Council Spotlight

Girl Scouts of the Fox River Area

Girl Scouts of the Fox River Area, Inc. (GSFRA) has been providing Girl Scouting in the counties of Menominee, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Winnebago, and a portion of Calumet area for 87 years.  The largest cities in the jurisdiction are Appleton and Oshkosh, two communities that are part of the metro area known as the “Fox Cities.”  The council serves over 6,300 girl members and 1,800 adult members.  Through the variety of asset-based programming, GSFRA reaches 1 in 6 girls in the jurisdiction. 

More than 90 percent of GSFRA adult members volunteer in some capacity.  It is critical to continually recruit, train, support and retain these adult members to ensure the safety and fundamentals of Girl Scouting.  Staff performs background checks, and revitalizes recruiting and training efforts for the evolving volunteer base.  Volunteers provide significant support to membership and outreach programming.  Online training and home study options are available to meet their needs.  In 2007, 112 volunteer trainings were offered through GSFRA.  

There are 564 Girl Scout troops within GSFRA.  Last year, 57 outreach sites served over 1,000 girls who would not normally be able to benefit from Girl Scouting.  Girl Scouting addresses pluralism and is mindful of the sensitivities and needs of all cultures to feel a sense of belonging.  7.4 percent of the girl membership is racially diverse. 
 
Game On! A Girl Scout/Boy Scout Thing continues to bring values-based Girl Scout and Boy Scout activities to underserved youth in the Fox Cities, targeting Hispanic and Hmong girls and boys.  There is no cost for children and their families to attend.  Staff who speak Hmong and Spanish are present at each session and registration materials are available in English, Hmong and Spanish.  Since its inception in 2006, 1,089 girls have been served.  (This unique collaboration has been made possible through the support of the John J. and Ethel D. Keller Fund through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the Myra M. and Robert L. Vandehey Foundation, Ltd., Jeff Hahn and Maureen O'Hern Hahn, the Gannett Foundation, Imogene Frank, and ThedaCare.) 

Last year, GSFRA offered over 85 educational and enriching programs addressing important aspects of girls’ lives, like developing life skills, promoting healthy living, and offering activities and opportunities among diverse groups that they otherwise might not experience.  Through input from girls, volunteers and participant feedback, GSFRA kept in step with girls’ needs while core values remained the cornerstone of the Girl Scout Movement. 

Program tracks include Health and Wellness, Art and Culture, S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and Leadership and Adventure.  Two of the most popular programs included Outdoor Extravaganza with 147 girls and Brownie Try-It Day with 117 girls.   

As girls get older, their participation in Girl Scouting tends to decline.  L.I.F.E. (Leading Issues Females Encounter) programming is designed to retain older girls by offering interesting and relevant opportunities designed by older girls.  The Chicago or Bust trip served 109 girls over age 10 and adults who visited the Shedd Aquarium and Navy Pier.  

To add value and quality to the membership and outreach program, GSFRA is committed in its efforts to initiate and maintain collaborations with many community organizations.  GSFRA has combined efforts with Hmong Alliance Church, Appleton Park and Recreation Department, A Better Choice Group Home, Hmong-American Partnership, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, and Oneida Tribe Community Recreational Center, among others.  GSFRA has been involved with organizations on a long-standing basis as well, including the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, St. Norbert College, the Volunteer Center, RSVP, and Fox Valley Technical College. 

The GSFRA camp program provides girls with opportunities to develop independence and leadership skills and inspires them to develop courage, confidence and character.  Girls build lifelong skills at camp, while making new friends and special memories.

For years, campers have been discovering what the wilderness has to offer through challenging and progressive one to two week trip programs.  Successful completion of the bike, backpack, canoe and sea kayak trips earns girls their ‘red suspenders,’ a Fox River Area camp tradition!     

Over 770 girls attended Camp Winnecomac Day Camp in Kaukauna, and nearly 500 girls attended Camp Birch Trails Resident Camp (CBT) in Irma.  CBT is located just north of Merrill, Wisconsin.  The camp is made up of 360 acres of private land with a lake in the center of the property.  The lake offers a beach for swimming and great opportunities for girls to learn and perfect their boating skills.  CBT is a unique collaboration between Girl Scouts of Birch Trails Council, Inc. and Girl Scouts of the Fox River Area, Inc. to offer quality, affordable, fun and safe programs for girls throughout Wisconsin.

A new favorite site at CBT is five yurts, encompassed in Ethel’s Yurt Village.  Yurts are generally classified as a tent, are circular in structure, and house eight people in each.  (Ethel’s Yurt Village as made possible through a $100,000 donation from John and Ethel Keller through the John J. and Ethel D. Keller Fund through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Inc.) 

GSFRA owns and maintains two program facilities:  Camp Winnecomac in Kaukauna and the Girl Scout Program Center in Appleton.  These indoor and outdoor program facilities are located in unique settings that support a variety of troops and programs.  The facilities may be used for overnight stays or half/full-day activities.  These facilities are not only for the enjoyment of Girl Scouts, but the public is also invited to utilize these as well.

Other Council Spotlights

Girl Scouts of Birch Trails Council
Girl Scouts of the Fox River Area
Girl Scouts of Indian Waters
Girl Scouts of LacBaie Council
Girl Scouts of Peninsula Waters
Girl Scouts of Woodland Council