Potential Sale Of HoCo Girl Scout Camp Draws Uproar From Members

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Girl Scouts and their families across Howard County and Maryland are in a battle against the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland after the organization announced in March that it planned to sell their beloved Camp Ilchester. Last weekend, former and current campers donned their Scout vests adorned with badges and made their presence known.

"It was one of my first experiences with a camp that I actually liked. I had gone to other camps, I had lived in Pennsylvania for years and I didn't like them, and this was the first camp that I actually loved," Girl Scout organizer Alexis Sherman told WBAL TV. "You never want to stop coming back."

Sherman and others are demanding that Girl Scouts of Central Maryland does not sell all 19 acres of Camp Ilchester and preserve it for current and future Girl Scouts.

"It's key to what we do as leaders. It's key to the experiences that our girls want," Frances Keenan with the Love For Camp Ilchester coalition told WBAL TV.

The board of directors said a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the camp will be used to renovate Camp Woodlands, which is located approximately 30 miles away in Annapolis, to become what they call a Camp of the Future. The organization has four camp properties.

"The board will use the funds to re-envision Camp Woodlands and evolve it into a current camp that has progression-based camping and outdoors experiences for girls now and long into the future," the organization shared on its website.

Girl Scouts of Central Maryland noted on its website that the property has not been listed for sale yet. The board will go before the Council April 22 to express interest in selling the property. The gesture is procedural and advisory in nature. If the board is directed to move forward, it will secure the services of a real estate broker at that time, the organization noted.

The Annapolis site has been pinpointed as the prime location for this futuristic concept, according to the organization, because:

• it is located on the waterfront in historic Annapolis with a unique environmental terrain and a 12-sided, 70-year-old teepee;
• it is within approximately one hour of travel time for most Council members;
• there is an undeveloped area of the property that has potential.

Protesters asked the organization to consider seeking a preservation buyer.