By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
The Girl Scout motto is “be prepared,” but after renovations to what one local leader calls a more “primitive” camp are finished, area Scouts won’t have to be as prepared for extreme temperatures.
The Girls Scouts of Rolling Hills are moving forward with plans for renovations at the 152-acre Camp Agnes DeWitt, on Montgomery Road, after the Township Committee approved a resolution March 25 to waive fees for zoning, construction and health department permits in conjunction with the work.
”Our camp is more of a primitive camp, we still have latrines in use throughout,” said Ruth Hall, director of Camp Services and Property Management. “Today’s campers prefer amenities that include indoor plumbing.”
Ms. Hall said that all the planned renovations are expected to be completed in 2008 by DM Keener Construction, which is currently in the process of drawing up an application to present to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
”I oversee the daily progress and act as liaison to the construction officials in Hillsborough Township,” she said.
The renovations which Ms. Hall said will be for normal troop and summer camp use will include constructing pavilions as shelters from the sun and rain, and as bases for different camp activities. She said six platform tents will also be constructed to be used for overnights, and will fit six girls in each.
”The pavilions are a place that the troops can go for shelter from the sun or rain,” she said. “The tents are mostly for troop camping, however, we do offer one overnight on select weeks during summer camp for the Junior and Cadette levels.”
In addition to these, Ms. Hall said they will be constructing a bathroom facility with a pavilion and an enclosed activity area attached.
”In order to accommodate the troops camping on weekends, it was necessary to look at updating from latrines to flush toilets,” she said.
Aside from these larger projects, Ms. Hall said they are also looking to install a septic system, replace the roof on the ranger house, remove an underground fuel oil tank and replace a storage shed.
According to Ms. Hall, these renovations are the latest in a project that has been planned for several years, but began in 2007. She said it included building five other pavilions, six more platform tents and demolishing a pole-barn structure, which was in need of repairs and was replaced with a new structure that has heat, air conditioning and flush toilets.
”We refer to the structure as the Rec Hall because it houses our Nature Center and an activity room,” she said.
The camp itself is located in the Sourland Mountains, with 152 acres dedicated to an eight-week summer camp for Scouts, as well as individual camping trips. The first Girl Scouts in the Rolling Hills Council held different events to raise $2,000 for the purchase of what became the first 27 acres of the camp. Agnes DeWitt led the girls as the original leader of Somerville Troop 1.
According to the history of the camp on the council’s Web site, several community members have assisted in building up the camp, in turn lending their names to various sites around the campgrounds, including the Hawley Site, named after Eleanor Hawley, the first director of the camp, in addition to her work with the early Somerville Girl Scout Council, before it became the Rolling Hills Girl Scout Council.
Overall, Ms. Hall said it is expected that the entire project will be completed by the opening of summer camp on June 23.
”Camping is a basic part of Girl Scouts,” she said. “We want to keep it alive.”
