Hello from Camp Director Poison Ivy
A little about me…well, I’m Poison Ivy, the Camp Director of Camp Adventureful! I live in the Frederick/Firestone area with my husband (Mr. Poison Ivy), my two daughters, Peaches and Shark (PA names of course!), and our two dogs, Milly and Sally. I love to camp, volunteer in the community, attend Peaches and Shark’s music/school events, travel, and I love Girl Scouts!
Growing up in Illinois, Girl Scouts was a huge part of my life. I earned my Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. I travelled to Pax Lodge in London when I was 17 and enjoyed spending time at the local Council camps. One of my favorite camps was the local day camp, Cole Cabin Day Camp. Located on the outskirts of Geneseo, IL, along the Hennepin Canal, it was a constant in my summer schedule. From my first summer, as a second grade camper to my Senior year of high school as a Program Aide, it was a week that provided some of my favorite memories throughout my childhood. This was where I learned to cook over a fire, learned knots and how to hold a knife correctly, learned songs that I still share with other Girl Scouts, and had my first overnight in a tent. It truly was a wonderful opportunity to get outdoors and make new friends.
When my oldest daughter was in Kindergarten, I started a troop in the Frederick/Firestone area. During one of our local Service Unit meetings, I raised my hand and said I was interested in helping at a local day camp. I spent the next decade being a Unit Leader at Among the Pines. I joked to everyone that it was “my favorite week of the year!” It was a week every year to have fun and encourage Girl Scouts to get outside, discover new things, and I got to act like a camper again! It was something that made me realize how important those days at Cole Cabin had really influenced decisions in my life, without me really realizing it.
When Among the Pines announced that Camp Director Bluebird was retiring, I knew it was time to step into the position of Camp Director. I also had a lot of encouragement from the Among the Pines staff. With that, Camp Adventureful was born!
I am excited to see how our camp will do in its inaugural year, but I hope your Girl Scout is excited to cook, learn new songs and games, learn about knots, knives, and compasses, and just have a wonderful week! New friends, new memories, new camp, it will be a blast! I am honored to have your Girl Scout choose to attend Camp Adventureful. I can’t wait to see their smiling faces in July!
Yours in scouting,
Poison Ivy