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Looking Back – Camp in the 1940s
February 15, 2024
We’re wishing a happy 100th birthday to Camp Alice Chester with a celebration of all things camp! As we look forward to 100 more years of Girl Scout camping in southeastern Wisconsin, we’re looking back at Girl Scout camp history and the Girl Scouts who established a living legacy.
During the 1940s, Girl Scout camping grew beyond Camp Alice Chester. In the late 1940s, the Girl Scouts of Milwaukee purchased Camp Will-O-Rill, an expansive 104-acre property north of Saukville. Trefoil Oaks Program Center also opened during the 1940s after the Girl Scouts of Racine County recruited volunteers to build the original cabin on nights and weekends so they could enjoy an indoor facility with a kitchen.
Since the first sunrise dedication ceremony on May 2, 1942, Trefoil Oaks has been an oasis for Girl Scouts to explore the outdoors and learn about themselves and the world.
Girl Scout alum Mary Lou Bloom from Troop 1934 looks back fondly on her time at Trefoil Oaks and shares some of her first outdoors memories.
“I was eight or nine years old, and my first camp experience was at Trefoil Oaks. I got to be in the outdoor camp group where we cooked meals over an open fire,” said Mary Lou. “We made a shelf with short round sticks lashed together to hold our plates and cooking utensils, as well as a wash stand where we tied a bar of soap with twine to keep it from falling on the ground.”
“When we could stay overnight, we had to find our breakfast in the woods! Our leaders went outside the lodge and hid our cereal boxes on strings hidden in the trees. Once we found our cereal, we came back to the lodge and ate with milk, donuts, and fruit.”
Mary Lou also recalls kapers as a Girl Scout camp tradition.
“The leaders had a whistle. Three blows meant come to the kaper chart, which was listed on a paper plate in a plastic bag to keep dry. If you weren’t there after an amount of time, you were assigned a not-so-great kaper to do!”
Throughout the 1940s, Trefoil Oaks continued to expand. In 1943, VFW Post 1391 and Auxiliary of Racine donated a station wagon used to haul the campers’ bedrolls and food to camp while the girls walked or hiked to the campsite. In 1949, Girl Scouts added an additional bunk room, equipped with wooden double bunk beds and a heater, so more campers could enjoy the space and build their leadership, grit, and resilience in the outdoors.
Did Girl Scout camp impact your life – at Camp Alice Chester or another property? Do you have a favorite camp memory? Did you meet forever friends at camp? We want to hear from you! We’re sharing our members, alumni, staff, and supporters’ favorite camp memories all year to celebrate the legacy of Girl Scout camping – and how it is paving the path forward for a future of nature exploration, independence, resilience, and friendship.
Fill out this form to share your story with GSWISE today.
P.S.: Save the date for October 5, 2024. We’re hosting a can’t-miss Camporee at Camp Alice Chester so you can enjoy your favorite camp activities with the whole family! More details coming soon.
