The Bits of Joy Camping Patch celebrates Joy Luinstra, who was the recipient of the CEO’s Excellence Award for being an outstanding Girl Scout alumna, volunteer extraordinaire and community leader. Her longstanding commitment to Girl Scouts began in 1942 while she was still a student herself at Copan High School, and led her first Girl Scout Brownie troop alongside of her sister who led a troop of older girls. Since that time she has been an intricate part of Girl Scouting and has held many positions - troop leader, day camp volunteer, recruiter, cookie cupboard manager, service unit manager, trainer - sharing her knowledge and experience with hundreds of volunteers and girls. Whether it is teaching a girl how to cook on a campfire, plant a garden, make cookies, play games, set the table, sing the Brownie Smile Song, or fighting a wildfire at Camp Wah-Shah-She, Joy Luinstra has been and will always be the epitome of dedication and selfless service to girls and community.
Outdoors
Girl Scouts have plenty of opportunities to create their own outdoor adventures and develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and the out-of-doors—whether with her troop, at camp, or with friends and family.
And that’s great news—because when Girl Scouts get outside, they:
- Discover that they can better solve problems and overcome challenges
- Develop leadership skills, build social bonds, and are happier overall
- Become team players and care more about protecting our environment
- When girls spend quality time outdoors and increase their exposure to nature, they thrive physically, emotionally, and intellectually.
Girl Scouts develop the kind of outdoor skills it’s hard to get anywhere else.
Outdoor Patch Programs & More
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Bits of Joy Camp Patch Program
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Get Outside! Patch Program
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Outdoor Program Enrichment
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Girl Scouts State Parks Passport
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Urban Hiking Guide
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Outdoor Badges
Council Outdoor Events
Our year-round outdoor program offers enrichment experiences to meet girls’ needs. No matter the time of the year, she’ll do more than enjoy camp activities; she’ll join a caring community and learn skills to resolve conflict, accept differences, get along with others and work together to achieve a shared goal.
Many council sponsored events provide girls with experiences in the outdoors and are designed to build their confidence and skills. Trained Outdoor Educators guide girls so they can then continue these activities on their own. Events are structured for girls or troops.
