In Focus: Unique Girl Scout Camp Held For Over 30 Years In Brainerd Lakes Area

In Minnesota, there are many summer and weekend camps available for kids of all ages, but one that takes place every year just north of Brainerd is a little different.

“Our World, Our Family” is put on by Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines. The camp was started around thirty years ago.

“Between 30 and 35 years probably we’ve been coming here. We have a great partner with Camp Lake Hubert and Camp Lincoln. They’ve hosted us every year,” said Leigh Ann Davis, Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines CEO.

“Our World, Our Family” takes place every year the weekend after Labor Day, and this year, there are around 900 campers, volunteers, and troop leaders. The camp runs from Friday through Sunday and offers around 75 different sessions for campers to sign up for, from yoga and ice cream making to archery and forensics.

“There’s so many fun sessions. I have a hard time of really narrowing it down. We have high ropes, we have low ropes, we have rock climbing, we have riflery,” added Davis.

“I just love that all of my girls can pick what they want to do. The outdoor girls can do the canoeing and kayaking and archery and the indoor girls can do their nails and go to a spa day,” said a Girl Scout troop leader Ann Grandy.

One of the more unique sessions is riflery, where campers get to try their hand at target practice in a safe environment.

“When you actually teach them and they get really good at it, it’s like that sense of, ‘yeah, I did it.’ It kind of breaks down those nerves and the stigma around riflery,” explained Harriet Lloyd, a Camp Lake Hubert staff member.

A highlight of the camp is that girls can try out something they’ve never done before, without pressure.

“Kids at programs like this get that experience to try something new that they’ve never done before and they don’t have to worry if they’re going to fail or not,” Davis said. “Because at Girl Scouts, failing is part of it, too.”

No matter if it’s riflery or the high ropes course, “Our World, Our Family” is a highlight for Girl Scouts every year.

If someone you know is interested in joining Girl Scouts, area Girl Scout leaders are hosting a sign-up event on Monday, September 16 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Brainerd High School.