CAMP TIMBERHILL UPDATE

Girl Scouts Great Rivers Councils Camp Timberhill is not currently for sale. An unsolicited offer has been received for the camp, which is located in Hamilton, Ohio. Girl Scouts Great Rivers Council owns four camp properties and, from time to time, receives an inquiry regarding those properties.

The sale of a council property is a matter ultimately decided by Girl Scouts Great Rivers Councils board of directors. Such a decision is always based upon the safety and programmatic needs of all Girl Scouts in Great Rivers Council. As a part of our governance process, input is solicited from our membership on major issues affecting the council, such as the sale of property.  

 Camp Timberhill Timeline

NOVEMBER
Girl Scouts Great Rivers Council was contacted by a developer to let us know that they were in negotiation for 2 lots adjacent to Camp Timberhill and that they plan to build 110 single-family units on the first 60-acre site and will likely replicate this on the second 61-acre site.
This information was communicated to the board of directors, along with some basic information about current camp usage.
The board asked Barbara J. Bonifas, Executive Director, to gather additional information about our options, including initial input from volunteers, and to report back to them in January. A key concern was maintaining girl safety in a camp environment surrounded by housing developments.

DECEMBER
In early December, an unsolicited purchase offer for Camp Timberhill was received. On December 16th a small group of volunteers was convened to gather their input regarding Camp Timberhill. The objectives of this meeting were:
1. To review and assess the implications of the surrounding development on the future of Camp Timberhill.
2. To consider the impact of keeping or selling Camp Timberhill.
3. To provide input for maintaining a dialogue with volunteers, to ensure the continued integrity of Girl Scout camping in Great Rivers Council.

The group was asked to keep this information confidential, not to hide anything, but rather to give the board the opportunity to develop a process and to provide accurate information to best involve and consider the needs of all members.

JANUARY
Two of the volunteers in attendance at the December 16th meeting breached confidentiality and acted outside the process, sharing some inaccurate information. They did not communicate their concerns directly with Girl Scouts Great Rivers Council prior to organizing a news event and a community meeting.

On January 2nd, Barbara J. Bonifas, Executive Director, and Nancy Dawes, President of Girl Scouts Great Rivers Councils Board of Directors, received e-mail correspondence (sent January 1st, a holiday) regarding these concerns. Attached (beneath this article) are their responses, dated January 2nd.

The issue was showcased on the Channel 5 news on January 2nd.

NEXT STEPS

The board will receive an information update at the January board meeting, and will consider next steps for involving Girl Scout members, including discussion at the delegate meeting on February 1st. No decision about the future of Camp Timberhill will be made at the January board meeting.
Girl Scouting is for all girls. The Girl Scouts Great Rivers Council Board of Directors, in its wisdom, has been elected to make decisions in the best interests of the health and safety of all girls, within the framework of the council mission and goals.

 Executive Director Response

January 2, 2003

Dear NAME DELETED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY,
I was very surprised and concerned regarding your e-mail dated December 31, 2002. The primary purpose of the December 16 meeting was to invite key volunteers to provide initial input to the board about the status of Camp Timberhill and the process to be used for volunteer input. At the meeting, all participants were asked to honor the confidentiality of the discussion in order to give the board time to develop next steps for further investigation and communication with the membership about the status of Camp Timberhill.

This meeting was the start of an evolving process. As you will recall, the meeting purpose and objectives were:
MEETING PURPOSE:
To review and discuss the implications of a surrounding housing development on the future of Camp Timberhill, including making recommendations for a process for additional volunteer communication and input.
MEETING OBJECTIVES:
1. To review and assess the implications of the surrounding development on the future of Camp Timberhill.
2. To consider the impact of keeping or selling Camp Timberhill
3. To provide input for maintaining a dialogue with volunteers, to ensure the continued integrity of Girl Scout camping here at Great Rivers Council.

As you are aware, the group went through a process that included identifying alternatives to best respond to the pending development around Camp Timberhill, then evaluating the alternatives against criteria. All input from the group was documented, and will be given to the board, as one piece of the information to be used in this investigative process.

Confidentiality was requested at this point in the process, not to keep any information hidden, but rather to enable the board to develop a process and to provide accurate information to best involve and consider the needs of all members. As a successful troop leader and day camp director, we trusted you to keep your word and maintain the integrity of this process. Through your action in calling this meeting about Camp Timberhill, you have not given the board the opportunity to do its job. Furthermore, misinformation has already been disseminated to volunteers and the media.

Girl Scouting is for all girls. The board, in its wisdom, has been elected to make decisions in the best interests of the health and safety of all girls, within the framework of the council mission and goals. We must all work from our established democratic procedures in order to equitably involve volunteers and to best serve the needs and interests of our 23, 469 girls.

Sincerely,
Barbara J. Bonifas
Executive Director

President Response

January 2, 2003


Dear NAME DELETED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY:
Subject: Memo Possible Sale of Camp Timber Hill, dated Jan 1, 2003

Im writing in response to your Jan 1, 2003 memo possible sale of Camp Timber Hill.
I appreciate your involvement as a Girl Scout volunteer attending the meeting held on Dec. 16, 2002 concerning Camp Timberhill. This volunteer meeting was a result of a Board request in our Nov 20, 2002 Board Meeting where the board directed Barbara to investigate our options for this property (i.e. Camp Timberhill), including meeting with volunteers, and to report back with recommendations. At the Nov 20th Board meeting, the information available was that Dixon Constructions plans to build 200 single-family units on the first 60-acres site and will likely replicate this on a second 61 acre site, parcels of land that are immediately to the west and south of Camp Timberhill. Since that time, Girl Scouts Great Rivers Council has received an unsolicited actual purchase offer for the property.As I understand, the purpose of the Dec 16th meeting was
1. To review and assess the implications of the surrounding development on the future of Camp Timberhill.
2. To consider the impact of keeping or selling Camp Timberhill
3. To provide input for maintaining a dialogue with volunteers, to ensure the continued integrity of Girl Scout camping here at Great Rivers Council.

The information from the Dec 16 meeting was documented with the intent of giving it to the board, as one piece of information to be used in our evaluation/decision process. (To be clear, a decision to sell/not sell the property is NOT on the January Board agenda.)
With regards to your memo to me, I agree it is vital the Board receive a representative view from our membership regarding this issue, especially utilizing a process that provides an opportunity for ALL 9000 members to provide input into our decision, should they choose to do so.
Whereas I applaud your enthusiasm and interest in this issue, I cannot support Board attendance at the Jan 6th meeting, as your current information does not accurately represent the Board position nor have you given the Board the opportunity to do its job of establishing procedures to insure we both get and share complete and accurate information. As you know, one of the great strengths of Girl Scouting is use of our democratic process wherein we allow all voices to be heard.
That said, forwarding a summary of input from your Jan 6th meeting to the Board would be appropriate, as that is within our clearly established communication policy, (Council Communication Policy, Adult Resource Manual, A-8 and 9) and information regarding this type of Board Policy issue should be directed to the Board through the Girl Scout office.
Given that the Board will not be in attendance at the Jan 6th meeting, I request that you share this letter with those in attendance so they clearly understand the reasoning.

Sincerely,
Nancy C. Dawes
President, Girl Scouts Great Rivers Council

January 7, 2003

Girl Scout camp focus of land battle

FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP- More than 100 Girl Scouts, leaders, parents and community members met Monday evening at a local church to help save Camp Timber Hill following a real estate developers offer to buy the site from the Great Rivers Girl Scout Council.

We want Camp Timber Hill to stay there because we like it, said 10-year-old Leanna Smith of Fairfield Township. Smith, a member of Troop 5840, made signs on fluorescent-colored poster board to help save the camp, a 58-acre camp located of Ohio 4 in Fairfield Township. At the bottom of one of her posters, she drew activities, such as hiking and roasting marshmallows at camp fires, that are important to her.

Her mother, Troop 5840 Leader Jan Smith, said she will have her troop of 12 girls write letters to the board of directors for the council. Were going to have the girls write letters expressing what Camp Timber Hill means to them and why they want to keep it, she said.

Meeting organizers and local leaders Kris Roselle, Patti McDonald and John Lawson encouraged scouts, parents and community members to also write letters to the board to let its members know the scouts and others oppose the sale.

Rachel LeMaster, 12, of Hamilton, member of  Troop 834, said she too wants to save the camp following a December proposal by Dixon Builders to purchase the property for $1.14 million, or about $20,000 per acre. The camp is not on the market, according to the Great Rivers Girl Scout Council, but the offer is being considered because of concerns over proposed housing developments on two 60-acre sites that abut the property, Roni Luckenbill, assistant executive director, said on Friday. Concerns raised include fears of increased vandalism and safety for the girls.

The purpose of Monday nights meeting was to make sure local scouts are aware of the potential sale, and to let council delegates know the majority of scouts do not want to lose the camp, said Roselle, of Fairfield. The meeting, which was videotaped, will be summarized and sent to board members, said McDonald.

Many of those in attendance asked questions they would like the board to answer, such as whether there is any evidence of increased vandalism or safety issues at other camps near housing developments, what would be done with money from the sale, and where would the Butler County troops go if the camp closed. Suggestions made to Roselle and McDonald, who attended a Dec. 16 meeting about the potential sale, was for troops to move camps to the three other camps two are in Warren County and one in eastern Indiana. But thats too far for many Butler County girls to go, Roselle said after talking with several area troop leaders. So far more of them have been unwilling to travel that far, she said.

Another suggestion made was for the camps to use public parks, which Roselle said would likely limit camp programs because not all parks have creeks, overnight facilities or open/reserved spaces. Although one of the smallest camps in the Great Rivers Girl Scout Council, it is certainly not the least used camp in our council, Roselle said. In 2001, more than 2,500 girls attended four day camps at Camp Timber Hill. This represents about 10 percent of the 23,000 council membership, she said. And due to increasing demand, a fifth camp is planned for the summer of 2004. If the sale goes through, however, the camp will remain open for this coming summer, Roselle said.

If the concern is that the camp will be surrounded by housing, the heart of the camp with the buildings, shelter and activity areas is inside a 10-acre buffer zone to the properties, Lawson said. There is enough land that we can have a 10-acre buffer zone around Camp Timber Hill, he said. A Feb. 1 meeting is scheduled for delegates and board members.

Girl Scout camp could be sold; Possible loss of Timber Hill protested

Day camps would be compromised or unavailable for Middletown area Girl Scouts, their leaders say, if the Great Rivers Girl Scout Council sells Camp Timber Hill. Many leaders and scouts are writing letters to the council to voice their objection to a developers proposal to buy the 58-acre camp, on Ohio 4 in Fairfield Township, for $1.14 million.

The Nova Service Unit which includes scouts in Middletown and Monroe is also encouraging its delegates to speak against the sale if it is discussed next month at a meeting with the councils board of directors.

Among other things, Timber Hill is used as the site of summer day camps. More than 200 scouts from the Nova and Manuka units the latter including Trenton and Madison Township scouts participated in the five-day program last year. It provides an opportunity for these girls to be in that natural setting, Nova Service Unit Manager Martina Slone said. Its just a whole lot of fun for the kids, and theyre outdoors the entire time, and thats something kids dont do as much as they used to.

Timber Hill is the only camp the council owns in Butler County. Marie Snelling, a former day camp director who has been active in scouts for 30 years, said many girls would not be able to participate if they had to travel to other council-owned camps in Warren County or eastern Indiana. Were not talking about dollars and cents, were talking about opportunity and availability, she said.

Another option, if Timber Hill is sold, would be to have the day camps at public parks. There would be some definite limitations in what wed be able to do, Slone said. She said leaders would have no control over who goes in and out of the park and they would have to worry about traffic.

Leaders also noted Camp Timber Hill has running water, a creek, wooded areas, a lodge, tents; and allows scouts to participate in activities like hiking, archery and studying plants. Jackie Ponder, Manukas service unit manager, said eliminating or damaging the day camp program could even harm the Scouts membership figures.

Right now its really hard to keep older girls involved in Girl Scouts, she said. Those that stay really look forward to doing the summer camps. Older scouts help facilitate the program.

According to the council, the camp is not on the market, but the offer is being considered because concerns raised by proposed housing developments that would abut it. Ponder rejected that concern, saying there are residences near Camp Butterworth south of Mason. Its right in the middle of a housing development and it has a public bike path going right through camp, she said.

Snelling said Camp Timber Hill would be difficult to replace, even with $1.14 million. Where else in the area do we have 58 acres that we can afford? she asked.

Published 01.10.03

Communication Process

Camp Timber Hill -- Support Information