Once a Camper, Forever a Camper Buffalo Bills fans are used to other Bills fans noticing their fan garb wherever they go, even half-way around the world. But did you know that Seven Hills gear can capture that attention, too? Friends of Seven Hills member Susan “Feather” Grieser was sitting in a restaurant in Chamonix, France, when another traveler who called Hamburg, NY home first noticed her Buffalo Bills hat and then noticed her Seven Hills sweatshirt with an enthusiastic, “I went there, too!” Ironically, Feather was relaxing after using some of her Seven Hills skills: she had just hiked down Mont Blanc. “I had taken the cable car up the mountain,” she said, “but decided I could hike down. It’s actually harder on your toes and quads to hike down,” she laughed.
Feather’s mother, Jayne Bodenbender, circa 1942 when she was named Miss Seven Hills
Camping and learning about nature hold special meaning for Feather, and so does being at Seven Hills and helping preserve the legacy as much as she can. Her traditional skills - like splitting logs and lashing - serve her volunteer hours in good stead. “Friends have started helping out, fixing things, and painting,” she said. Seven Hills has a special place in Feather’s heart: “It’s the people and the familiarity—it’s where me and my friends grew up. It’s where I learned how to deal with people and be patient with people. It’s one of the places that just doesn’t leave you.”
Susan “Feather” Grieser
“It’s the people and the familiarity…” Feather is very used to hiking over those miles of trails around Seven Hills. “I started going to camp in 1968,” she said. It was a few years into her Girl Scout experience, having joined as a Brownie. Like many Girl Scouts, her mom was her troop leader. Her mom was also a Girl Scout and a Seven Hills camper. Feather’s commitment to Seven Hills stayed with her as she grew into roles as a CIT and then a staff member which continued through her college years. She started her teaching career in Kentucky (“I tried to start a Girl Scout troop there,” she said) and returned home to Western New York, where she went on to teach science at Holland High School for 35 years. She raised her family (two boys) and picked up her Seven Hills experience as a volunteer when she retired in 2015. “I was one of the first camp volunteers in my 60s,” she said proudly. This is where she got her camp name which she picked since she’s also a birder. Today she runs the nature center at camp, a perfect gig for a former science teacher, and she’s there every day of camp. She helps campers look for bugs and identify trees, and make crafts from pinecones and other things found in nature. Campers also love her Lost Unit Hike, when they hike on the older trails and talk about the history at Seven Hills.
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Save the date! Mark your calendar to be part of Girl Scout history On Saturday, April 20, 2024, we will dedicate The Girl Scouts of WNY Girl Scout History Museum Camp Windy Meadows 5000 Cambria Rd Lockport, NY 14094
Details to come • www.gswny.org Volunteers welcome; please join our committee. Contact customercare@gswny.org
