100 Years at Camp Alice Chester
In 1924, Camp Alice Chester opened in East Troy, Wisconsin after rigorous fundraising by the Girl Scouts organization. Those donations made it possible to purchase the 333-acre piece of land. For 100 years, Camp Alice Chester has hosted the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast. These annual gatherings allow for the Girl Scouts to connect to nature and one another.
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast is a nonprofit organization that works to empower young girls and help them along their life journey to discover who they are and what they may want to do in the future. Scouts are taught leadership, cooperation, communication skills, and confidence to allow them to create better worlds for themselves and future generations.
Earlier this month, Girl Scouts, families, and alumni from the region gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the camp with an open-house style camporee, a camping event specifically held by the Girl and Boy Scouts of America. Over 1,000 people visited the grounds to enjoy the outdoors and activities spread throughout the camp like ax throwing, archery, rock climbing, friendship bracelet making, fishing, s’mores, and more.
Ana Simpson is the chief executive officer for the branch and dedicates herself to maintaining the Girls Scouts as a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible organization.
“I’m learning that a lot of the girls and families that are here today, this is their first time at camp,” said Simpson. “Even though they have been Girl Scouts they may have not yet ventured out to one of our camp properties or have signed up to do camping.”
In its opening year, Camp Alice Chester welcomed 60 Girl Scouts, and just this year, the camp was visited by 1,660 campers. Camp Alice Chester has been the center of major advancements in outdoor programming and activities for Girl Scouts of Southeastern Wisconsin including horseback riding, a 40-foot rock climbing wall, and new high and low ropes courses.
Discovering Career Paths and Learning About Friendships
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast offers hundreds of programs to its Girl Scouts like the Media Girls program. The program is a first introduction to the media industry. The Girl Scouts interview with the media, attend press events, and create content for the organization’s social media pages.
Lauren V. is a scout from Mukwonago and a member of the Media Girls team. Her participation in the program has allowed her to see a future in the media industry.
“When I first heard about it my mom was like you have to join, and I was like okay because I didn’t really know what it was,” said Lauren. “We have news anchors and people in social media coming, and now I’m definitely looking into a career in social media because I think it’s so cool and I 100% want to do something in journalism when I grow up.”
For many Girl Scouts, camp is what they most look forward to and Camp Alice Chester has been where lifelong bonds have been made.
Mysha K. is a scout from Sussex, Wisconsin, and in her seven years as a Girl Scout has learned the importance of creating meaningful connections with others.
“Always have a good friend circle and always have a smile on your face when you are doing anything,” said Mysha. “It’ll just make your life so much easier and people are gonna look up at you and be like ‘I wanna be like that girl when I’m older’.”
Camp Alice Chester is one of four camp locations for the branch.
Maria Peralta-Arellano is a Milwaukee-native journalist who focuses on sharing news from her local communities. She dedicates her work to accessibility and producing bilingual coverage focused on arts, culture, and politics. She looks to explore her community through a journalistic and creative lens.
