Dear Parents, Guardians, and Troop Leaders,
Thank you for choosing Girl Scout Camp! At Camp Birch, campers will explore nature, learn new skills, gain independence, and have fun in a safe, girl-led environment.
Camp Birch Trails has so much to offer woods, water adventures, and everything in-between. Be sure campers are ready (and you are, too) by reading this confirmation packet.
Quick Facts
Check-in
6:00 PM
Check-out
9:00 AM
Customer Care
888.747.6945
info@gsnwgl.org
Monday-Thursday
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Camp Birch Trails (emergency only)
715.536.6888
Director: “Puck”
Lisa Freeman
Office: 920.955.3389
lfreeman@gsnwgl.org
See you at camp!
Lisa “Puck” Freeman Camp Director, Camp Birch Trails
Please visit gsnwgl.org/camp for more information.
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Parent Checklist, What to Wear/Bring, Check-in/out, and Attendance .….………………………………………………….…... 2 Health & Safety …..………………………………………………….… 3-4 While at Camp ……………………………………………………....…. 4-5 Packing List ……………………………………………………………..…. 6 Finding Camp ………………………………………………………..……. 7
Reference
Parent Checklist
□ The final payment is due three weeks before the camp session begins.
Please mail to: GSNWGL 4693 N Lynndale Drive, Appleton, WI 54913 or call Customer Care at 888.747.6945.
□ Complete Health History Form
□ Provide all necessary items on the packing list.
□ Label all medications and pack them in original containers (your camper must give these to the troop leader or adult in charge upon arrival at camp).
□ Trading post funds are kept with troop leaders or adults
□ Meals are NOT provided by Camp Birch Trails on Troop Weekends. Troops must provide all meals.
□ Troop Weekends are essentially a property rental for the weekend. Troop Leaders are responsible for the schedule, meals, ratio, and health and safety of all participants in their group.
What to Wear/Bring
□ Clothes that are appropriate for the day’s weather and activities (clothing may get dirty or stained)
□ Socks and closed-toed shoes (no sandals, flip-flops, or jellies)
□ Sweatshirt, jacket, or raincoat (if needed)
□ Backpack with a water bottle, non-aerosol insect repellent, sunscreen, lip balm
Arrival/Departure
Arrival
• 6:00 p.m. is the arrival time for Troop Weekends.
• Troops arriving after 6:00 p.m. should contact camp to let us know your arrival time.
• Troop weekend arrivals and departures are provided by leaders and guardians.
• Upon arrival, please check in at the Admin building with camp staff.
• Camp staff will provide a schedule of add-on activities if your group has signed up for them.
Check-out
• 9:00 a.m. is the departure time for Troop Weekends.
• Groups must follow the cleaning checklist for their area prior to departure. This includes cleaning their space, sanitizing beds and high touch areas, sweeping floors, removing garbage and cleaning bathrooms.
Attendance
If your camper is not attending camp, please inform the staff as soon as possible. If your camper arrives late, please have them check-in at the admin building upon arrival. If picking up early, please coordinate with your troop leader.
Adults Attending Camp
For the safety and security of all attendees at our camp weekends, troop days, and Outdoor Extravaganza, all adults must be registered Girl Scout members and complete a background check.
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Health & Wellness
There is always a potential for injury to participants and damage to property in every activity. This potential can be lowered by following safety practices, observing posted notices, participating in training, following standard health and safety practices, and using common sense. During your stay, you are responsible for conducting a program of your own design that complies with all GSUSA guidelines (if a Girl Scout event) as well as all other applicable laws, codes and regulations. If this is a Girl Scout event, please refer to Girl Scout Safety Guidelines and Safety Activity Checkpoints for information on activities and the appropriate girl to adult ratios for specialized activities.
Complete Health History Form for all attendees.
• Troop Leaders are responsible for the health and safety of their participants.
Girl Scout groups are responsible for providing a qualified adult to provide basic health supervision (first aid, keeping medications in a safe place, seeking emergency care, securing/providing emergency transportation). A qualified adult should possess a current CPR and first aid certification from a nationally recognized provider. When using Camp Birch Trails, please use the provided lockbox to store any medication your group brings. An adult should be the only person with access to the key or lock code. Girl Scout groups must follow GSUSA’s Standard Safety Guidelines, including proper ratios of girls to adults.
Girl Scout groups should have the following information, in writing and available on-site, for all participants:
• Name and address
• Emergency contact names and numbers
• List of all allergies or any health condition that may require treatment, restriction or accommodations
• For minors without a parent on site signed permission to seek emergency treatment or a signed religious waiver
• Non-Girl Scout groups should avoid all situations where a minor is in a 1:1 situation with an adult.
Non-Girl Scout groups:
• Will be required to provide proof of insurance or event insurance for private parties prior to their event.
• Should have a method in place to screen the background/check sex offender status of any adults with responsibility or access to youth, prior to rental.
General safety guidelines include:
• Wear shoes at all times.
• Stay on designated trails (if applicable).
• All participants should be treated with respect according to the Girl Scout Law.
• Stay with a buddy at all times.
Medication
By law, the adult in charge of your group must collect all medications (prescription, over-the-counter, homeopathic, topical ointments, and vitamins) upon check-in.
• Keep medications in the original containers , including inhalers, epi-pens, vitamins, etc., which identify them as your camper’s medication, the instructions for dispensing, etc. Put all medications in a zip-lock bag with your camper’s name.
Illness, Communicable Disease, Lice
We continue to follow the guidance of the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Camp Association, and local health experts in managing Girl Scout Camp most safely. Help us provide a safe and healthy experience for campers, staff, and families by mitigating risk before arriving at camp, limiting the chance of exposure to communicable diseases whenever possible.
Pre-screening
With your partnership, we can keep campers, staff, and families safe and healthy this summer. Girl Scout Camp is an inclusive space open to youth from all backgrounds and abilities. To ensure camp remains a healthy space for all, caregivers must thoroughly screen campers for symptoms or signs of illness or lice before arriving at camp.
Any camper experiencing symptoms or illness that could potentially be contagious must stay home. GSNWGL will work with families to find another camp session or offer a refund. Any camper who begins presenting symptoms at camp must go home. It is the caregiver’s responsibility to ensure campers are healthy before drop-off. Failure to do so will result in staff sending campers home and losing camp fees.
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I can’t go to camp if:
• I have a fever | a temperature of 100.2 or higher
• I have been vomiting | within the last 24 hours
• I have a runny nose | with yellow/green discharge
• I have a persistent cough / croup-like cough
• I have had diarrhea | within the last 24 hours
• I have a rash | Impetigo, ringworm, or any rash with itching or fever
• I have head lice | itchy head, active head lice, or nits
• I have an eye infection | redness, itchiness, or “crusty” drainage from eye(s)
• I have a communicable disease | flu, measles, MRSA, COVID-19, etc.
I’m ready for camp when I am:
• Fever-free | for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication
• Free from vomiting | for at least 24 hours and have had at least two solid meals
• On required antibiotics | for at least 24 hours and cleared by my doctor with a note specifying my continued symptoms are not contagious
• Free from diarrhea | for at least 24 hours
• Free from rash, itching, and open sores | I have been evaluated by a doctor if needed
• Free from lice and nits | treated with lice treatment at home and proof that I no longer have lice or nits.
• Evaluated by a doctor, begun appropriate medication, or have a doctor’s note stating I may return to camp.
• No longer contagious, and the incubation period for any communicable disease has passed.
Vaccinations
Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes requires campers to comply with the recommended childhood immunization schedule published annually by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Family Physicians before attending their camp session.
GSNWGL supports medical exemptions to specific immunizations for each camper (e.g., congenital conditions, compromised immune systems, or taking specific medications) when accompanied by a physician’s note. Nonmedical exemptions to required immunizations are not accepted. Girl Scout health and safety are always first and foremost. Immunization requirements for participation provide a safe environment for all.
After Camp
Campers should be monitored for any signs or symptoms of a communicable disease after they return home from camp. If a camper tests positive within eight days of returning home, please contact GSNWGL immediately so we can take appropriate measures.
Weekend at Camp
Activities
Troop weekend activity add-ons must be pre-paid and pre- scheduled prior to the weekend. This is for lifeguarding (either swimming or boating), archery and low ropes. All other activities done on the weekend will be led by your troop leaders and parents. Camp staff will not be available outside of scheduled add-on activities. There will be cook-out equipment available for your use for the weekend.
Garbage & Recycling
All groups are encouraged to recycle. All garbage cans must be emptied before departure and re-lined with garbage bags. Garbage may be put in the dumpster on the way out of camp. See Cleaning Checklist for more information. Remember, a Girl Scout always leaves a place better than they found it. If you are a non- Girl Scout group, please set a good example for our girls.
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Housing
Troops signed up for the Lodge Rental for the weekend will have access to items within the building. This includes bunk beds, kitchen utensils, pots and pans and restrooms and shower facilities.
Troops signed up for the Yurts rental for the weekend will have access to 4 yurts. Each yurt is equipped with 4 bunk beds, sleeping 8 people, electricity. The area has pit toilets and running water.
The shower house will be open for the weekend for groups. Please be sure to clean each area used after you are done.
Bathroom Facilities
Camp Birch Trails has two bathroom facilities equipped with showers, electricity, hot running water, and flush toilets available for men and women. All living areas have outhouses. Groups living in the lodge for the weekend are the only ones allowed to use those facilities.
Trading Post
Want to take your camp love home with you? Our trading posts are filled with toys, cuddly buddies, cozy shirts, tie-dye swags, jewelry, goodies, and more! Don’t forget to get a limited-edition camp t-shirt, sweatshirt, or patch to remember your time at camp!
The trading post is stocked with the latest in summer fun.
Fall Bucks and Cookie Dough can be used at the trading post campers must bring their Cookie Dough and Fall Bucks information to redeem it.
Online Cookie Dough and Fall Bucks CAN NOT be used at the Trading Post.
The Trading Post will only be open at 9:00 AM on Sunday while troops are departing.
Laundry Facilities
We do not have laundry facilities for troop/camper use. Please indicate on your camper’s health profile if they are a bed-wetter (not unusual and nothing to worry about) C ampers should talk with their troop leader if they have an accident. Staff will launder bedding and clothing and return them as discreetly as possible.
Change, Cancellation, and Refund Policy
6+ weeks in advance full refund, less camp deposit; deposit may be transferred to a different session. 3-6 weeks in advance 50% refund.
Refunds are not issued for cancellations within three weeks of your camp session. Exceptions for extenuating circumstances, providing documentation of family emergency or health condition, may be considered. Refunds will not be made if a participant is sent home due to homesickness, misconduct, or parent request. If a participant is sent home, a parent or guardian handles and pays for transportation.
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Packing List
Please label all items with your camper’s first and last name.
Required items at check-in—to be handed to the troop leader
□ Medications in the original container within a zip-lock with their name on it.
□ Money for trading post (optional).
Clothing
□ Raincoat or poncho
□ Jacket or sweatshirt
□ Swimsuit
□ Pajamas
□ Tennis shoes & water shoes
□ T-shirts
□ Shorts
□ Long-sleeved shirts
□ Jeans or long pants
□ Underwear
□ Socks
DO NOT BRING
• Food, snacks, drinks
Personal Items
□ Towel & washcloth
□ Soap or body wash
□ Shampoo & conditioner
□ Toothbrush & toothpaste
□ Deodorant
□ Sunscreen & lip balm
□ Non-aerosol insect repellant
□ Comb or brush
□ Tissues
□ Hair ties or headbands
□ Hand sanitizer
□ Other personal toiletries
• Phones, smart watches, radios, electronic devices, electronic games, appliances
• Personal sports equipment (unless pre-approved)
• Makeup, dangle/hoop earrings
• Pets
• Weapons, tobacco, or alcohol
Equipment
□ Sleeping bag or blankets
□ Pillow with pillowcase
□ Flashlight (new batteries)
□ Water bottle
□ Backpack
Optional Items
□ Quiet games or books
□ Disposable camera
□ Hat or bandana
□ Sunglasses
□ Troop activities for down time
Council policy states that campers and adults may not use weapons, alcoholic beverages, non-prescribed drugs, or tobacco products (including e-cigarettes and vaporizers) at Girl Scout functions or on Girl Scout property.
Packing Tips for Campers
Pack clothing/equipment into one duffel bag, tote, backpack, or old suitcase your camper can carry. Campers should help pack their gear to know what they bring to camp. Put the camper’s name on all of their clothing and personal items. Use nametags or a laundry marker. If you bring a laundry bag for dirty clothes, please label that bag.
The packing checklist is for your convenience. Avoid unnecessary purchases. If you can substitute something on the list with an item you already have, feel free to do so. Remember, campers will be outdoors most of the time and need clothing suitable for warm days and cool mornings/evenings and rain. Leave anything of value at home. We cannot be responsible for missing articles or items ruined at camp
Lost or Damaged Items
GSNWGL is not responsible for the loss or damage to a camper’s personal belongings. Campers should not bring personal equipment to camp without the prior approval of the camp director. Campers cannot bring curling irons, straighteners, hairdryers, radios, portable DVD players, iPods, iPads, tablets, cell phones, smart watches, fit-bits, video games, animals or pets, weapons, or vehicles.
Label all items brought to camp with the camper’s first and last name. Lost and found items will be donated to charity at the end of the camp season. Lost and found is in the dining hall and will be brought to admin during check-out for parents to retrieve lost items. Please be sure to check there before you leave camp.
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