Date: Fri Sep 25, 5:00 PM CDT - Sun Sep 27, 11:00 AM CDT
Category:
- Outdoor,
- Life Skills,
- Community Service,
- Healthy Living
Level:
- Juniors,
- Cadettes,
- Seniors,
- Ambassadors,
- Volunteers
Hey Girl Scouts! Ready for an epic weekend of outdoor adventure, kayaking, and giving back to our planet? Pack your sleeping bags and get your camp vibe on, because we are heading out for a campout you won't want to miss!
To celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 26, we're teaming up with Fort Parker State Park for the annual Limestone Bluffs Paddling Trail Clean Up. Grab a paddle and hop into a kayak! It's the perfect mix of floating fun and being an eco-hero.
The fun doesn't stop at the water's edge. We have plenty of outdoor adventures to keep the excitement going all weekend, from team challenges to nature exploring. As the sun goes down, we'll gather for the ultimate classic campout tradition: a roaring campfire packed with songs, silly skits, and plenty of s'mores. There's nothing better than sleeping under the stars, laughing with sister Girl Scouts, and making memories that last a lifetime.
Arrival: Provide your own meal Friday night. Arrive at your convenience Friday evening with time to set up your tent and get settled before quiet hours begin at 10:00 p.m. The event will officially begin Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. with breakfast. The clean up begins promptly at 7:30 a.m.
Park entrance fees for anyone age 13+ will be waived for event participants.
Gear: Plan to bring tent(s) to fit your group, sleeping bags, personal items, mess kits, etc. We are limited to two tents per site so please bring larger tents that will fit your group with the fewest tents possible. No gear? A limited number of tents, sleeping bags, mess kits, and other camping gear are available to borrow, if needed, for any troop or troop members who need gear. Please email outdoors@gsctx.org by September 1st to inquire. A packing list will be provided when registration closes.
Kayaks: We have a limited number of kayaks. Youth members will be prioritized for kayak event as needed. Lifeguards provided. Have a kayak and want to bring it? No problem. Please email outdoors@gsctx.org by September 1. All participants must wear a life jacket at all times.
Food: GSCTX will provide all meals (breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, lunch Saturday, dinner Saturday), tools for cooking, kayaks, life jackets, lifeguards, educational materials, and all program materials. Girl Scouts will help prepare meals and participate in camp kapers, including washing dishes and meal clean up.
Adults: Please limit registration to the recommended amount of safety wise adults for the event. Only registered participants and adults will be allowed at the event. Unregistered youth are not able to attend this event. All adults in attendance must have a criminal background check (CBC) on file and have completed Girl Scout Youth Protection Training (YPT).
Note for troops: If attending with more than one Girl Scout, submit an ATA before September 1. Ensure that your troop has a First Aider and Let's Go 1 trained adult(s). Let's Go 2 is recommended but not required.
Food and meals: All meals will be provided. Bring your own snacks. We will provide for vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, and regular diets. If you have any other special dietary needs, please plan to bring your own food. Bring your own snacks.
Questions? Please email outdoors@gsctx.org.
Thank you to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department: This adventure is made possible by a Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Girl Scouts of Central Texas is deeply appreciative of this partnership, which makes our Texas Explorers program possible and empowers our Girl Scouts to develop advanced outdoor skills while exploring the incredible diversity of Texas State Parks. Together, we are cultivating the next generation of outdoor leaders and adventurers who will serve as the future stewards of our Texas lands. As a condition of this funding, GSCTX is required to collect demographic information for all participants. This data is shared with the grant funder in an anonymized and aggregated format only. It will not be tied to the participant's name or personal identity.
Location: Fort Parker State Park, Mexia
Supervision level: This is NOT A DROP OFF EVENT. Adults are required to REGISTER, PAY, and remain with their youth participants. Girl Scout volunteers bringing their troop must follow all Safety Activity Checkpoints.
Special instructions: All participants at this aquatic event will be required to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD/lifejacket) at all times due to the requirements of Safety Activity Checkpoints for this activity. However, swim assessments are required every year for youth and adults participating in any type of Girl Scout aquatic activities including, but not limited to, pool activities, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, etc. All participants at a swimming/aquatic event without a completed swim assessment should be assumed to be a non-swimmer and must always wear a Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (life jacket/PFD). See Safety Activity Checkpoints for details. Swim assessment paperwork should be retained by the troop leader and caregiver. Safety-wise adults should ensure that swimmers remain in aquatic situations appropriate to their swimming ability.
Badge/Patch: Fun patch will be given out at the event
Required paperwork: Please complete the following sections of the Council Event Health and Permission Forms, print, and bring with you to the event: Sections A and B
Contact for registration questions: customercare@gsctx.org
Several days prior to the event, you will receive a final confirmation email from our Girl Scout experience team with any additional information you need. If you do not receive this email, please contact customercare@gsctx.org. Please make sure that @gsctx.org is on your approved senders list to prevent these emails from going to spam.
Internal code: COFHBTK COFWC COFBCS Girl Scouts Love State Parks GSLSP
