Council Spotlight

Girl Scouts of Indian Waters Council

Girl Scouts of Indian Waters Council (GSIWC) is located in Northwestern Wisconsin. Our headquarters are located in Eau Claire and we currently serve the counties of Ashland, Barron, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Eau Claire, Dunn, Jackson, Pepin, Price, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer, Trempealeau and Washburn. The largest city in our jurisdiction is Eau Claire followed by Menomonie which both have state universities.

Girl Scouts of Indian Waters Council is the leading community organization for girls to make friends, become leaders and develop lifelong values in a fun and safe setting. Since 1923, Girl Scouts of Indian Waters has grown to serve over 3,000 girl members and is fortunate to have over 800 adult volunteers.

The Girl Scout Office, located in Eau Claire, contains the council’s staff offices, the council store, Program Center and library. The office also provides troops and volunteers with indoor and outdoor meeting facilities.

GSIWC is proud to offer Camp Nawakwa to all girls. In the language of the Chippewa Indians, Camp Nawakwa means “camp by the water” and that it is! Surrounding beautiful Picnic Lake, a 25 acre, soft-water lake, the 209-acre camp is located 10 miles northwest of Cornell, Wisconsin. The Hobbs Building houses the dining hall, kitchen, camp store and offices along with a large multipurpose room and storm shelter downstairs. There is also a nature center, an arts & craft building and a beautiful old lodge with a fireplace. The outdoor amphitheater overlooks the lake and at “The Flats” there is a large campfire area and game field. The lifeguard-staffed waterfront features a roped-in swimming area, dock and various watercrafts for campers to use. Other features include hiking trails, primitive sites, a low-ropes course, and Mt. Baldy, a glacial kame.

Camp Nawakwa offers programs for a variety of ages and skill levels during resident camp. Each year campers are surveyed and the results are compiled and used to plan camp programs for the following summer. Besides traditional camp activities such as swimming, hiking and campfires, Camp Nawakwa offers an equestrian camp, scrapbooking sessions, overnight trips, health and wellness, and specialty camps like Camp Harriet Potter. This past summer, over 540 girls were served through our summer camp program offerings.

We currently have about 325 troops operating within our jurisdiction. GSIWC offers traditional troops, Juliette Scouting, outdoor activities, troop, family and resident camp, national and international programs and more. We strive to hold outreach programs to give girls in under-resourced communities a chance to be part of the preeminent organization just for girls!  GSIWC offers over 50 council-sponsored programs per year, which include our ever-popular theatre days and overnights at the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre, the creative Pottery Day at The Potter’s Shed that brings girls from all over to the northern part of the council, and over ten hands-on math and science related experiences at the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology. Our programs focus on age appropriate activities which teach girls leadership and healthy living. Program focuses have included healthy living, music and theatre, career exploration, science, technology, life/coping skills, and other current topics.

GSIWC has reached out to girls 11-17 by reinstating the Teen Action Club (TAC). TAC is a group designed to address the needs of girls this age. The main focus of TAC is that it is run by the girls themselves. Girls vote on a plan of action and decide how to carry out their ideas. This spring the Teen Action Club hosted their first “Spring Fling Overnight” at our Program Center. All of the games, movies, and activities were decided upon by the girls, and eight TAC members attended the event. We are expanding the TAC by offering two meeting places for this coming school year, hoping to engage the girls that cannot travel far distances.

Our annual Young Women of Achievement banquet is held in June and honors girls receiving their Gold and Silver Awards. Last year, 12 girls achieved the highest recognition – the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award and 12 earned the Girl Scout Silver Award.  The banquet is a time for the girls to celebrate their success with their parents, troop leader and fellow troop members as well as the council staff and board of directors.

The 14th annual Women of Distinction Banquet, held in October will honor four community members for their outstanding achievements. Along with the community, girls grades 7-12 are encouraged to attend and be inspired by these woman and their great works.

We look forward to the realignment with our fellow councils in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Girls remain our number one priority and together we will strive to provide the best girl programming and adult support. We hope you will join us on this journey!  

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