Hello, my name is Simone. The Camping Library at the Winnetka Community House was created as a result of my Girl Scouts Gold Award, which is similar to the Eagle Scout project for Boy Scouts. When I first started on this project, I had no idea what I was in for. If you are a Girl Scout that is interested in starting or currently working on her Gold Award, scroll down for some of the helpful tips I've taken from my experience and a more in-depth look at how I completed this project.
Tips for a Successful Gold Award Project
1. What can go wrong will go wrong
That's a well-known saying called Murphy's Law, but it is absolutely true. My original timeline predicted it would take about 4 weeks to convince an organization to let Girl Scouts use their space for the camping library. It ended up taking about 8 weeks before the Winnetka Community House graciously agreed to lend their space. My original budget did not account for the cost of a tent because I thought I would be able to have one donated for free. Those plans fell through and I had to have a pizza fundraiser just to make enough money to cover the cost of one tent. When things go wrong, it's important to stay calm and be flexible. The best solution isn't always to stick to your original plan.
2. Online shopping is your best friend
Before beginning any shopping, I made a list of the equipment I wanted to put in the camping library. Then I searched online and compared prices for different pie irons or tents from different stores and different brands. I also read all of the customer reviews, because sometimes buying something for less money also means that it is an inferior product. For the tents especially, I read about why people disliked a specific tents. If the reviews said that the tent leaked a lot or was not very durable, then I knew that it was not a tent I was interested in buying for this camping library. When I finally did decide what specific product I wanted to buy, I found that a lot of stores allow you to pre-purchase what you want online and pick it up in person a few days later. This convenient process guarantees that when you walk into the store, what you want to purchase will be ready and waiting for you.
3. Save money by doing more work
A lot of times we pay for convenience. It may take more time to go pickup something at the store rather than shipping it to your house, but it is cheaper. It took more of my time and energy to assemble an IKEA shelving unit myself, but it was cheaper than buying a pre-assembled shelving unit. Instead of buying more expensive Dutch ovens, I bought them at a lower price and pre-seasoned them myself.
4. Ask for help
My mom was a huge help. She helped proofread my emails, she helped me move everything into the camping library, and she drove about 2 hours just to help me find the perfect shelf at IKEA. My Gold Award advisor helped me a lot as well. She told me about fundraising opportunities that I could participate in to raise money for this project. She helped me reach out to the local press to try to spread the word about this camping library. When working on a project this large, the help and advice of those who support you is vital.
That's a well-known saying called Murphy's Law, but it is absolutely true. My original timeline predicted it would take about 4 weeks to convince an organization to let Girl Scouts use their space for the camping library. It ended up taking about 8 weeks before the Winnetka Community House graciously agreed to lend their space. My original budget did not account for the cost of a tent because I thought I would be able to have one donated for free. Those plans fell through and I had to have a pizza fundraiser just to make enough money to cover the cost of one tent. When things go wrong, it's important to stay calm and be flexible. The best solution isn't always to stick to your original plan.
2. Online shopping is your best friend
Before beginning any shopping, I made a list of the equipment I wanted to put in the camping library. Then I searched online and compared prices for different pie irons or tents from different stores and different brands. I also read all of the customer reviews, because sometimes buying something for less money also means that it is an inferior product. For the tents especially, I read about why people disliked a specific tents. If the reviews said that the tent leaked a lot or was not very durable, then I knew that it was not a tent I was interested in buying for this camping library. When I finally did decide what specific product I wanted to buy, I found that a lot of stores allow you to pre-purchase what you want online and pick it up in person a few days later. This convenient process guarantees that when you walk into the store, what you want to purchase will be ready and waiting for you.
3. Save money by doing more work
A lot of times we pay for convenience. It may take more time to go pickup something at the store rather than shipping it to your house, but it is cheaper. It took more of my time and energy to assemble an IKEA shelving unit myself, but it was cheaper than buying a pre-assembled shelving unit. Instead of buying more expensive Dutch ovens, I bought them at a lower price and pre-seasoned them myself.
4. Ask for help
My mom was a huge help. She helped proofread my emails, she helped me move everything into the camping library, and she drove about 2 hours just to help me find the perfect shelf at IKEA. My Gold Award advisor helped me a lot as well. She told me about fundraising opportunities that I could participate in to raise money for this project. She helped me reach out to the local press to try to spread the word about this camping library. When working on a project this large, the help and advice of those who support you is vital.
Earning the Gold Award
After creating a timeline and budget, I obtained Girl Scouts’ approval to begin my project. The first step was to find a space for the camping library. I spent about 8 week sending various churches and community centers this email. I reached out to 23 different places. Most of them responded that they didn't have enough space to accommodate this project or never responded to my initial email. The Winnetka Community House (WCH) was the 23rd place I emailed and was the first place that was willing to let me use a space in their building for free.
After finally finding a space, I measured the dimensions of the closet that the WCH was allowing me to use. The equipment on the original list of what I wanted to put in the camping library needed to fit within the closet's dimensions. I also compared prices on different websites and read many customer reviews. I tried to find products that both fit within my budget and satisfied most, if not all, of the customers that reviewed the product. It took about 3 months to find everything online, order it, and move it into the closet. While I worked on finding equipment and waited for it to arrive, I worked on fundraising. I shared a GoFundMe campaign that my friends and family could contribute to. I sold fall product and cookies through Girl Scouts, and funded some of this project with the proceeds from those sales. I also sold pizza during a middle school debate tournament to fundraise for this project.
After finally finding a space, I measured the dimensions of the closet that the WCH was allowing me to use. The equipment on the original list of what I wanted to put in the camping library needed to fit within the closet's dimensions. I also compared prices on different websites and read many customer reviews. I tried to find products that both fit within my budget and satisfied most, if not all, of the customers that reviewed the product. It took about 3 months to find everything online, order it, and move it into the closet. While I worked on finding equipment and waited for it to arrive, I worked on fundraising. I shared a GoFundMe campaign that my friends and family could contribute to. I sold fall product and cookies through Girl Scouts, and funded some of this project with the proceeds from those sales. I also sold pizza during a middle school debate tournament to fundraise for this project.
With all of the equipment moved in, my Gold Award wasn't even close to being finished. The camping library has more than just camping equipment. Inside, you can find a binder with laminated instructional sheets. Even if it’s your first time camping, you can follow the directions and have a successful camping experience. Most of the instructions are excerpts from the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana’s “Outdoor Essentials” Handbook. The instructional sheets are also available to download here.
The camping library also couldn’t begin to be successful unless people knew about it. I worked to publicize it in several ways. I was interviewed for this article in the “Daily North Shore.” I had an exhibit about the camping library at Going Green Wilmette, a local environmental fair, and talked to many community members about the camping library. I also talked with many Girl Scout troop leaders about my camping library at the local Girl Scout Service Unit meeting. The Winnetka Community House has also been a huge help in publicizing this project. Last, but most certainly not least, I created this website.
I want to spread an appreciation of nature and to spark a lifelong love of camping with this project. I believe the Camping Library can fulfill and exemplify the Girl Scout Law's mission to "make the world a better place," and I hope it can inspire others to do the same.