#canoepaddle

#50Years Ago This Week: Rockland’s Girl Scout Camp Celebrates Its 15th Birthday; Week of August 25-31, 1969.

📷 Photos by Andy Dickerman

The voices singing "Happy Birthday to you" may not have been participating in the world's largest birthday party, but it was definitely in honor of the biggest birthday "child".

The 400-acre Camp Addisone Boyce in Tomkins Cove was 15 years old on Thursday, and some 600 girl scouts plus numerous other guests turned out to celebrate the event.

From the front gate to the infirmary, campers displayed appropriate decorations for the event. Each of the five camp units presented a "birthday present" in the form of a song or skit. For posterity, original poems were carved on wood plaques. And, of course, there was plenty of food.

The guests included members of the Rockland County Girl Scout Council, the professional staff of the council and camp staff, all hosted by the campers and staff of Addisone Boyce under the direction of camp director Terry Porcelain.

This summer, 600 campers benefitted from the play-learn experience at Addisone Boyce.

Sixty of the girls, cadettes and seniors, participated in a Pioneer program which was completely girl planned, and included a four-day backpack trip on the Appalachian trail.

Mrs. Porcelain said that because of the success of the program, it may be expanded in the future.

Camp Addisone Boyce is the official resident camp of the Rockland County Girl Scout Council.

Ann Bogetveit of Pearl River

The HSRC is pleased to be compiling “This Week in Rockland” a weekly feature appearing in the Rockland Review. Check out other events that happened this week in history! On Newsstands everywhere or online at www.rocklandreviewnews.com

www.RocklandHistory.org

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