Camp FAQs
Do I have to be a Girl Scout?, Inclusion, Financial Assistance
Do I have to be a Girl Scout to attend camp?
All girls are welcome and will benefit from attending our camps. Girls who are not members of Girl Scouts when they sign up for camp pay $12 in addition to the fee and become registered members.
Who goes to Girl Scout camp?
Our camps are open to all girls of appropriate age, regardless of race, nationality, religious affiliation, sexual orientation and disability. Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts makes every attempt to offer summer camp opportunities to all girls. If you have a camper with special needs, please call 617-350- 8335 so we can discuss what we can offer to make your camper's experience one that is exciting, appropriate and fulfilling. The information that you share with us about your camper will be held confidential and shared only as HIPPA allows, and in accordance with your wishes.
Is Financial Assistance available?
Yes. Financial assistance is available to girls living in one of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts' communities. Financial aid is available for girls who, without this assistance, could not attend a Girl Scout day or resident camp. Campers can apply for assistance for only a portion of one session of day or resident camp so that we may meet the needs of as many girls as possible. All information will be kept confidential.
To apply, please submit:
- Camp Registration Form: All forms must include deposit of $25.
- Financial Aid Application: Every question must be answered.
- If the camper is not currently a Girl Scout, include the $12 membership fee with your camp deposit.
The Review Process: Beginning in February, action will be taken to review newly received Financial Assistance applications on a monthly basis (Feb-June). Families applying for financial assistance will receive notification within two weeks of the review date.
The balance of the full fee (camp fee minus Financial Assistance granted and deposit) is due May 1 for girls attending camp in June/July, and June 1 for girls attending in August
If you need to cancel, GSEM must be notified in writing at four weeks before the start of the session you are canceling and not using your financial aid award. If we are not notified, you will be responsible for the entire camp fee.
Physical Exam, Family Visits, Transportation, Staff
Do I have to have a physical exam to attend camp?
Every camper's safety and well-being is our chief concern. All campers are required to have a physical examination within 24 months prior to arriving at camp. All health forms must be completed and signed by a physician each year (including inoculation update) and submitted no later than May 1. No child may attend camp without submitting a completed health form.
Can my family visit me at camp?
For security reasons, visitors are not permitted during camp sessions. Our Open Houses, Meet the Staff Night, and incoming and outgoing days are designed to give parents the opportunity to see camp. In an emergency, please call the camp director. Visits and calls while camp is in session can be disruptive and cause homesickness and disappointment among girls whose family do not visit or call.
How do I get to and from camp?
Day camp transportation is included in the cost of camp. Bus stop location details are included in the camp confirmation packets and online. Bus service to resident camps will run from Boston, Braintree and Burlington for $50 each way. Parents who register for the bus must give 7 days notice to receive a refund of bus fees. Buses may be cancelled by GSEM due to insufficient enrollment.
How is the staff selected?
The staff at our camps are selected for their interest and ability to work with young people, to teach and share skills, their willingness to be part of a team and their commitment to the values of honesty, respect, care and responsibility. All staff are at least 18 years of age or have graduated high school. Criminal Background and Sexual Offender checks (C.O.R.I & S.O.R.I) are conducted on all camp staff. (In order to comply with the MA Dept. of Public Health and to be licensed by the local Board of Health, we inform you that you have the right to request proof of background checks, camp health care procedures, discipline policies, as well as policies for filing grievances).
All staff attends pre-camp orientation where they learn or review camping skills, risk management and safety procedures, Girl Scout program, human relations, and communication skills. Many of the staff return each year and travel from all around the world to join us.
Buddies, Food, Facilities, Tents, Bathrooms
I want to bunk in the same tent as my friend at resident camp. Can this be guaranteed?
A camper may request one "buddy" per session. Both buddies must register for the same camp, program and session and list each other's name on their registration form. The camp director has final say on camp placement.
How do picky eaters survive at resident camp?
We serve things that have been traditionally popular with the majority of girls of all ages summer after summer, and we always have an alternative to the main dish. Our meals and snacks are well-balanced and nutritious. Vegetarians and girls with dietary restrictions can be accommodated with tasty, varied and healthy meals.
What are the tents and bathroom facilities like?
Resident campers sleep in platform tents, cabins, tentalos or yurts, depending on the camp. All camps have showers and bathrooms nearby or in each living unit. Counselors sleep in separate accommodations within sight and hearing of the girls. Meals are served in the dining hall unless a group is cooking out.
Camp Favorite: platform tents, flush toilets
Camp Runels: platform tents, yurts, tentalos, flush toilets, latrines
Camp Wabasso: cabins, platform tents, flush toilets
Camp Wind-in-the-Pines: platform tents, flush toiletsCabin: enclosed wooden structure; cots and mattresses
Platform tent: large, house-shaped tent with raised wooden flooring; cots and mattresses
Tentalo: wood-framed, like a cabin, with canvas walls; built-in bunks with mattresses
Yurt: round canvas tent with skylight, on wooden decking; cots and mattresses