FAQs: Camp Glen Spey Sale
Why is the camp being put up for sale?
While Camp Glen Spey has served Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey well in years past—and our members, staff, and alumni continue to cherish the memories made there—the camp has not been used to its full potential for our Council by our members for roughly a decade due to its remote location outside our core service area. After a thorough evaluation of our portfolio of properties, we determined that the camp is no longer positioned to provide the transformative and enriching experiences our current and future members desire and deserve.
Why isn't GSNNJ investing in improving the camp instead of selling it?
As we look toward the future of Girl Scouting, our goal is to enhance the Girl Scout experience by ensuring optimal accessibility and enhanced amenities for our members, which is no longer sustainable at Camp Glen Spey due to its location roughly an average of 50 miles outside of our core service area. With the Outdoors making up one of the four pillars of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, we are fully committed to providing a safe and superior camp experience for our members and we have two camp properties—Lake Rickabear Camp in Kinnelon, N.J. and Jockey Hollow Camp in Mendham, N.J.—that easily are accessible to our members, enabling us to provide as many girls as possible with the camp experience.
How will the sale impact my troop/ Girl Scout?
For the past several years, Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey has only hosted limited weekend programming and offered troop campsite rentals at Camp Glen Spey. We have not held summer day camp sessions at Glen Spey for the past several years. These offerings will be available at our other two camps—Lake Rickabear Camp in Kinnelon, N.J. and Jockey Hollow Camp in Mendham, N.J. Girl Scouts will continue to have the opportunity to thrive in the outdoors and enjoy the same great summer day camp experience they have learned to look forward to each summer at either Lake Rickabear Camp or Jockey Hollow Camp.
Is the council struggling financially?
Our Council is financially healthy. We have ambitious growth goals for the future of Girl Scouts and are excited to be in a favorable financial position to reimagine our real estate footprint and invest in the future of Girl Scouts.
Where will the proceeds go?
We plan to deploy the proceeds from the sale of Camp Glen Spey and the Randolph Service Center to build a Girl Scout DreamLab in northern New Jersey– an innovation center uniquely designed to cater to the needs and aspirations of today’s girls. Our goal is to construct a modern, engaging space dedicated to fostering leadership, encouraging curiosity, and embracing innovation. We will also be exploring future opportunities to enhance the Girl Scout Camp experience across our camp programs and properties.
What will happen to the current employees of the camp?
Our camp and program staff will remain in their current positions and we are always looking to grow our team seasonally to support our summer day camp sessions.
What camp options are available to GSNNJ Girl Scouts?
Girl Scouts will continue to have the opportunity to thrive in the outdoors and enjoy the same great camp experience they have learned to look forward to each summer at our Lake Rickabear Camp or our Jockey Hollow Camp. We recently made significant improvements to both of our camps and remain committed to delivering a safe and superior camp experience. To learn more about our camps and the improvements we made to both properties earlier this year, please visit www.gsnnj.org/camp.
How will the legacy of Camp Glen Spey be preserved?
We understand that Camp Glen Spey is symbolic of many cherished childhood memories for those who spent time there, and it is important to us that its tradition as a camp continues on as a place that will inspire special memories for others. It is, therefore, the Council’s intention for Camp Glen Spey to continue on as a camp, and we have instructed our real estate brokers to make every effort to sell it to a deserving group who will keep it as a functioning campground.
How will the sale affect other groups / campers who use the property?
We are working closely with the 1-2 community organizations that rent Camp Glen Spey regularly to keep them fully informed on the forthcoming sale of the property. Keeping in mind the organizations that utilize the camp as well as the cherished memories our Council has created at Camp Glen Spey, we are working with our real estate brokers to make every effort to sell it to a deserving group who will keep it as a functioning campground.
FAQs: Randolph Service Center Sale
Why was the service center put up for sale?
After a careful evaluation of our properties, we determined the Randolph Service Center is being underutilized by the Council and is no longer positioned to support the needs of our current and future members. We must ensure all of our properties align with our goals to grow the future of Girl Scouts and enhance the Girl Scout Leadership Experience with the best interests of our members in mind, so we have made the decision to put the property up for sale.
Where will the proceeds go?
We plan to deploy the proceeds from the sale of the Randolph Service Center and Camp Glen Spey to build a Girl Scout DreamLab in northern New Jersey– an innovation center uniquely designed to cater to the needs and aspirations of today’s girls. Our goal is to construct a modern, engaging space dedicated to fostering leadership, encouraging curiosity, and embracing innovation. We will also be exploring future opportunities to enhance the Girl Scout Camp experience across our camp programs and properties.
How will the sale of the service center impact my troop/ Girl Scout?
While there are no programs currently offered at the space, we understand that the Randolph Service Center is conveniently located for a portion of our membership to pick up resources and materials such as uniforms or Girl Scout Cookies and to visit our Council shop. To ensure our troops have access to the materials they need, we are exploring a number of options including leveraging our locker system to offer convenient pickup for retail purchases and uniforms. We will continue to offer a Cookie Cupboard in the Randolph area this Girl Scout Cookie season. We are also exploring options to enhance our Program on The Go service to continue to bring our most popular programs directly to troops.
FAQs: GSNNJ Girl Scout DreamLab
When will the DreamLab be completed?
We are still in the early planning stages of the DreamLab, but are working towards the goal of a 2025 launch date.
Where will the DreamLab be located?
We’re exploring a number of potential locations within our service area that will ensure visibility and accessibility for the DreamLab, as well as provide as many girls as possible with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. We are still in the early planning stages and have not yet determined a location for it.
