Sertoma Club Appreciation Luncheon

On Wednesday, August 19, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast hosted their annual appreciation luncheon for the Norfolk Sertoma Club at Camp Apasus. The Norfolk Sertoma Club is a long-time supporter of the camp, and Girl Scouts host the club annually to thank members for their contributions and support of the camp.

During the luncheon program, members of the Sertoma Club presented Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast with a check for $6,000 to make further improvements to the camp. Using this donation, Girl Scouts will replace the roof on the picnic shelter and make repairs an Adirondack shelter that was damaged in a storm. Girl Scouts will also use a portion of the funds to purchase new chairs and mattresses for girls to use in the program center at the camp.

Girls attending day camp at Camp Apasus sang camp songs and presented Sertoma Club members with handmade crafts to show their appreciation. Following the luncheon program, Sertoma Club President Scott Taylor, who is also a member of the board of directors for Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, led fellow Sertoma members on a tour of the camp to show the impact their club has on the property.

Sertoma Club members take a look at their next project

“We have renovated an outhouse, built fire pits and purchased a new pool, just to name a few projects,” Taylor said. “Our next projects are much needed to help maintain the camp, and it’s all for a good cause—to give girls a safe place to be outdoors.”

Girl Scouts have been attending Camp Apasus since the 1930s, and the luncheon was also an opportunity for Girl Scout alumnae to visit the camp and reconnect with one another. Norfolk resident Elizabeth Seyller, who camped at Camp Apasus with her daughters as a Girl Scout leader and also as a girl member of the organization while growing up in Norfolk, was one of the alumnae who attended.

For decades, girls at Camp Apasus have been building campfires, swimming and making friends, but they have also been learning how to work as a team, develop leadership skills and gain a sense of self-confidence as they try new things. Thanks to the generous support of the Sertoma Club and other community organizations, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast can continue to serve girls, building courage, confidence and character among them, one girl at a time.