORWARD TWP — Despite the fact it would likely be the last time Girl Scouts filled the cabins, fields and woods that make up Camp Redwing, laughter echoed through the trees as the camp came to life one more time.
Hundreds traveled through the woods on Sunday, Nov. 2, to say goodbye to the 123-acre camp, during its closing ceremony. The ceremony featured activities such as a scavenger hunt, crafts, s’mores, guided tours and more.
Lisa Shade, vice president of brand marketing for Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania, said in September the organization made the decision to close and sell Camp Redwing due to high repair and maintenance costs.
“The decision to sell a camp is not made lightly and is done with input from local experts as well as through cost-benefit analysis,” Shade said at the time.
The camp opened in 1923 and closed in June to consider improvements to the pool and water system and lessen the impact of creek flooding. Ultimately, it decided no option for improvement was workable.
Shade was in attendance at the closing ceremony on Sunday, where she said holding closing ceremonies is a time-honored practice for them.
“It is very traditional in Girl Scouts to have a closing ceremony. It allows folks to come in and talk about their memories and honor the history of the camp,” she said.
Tracey Berg-Fulton said she is a third-generation camper at Redwing, which makes saying goodbye all the harder. Luckily, she said many campers have kept close bonds so she doesn’t endure it alone.
“We have a very active alumni Facebook group. A lot of the staff have been sharing a lot of our memories of our years here and our experiences here,” she said.
She said one of the greatest parts about meeting up and keeping in touch is getting to talk with the staff members she had as a camper.
“A lot of these people I remember as a kid idolizing and thinking they’re so cool, because these were some of the first women I ever met who had gone to college. We were out doing things in the world,” she said.
Berg-Fulton said before she stopped at the ceremony, she purchased a lottery ticket just in the off chance she wins and can save the camp.
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d be like, ‘all right, get me the best environmental engineers and solve the flooding problem,’” she said.
But even with the closing in the background, people laughed as they shared their favorite stories on camp grounds one final time.
For Berg-Fulton, also known by her nickname “Flamingo,” that story involved the time she and the other staff took the horses out for a walk. However, that all changed when they picked up some speed.
“It was the most beautiful summer day, so we take off and we basically hit a gallop around the back of Mary Lodge there,” she said. “The director had her office in there, and we were just flying out there, and she just goes ‘Flamingo!’”
Another attendee, Jean Schoonover, 75, said she has been involved in Girl Scouts almost continuously for the past 70 years. She brought a jacket, which was adorned entirely with different patches from across the decades.
“I have a whole box down in our shed with more patches because there just wasn’t room,” she said.
She explained she was a Girl Scout from age 6 until she was a senior and then immediately began working with the organization as an adult. She said she still participates in Girl Scouts of Black Diamond events in West Virginia, where she currently lives.
She said she understands the need to close Camp Redwing, but is still hurt and saddened by the nature of the situation. She expressed her gratitude for the camp and Girl Scouts as a whole.
“I’ve had so many experiences through Scouting. For me, it’s my life,” she said.
