FAQ

1. What is Camp Ilchester?

Established in 1949, Camp Ilchester is a 19-acre camping and outdoor activity site located in Ellicott City, Maryland. It is owned and operated by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (GSCM) council. It provides many outdoor activities for girl scouts like hiking, primitive camping, nature program workshops, camp-fire building, gardening, outdoor cooking, and archery. It is home to an indoor activity center for troop meetings and programs, as well as the Caitlin Dunbar Nature Center, a center created to instill environmental stewardship with a commitment to using resources wisely, preserving wildlife habitat, and making the world a better place. Camp Ilchester is also used by community organizations, like the Y, to host youth programs, including day camps throughout the summer.

2. What is happening to the camp?
   On March 30, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (GSCM) announced their plan to sell Camp Ilchester of Ellicott City, one of only four camps that serve 20,000 girls in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Howard counties. According to the statement* released, “One of our largest, consistently deficit-funded areas is property.” GSCM intends to use the sale proceeds to re-envision Camp Woodlands into a “camp of the 21st century,” an endeavor projected to cost $21M. GSCM Board members plan to finalize this decision by May 4, leaving very little time to consider feedback or alternative solutions from concerned members, parents, and girls who wish to preserve Camp Ilchester and the outdoor Girl Scout traditions it embodies.

3. Why does the GSCM Board want to sell Camp Ilchester?

In the statement released by GSCM Board of Directors on March 30, it states, “One of our largest, consistently deficit-funded areas is property.” Camp Ilchester is zoned R20, making it attractive to real estate developers.

The GSCM statement also says, “Professional evaluations have been conducted on our camp properties for more than a decade and the recommendation is to find a buyer for Camp Ilchester. Funds gained from the reduced property costs and sale of Camp Ilchester will go towards re-envisioning Camp Woodlands, making it a property that has progressive camping and outdoors experiences for girls now and long into the future. This expert advice is what we, the Board, have thoroughly reviewed, discussed, and are recommending.”

4. Will the sale of Camp Ilchester be able to fund the Camp Woodland project?

No. Selling the camp property would only partially fund the project cost of re-envisioning Camp Woodlands – an estimated $21M endeavor. Given current property values, it is estimated that GSCM will need to secure an additional $10-15M to fully fund the project. The re-envisioning project has been underway for over five years, and GSCM efforts to raise money for this project has only yielded $1.8M in support.

5. Does selling Camp Ilchester guarantee that GSCM will be able to retain their three remaining camp properties?

Unknown. The Board of Directors have made no statements indicating the impact of this sale on any camp property other than Camp Woodlands.

6. Did the Board share the evaluation of facts and figures and financial information that lead them to make the decision to sell the camp?

No. The GSCM Board has not shared the analysis or financial information that is being used to determine the need to sell Camp Ilchester.

7. Is Camp Ilchester a financial burden on GSCM?

GSCM is the sole beneficiary of the Clementine Peterson designated endowment fund held in trust by the Baltimore Community foundation. The annual income from the fund is available for maintenance of the Clementine Peterson Activity Center at Camp Ilchester. 49% of GSCM’s revenue is based on the sale of Girl Scout cookies, sold by girls expressly for the purpose of funding council infrastructure such as camps. Further, Camp Ilchester is arguably under utilized as a revenue generating asset.

8. Has GSCM involved members in the decision to sell the camp?

No. Though the GSCM board meets with member delegates on a regular basis to discuss board decisions and organizational operating plans, the delegates do not feel their feedback is considered or suggestions implemented. They feel delegate meetings are simply a formality. Girl Scout delegates and other members want to be part of the decision-making process to sell the camp or to identify a better way forward for Camp Ilchester. The 35-day timeline between the announcement (March 30) and the non-binding delegate vote (planned for April 22) and a board decision by May 4 suggests that the Board is moving forward regardless of member feedback or urgence to consider a different path. This course of action is contrary to the GSUSA constitution which states that Girl Scouts is governed by a member driven, democratic process.

9. How will selling Camp Ilchester negatively impact girl scouts?

Losing the camp will eliminate availability of outdoor Girl Scout programs in Howard County and leave only three remaining camps to serve the 20,000 girl scouts located across five counties and Baltimore city. The closest GSCM camps to the girl scouts of Howard County would be more than 30 minutes away, effectively leaving the youngest scouts without any reasonable access to outdoor space. Girls in Carroll county would be forced to travel an hour or more to camp. Each year, camp program registration and other activities fill up quickly. Many girls are turned away or placed on waiting lists due to space constraints. Fewer camps will further limit access.

Focusing financial resources on fewer camps will ultimately serve a smaller percentage of girls and favor older girls, girls with more financial resources, and those in closer proximity.

10. Who else in the community uses Camp Ilchester?

The YMCA of Central Maryland hosts several weeks of summer camp, typically between 6 to 10. Boy Scouts and other youth groups use the space for meetings, camping, and service projects. Ilchester Elementary and Bonnie Branch Middle School regularly partner with Camp Ilchester to accommodate each others' overflow and large event parking.

11. What impact will the camp sale have on the environment and surrounding community?
    Camp Ilchester sits approximately 1/2 mile upstream from the Bonnie Branch tributary and approximately 1 mile upstream from the Patapsco River. The razing of Camp Ilchester by developers will negatively impact the environment, the Ellicott City and Elkridge communities, and local youth programming. If the camp is razed by a developer, it will further hurt a community already reeling from overcrowded schools, compromised infrastructure, and two devastating floods. Wildlife will be destroyed, trees cut down, and animals displaced, which is in stark contrast to Girl Scout teachings of environmental stewardship and preservation.

12. Has GSCM sold property for capital gain in the past?

Yes. In 1996, GSCM sold 17.8 acres of the original 38.4 acres of Camp Ilchester to a land developer so the organization could fund the purchase of GSCM corporate offices in Baltimore. GSCM intended to sell all 38.4 acres of Camp Ilchester in 1995, but they changed their course of action and only sold half of the camp after facing strong opposition from members and the community.

13. What other efforts is GSCM making to conserve costs and raise funds to improve their current financial situation?

This information has not been shared with GSCM membership at large. However, in this age of technology and telework, members question whether GSCM has considered selling corporate offices, or reducing other overhead costs rather than selling outdoor spaces. Once an outdoor space is sold, the space can never be regained.

14. Did GSCM receive Paycheck Protection stimulus funds?

Yes. GSCM received a Paycheck Protection Loan of $788,900 through Truist Bank d/b/a Branch Banking & Trust Co, which was approved in April, 2020 and a Paycheck Protection Loan of $788,885 through Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, which was approved in March, 2021. Both are eligible for loan forgiveness.

15. Why are camps so important to girl scouts?

Camps and outdoor experiences are what attract many girls to scouting. Girls need access to green space and traditional outdoor experiences like hiking, building campfires, outdoor cooking, preserving animal habitats, and observing nature. Outdoor activities are more critical to a girl’s scout experience than WiFi-enabled camps, heated lodges, and the technology experiences planned for Camp Woodlands. As we learned during the COVID pandemic, access to outdoor resources and activities is more important than ever.

“Outdoors” is one of GSUSA’s four core pillars, as explained on this webpage: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/our-program/our-program/outdoors.html. Very few organizations offer outdoor, camping, and nature experiences.

In addition, Girl Scouts conducted a study in 2014 that confirmed the positive impact of outdoor experiences on young girls. Among key findings of this study are that girls' outdoor experiences are positively linked to their challenge seeking, problem solving, and environmental stewardship. Additionally, it concluded, “when girls get outdoors on a monthly basis in Girl Scouts, doing even casual outdoor activities, they are much more likely to agree that they've learned to recognize their strengths, to do something they thought they couldn't do, and to gain skills that will help them do better in school.”

• Full Report: https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/GSRI_More_than_Smores-Outdoor_Experiences.pdf

• Executive Summary: https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/outdoors_exec_summary.pdf

• Infographic - Top Reasons Why Girls Should Get Outdoors: https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/more_than_smores_infographic.pdf

Complete Sources:

• GSCM website:

  • https://www.gscm.org/en/our-council/about-our-council/Property/messages-from-the-board.html

  • https://www.gscm.org/en/our-council/about-our-council.html

  • https://www.gscm.org/en/camp/about-our-camps.html#2

• Baltimore Sun:

  • https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-07-11-1995192046-story.html

  • https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-12-13-1995347096-story.html

  • https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-02-01-1996032077-story.html

• GSCM 2019 Annual Report (page 19): https://www.flipsnack.com/gscentralmd/fy2019-annualreport.html.

• GSCM 2008 Annual Report (page 18) https://doczz.net/doc/1087966/2008---girl-scouts-of-central-maryland

• Camp Woodlands vision - University of Maryland: https://issuu.com/justinmanongdo/docs/resize_campwoodlandsreenvisioningou

• Girl Scouts Research Institute

  • Girl Scouts Soar in the Outdoors: A 2019 Report from the Girl Scout Research Institute - https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/GSUSA_GSRI_Outdoor-Badge-Study-Summary_1219.pdf

  • Four Ways Girl Scouts Builds Girl Leaders in the Outdoors (2019) - https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/GSRI_four-ways-Girl-Scouts-builds-girl-leaders-in-the-outdoors_0419.pdf

  • From Girl Scout Camp to Real-World Champ! (2019)

    • Fact Sheet - https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/GSRI_GirlScoutCampAlumStudyFindings_FINAL.pdf

    • Quotes - https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/GSRI_GirlScoutCampAlumStudyQuotes_FINAL.pdf

  • More Than S'mores: Successes and Surprises in Girl Scouts' Outdoor Experiences (2014)

    • Full Report - https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/GSRI_More_than_Smores-Outdoor_Experiences.pdf

    • Executive Summary - https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/outdoors_exec_summary.pdf

    • Infographic - https://www.girlscouts.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gsusa/forms-and-documents/about-girl-scouts/research/more_than_smores_infographic.pdf