Kissed by the waters of the Sassafras River, asleep Grove Point lies in wait. Friendships were formed there, bonds tied tight ‘round campfires and along the trails in her sheltered woods. We laughed our way from childhood to adulthood there and now, we bid her a fond farewell. Grove Point has been sold.
Inspired by the post by Michael Jacobs and then by Kat Palmiotti's post, I took on the 53-word challenge. When I started writing about Grove Point, I thought it would be hard to contain the initial piece to 53 words, but it sort of flowed. I think the 300 word part will be harder to contain.
Grove Point is a Girl Scout camp in Maryland, nested beside the Sassafras River which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. It was our GS Council's only open water camp but even that couldn't save it. The costs to repair what has become worn and damaged (the dining hall, etc.) have become too great. The burden is not unique to our Council; volunteer organizations across the country have been faced with decisions to sell camps, headquarters, etc. and membership declines and securing volunteers becomes increasingly more challenging.
The loss of Grove Point makes my heart ache. I first discovered this camp when I was in high school. Within my GS Troop, though we all were friends, I established a tight inner circle with a few girls who instantly made me feel welcome. We ventured out of camp (the places you are not supposed to go have such a strong allure, don't they?) to the home of the Swamp Lady, who was much nicer than her name implies, though a bit eccentric but incredibly knowledgeable about the fossils in the cliffs and the indigenous plants and animals that lived there. I'll save the story about the flying squirrel that lived in a hollow tree in her family room and the metallic fibers that ran through the fabric in her couch for another day.
Daybreak meant jungle breakfasts, hikes in the woods, and either attending or leading programs. Gathered round campfires every night, we sang our way through all of the time-honored camp songs and added in all of the folk music of the 60s and 70s.
Years later, I took my own daughters to Grove Point along with the girls in their Troops. As their Leader, I laid the path before them, hoping they, too, would fall in love with Grove Point, and they did.
There's a song about Grove Point that tells the tale better than my 53 words or 300 words can, so that might be the hardest part of this assignment.
"The water under silvery light, the shadowed paths nearby. Beneath the hush of an evening star asleep Grove Point will lie.
This is the camp we offer you, this the love we give, and though tomorrow we may part in our hearts, Grove Point will live." From The Grove Point Song
So, my beloved Grove Point, as we pass you on to your new stewards, may they treasure your land, not develop it (as they have promised they will not), and may future generations be loved and healed by the woods, the shore, and the magic that is Grove Point.
https://www.gscb.org/en/discover/our-council/reserve-a-property/camp-grove-point.html
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