Wil-LO-Linn is an Outdoor Skills based day camp that welcomes campers from the Portland, Oregon metro area.
What is camp Wil-Lo-Linn?
The basics:
Day Camp Wil-LO-Linn is a Girl Scout summer day camp. Our name comes from the three cities we serve regularly: Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, & West Linn here in the Portland, Oregon metro area. We are part of the local Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Council. They have designated us Service Unit 9 within the council, but both our service unit and the camp are referred to as Wil-LO-Linn. Campers DO NOT need to be from one of our three cities to attend our camp. We welcome any Girl Scout member in our area that would like to attend!
Traditionally, each service unit in our area runs a summer day camp, with different focuses. Our camp focuses on Rainbow (Outdoor) skills. The skill areas we teach each year include outdoor cooking, fire safety, knots, first aid, campsite preparation, as well as leadership.
Campers are placed in units by (rising) grade level. This means if a camper has just completed grade 3, they will be in a fourth grade unit. We usually have at least 2 units per grade, but often many more. Sometimes this means that campers in the same troop will be separated, but we try our best! There is a place in the registration form to request buddies.
We have units from first grade to sixth. Rising 7th graders are invited to attend camp as a PAIT - a teen leader in training. PAITs get the regular camp experience - outdoor cooking, archery, songs, games, etc., but also spend a portion of their day learning how to lead the younger campers.
Anyone grade 8 or above is welcome to come to camp as a teen leader (called CA) if they have done their PAIT training here with us or somewhere else, and are ready to lead a unit of younger campers! The CAs run the grade level units, with assistance from a registered adult, in order to meet Girl Scout ratio. These registered adults are often the guardians or caregivers of our campers in attendance.
Because we need so many adults, and in order to make volunteering more manageable, we have two bonus units. Running these bonus units allows our adult volunteers to bring their other children with them during the day, making it easier for them to volunteer. These units are Tagalongs (potty trained children to age 5) and Boys up to age 13. These bonus campers also have a full camp experience, just like our Girl Scouts.
The teen CA leaders are adored and spoiled at camp - without them, we would not be able to run. CAs must be registered Girl Scouts and must have gone through PAIT training in order to lead. These leaders do the bulk of the work at camp - they run the units, they keep the kids busy, they problem solve and entertain and teach. They are amazing!
So what do the campers do at camp? We practice our outdoor skills (each level does the skills appropriate for their level, and each year the skills get harder and more refined), sing songs, play games, do archery and slingshots, look for the camp mascot, Elfanora, in the trees, walk in the woods, do service projects, crafts, science, and generally have a blast.
Most questions you or your camper may have can be answered on our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you'd like detailed information about how our camp runs - example schedules, details about our Rainbow Skills program, evacuation or emergency procedures, etc., please check out our All About Camp Page. Looking to help out or really want to dig deep? Check out our Behind the Scenes page.
Campers enjoy the archery portion of their time each year!