Welcome to the segment of my blog titled, “Girls doing Amazing Things.” In these posts I will highlight amazing achievements and experiences of current Girl Scouts, former Girl Scouts, and other members of the organization.
For my first post, I was inspired by a Facebook message from my troop leader. She linked a photo, from seven years ago, of my Girl Scout troop winning first place overall at a winter tent-camping competition called Operation Snowflake. Since that weekend was my first and last time camping in February, I hadn’t thought about Snowflake or winter camping in a while. When I saw this photo, the memories flooded back. Thinking about all the training we did to camp and compete in below freezing weather, I decided it definitely qualified as girls doing amazing things and would make for a great first post.
As I mentioned above, Operation Snowflake is a weekend-long winter tent-camping competition in Western Massachusetts. The weekend takes place every February, and has historically been organized and staffed by a troop in the GSCWM Council.
Every year, East Coast Girl Scout troops attend to compete against each other. The competition is scored based on several events including lashing, knot tying, fire building, outdoor cooking, sledge racing, orienteering and snowshoeing, but is mostly judged on teamwork and ability to survive an overnight in below freezing temperatures.
In my troop, to participate we had to go through extensive training about how to stay warm while winter camping. We learned:
Which foods and drinks that would keep us warm
Which materials of clothing were best for staying warm and the importance of layers
How to waterproof all of our gear and DIY waterproof matches
How to insulate our tents, using tarps, blankets, and snow
What type of sleeping bags and mats we needed
How to trust each other and work in teams
That moisture is the enemy in cold weather - something that has been repeated to me so many times, I’ll never forget it
Although I only went once in eighth grade. Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts have been training for and participating in this event for over 40 years. Teenage Girl Scouts are gaining team building and outdoor survival skills that most adults will never get. And that’s pretty amazing if you ask me.