Wednesday, August 5, 2015

VIP Day at Camp Skimino

Guests at VIP Day included Delegate Brenda Pogge, representatives from the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance, the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula and Thomas Nelson Community College, as well as Girl Scout alumnae and volunteers.

On July 28, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast hosted local leaders and Girl Scout alumnae at Camp Skimino in Williamsburg for VIP Day. For this special day at camp, guests were invited to tour the camp, have lunch with the girls in the dining hall and talk to the campers about their community involvement.

After arriving at camp and learning about its history from Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller, guests were led on a tour of the property. They saw where girls stay at camp, both the platform tents and cabins, walked past the camp lake and pool and visited with campers inside the arts and crafts cabin. They ended the tour in the dining hall, where they ate lunch and enjoyed songs with campers.

Following lunch, Delegate Pogge spoke with a group of girls who were attending a counselors in training session at Camp Skimino. These girls are the oldest campers at Skimino and get to help plan activities for younger girls, as well as enjoy traditional camp activities, including canoeing and archery.

Pogge talked to the girls about her background and how important it is for her to be able to represent the voices and opinions of her in the many offices of the state government. She shared some insight about why she thinks that it is important for women to take on leadership roles in government.

"Out of the 100 members in the Virginia House of Delegates, there are only 15 women," Delegate Pogge told the girls. "We have to do better, don't you think? Women outnumber men in the population, and we need more proportionality in our representation. Women tend to look at things to be fair, honest and just. Those are qualities that we need in government officials."

Pogge also talked to the girls about ways that they can get involved in government, starting with the page program, which allows teens to develop a deeper understanding of the legislative process by participating in floor sessions and committee meetings while the House of Delegates is in session.

By the end of the afternoon, it was clear to the camp visitors that Girl Scouts are building more campfires at Camp Skimino. Camp is a place where girls have the opportunity to learn to new things and develop leadership skills that will last them well beyond the summer.