Camp Activities!
Swimming
Canoes, Paddle Boards and Funyaks, oh my!
Canoes, Paddle Boards and Funyaks, oh my!
Come on in, the water is fine!
There are three swimming sections at Camp Lyle McLeod - white, blue and red. Swim tests are required to swim in the blue and red sections.
Canoes, Paddle Boards and Funyaks, oh my!
Canoes, Paddle Boards and Funyaks, oh my!
Canoes, Paddle Boards and Funyaks, oh my!
Often it is too hot to paddle around the lake in an aluminum canoe. As you can see in the photo above, our boat dock lifeguards allow campers to choose how they want to spend their boating time, whether it is in or out of the water.
We also have Canoe Races one day during the week that all campers and staff are welcome to participate in.
Crafts
Canoes, Paddle Boards and Funyaks, oh my!
Archery
"You use a glass mirror to see your face. You use works of art to see your soul."
- George Bernard Shaw
That about sums up how we feel about crafts at camp!
Archery
Flag Ceremonies
Archery
All campers get to try their hand at archery utilizing age-appropriate equipment.
Sing Me A Song
Flag Ceremonies
Flag Ceremonies
Sing your favorites and learn new ones!
Flag Ceremonies
Flag Ceremonies
Flag Ceremonies
Every unit will do a flag ceremony for the entire camp at least once. Campers have opportunities to be the caller, help raise & lower the flag, be in the color guard and can learn how to properly fold a flag.
Flags Across the Water
Flags Across the Water was created many years ago by ours very own Kayak Community Camp. We felt our flag ceremonies were an important element of camp and should not be left out. But, we also realized that once campers were in their units for the evening, it was difficult to gather again at the flag circle. So FAW was born. At a set time, each unit stands on their unit dock and does their own short flag ceremony.
After everyone is done with their ceremony, we say goodnight to each other around the lake.
Dance!
We have a dance every year at our camp. Campers can send a song request in with their registration. DJ Stitch really knows how to rock it!
Campers who aren't interested in dancing will have alternative options.
Scouts Own
Scouts Own
A Scouts' Own is a special program in Girl Scouting that was designed to provide an opportunity for members to express their serious thoughts and deeper feelings. It is an opportunity to reaffirm their ideals and a way to express these ideals to others. It is not a religious service but an inspirational one. The program is planned by the campers with the help of their leaders if needed. The campers will typically choose a theme for their Scouts' Own and then decide how they want to carry out the expression of their theme - in poem, song, story, through acting or art, etc.
BBQ!
On Thursdays, we sleep in!
Scouts Own
Who doesn't love a good barbeque?! One night for dinner, we have a BBQ at the lodge complete with burgers, hot dogs and all the fixins!
Theme Day!
On Thursdays, we sleep in!
On Thursdays, we sleep in!
Every year, campers help choose the theme for next year's camp. The theme follows us in various ways throughout our week from the crafts we create to the decorations in the lodge. On Thursday, we do Theme Day which is reminiscent of an elementary school Field Day. Campers go around and participate in different activities or games, coordinated and executed by our amazing unit leaders.
On Thursdays, we sleep in!
On Thursdays, we sleep in!
On Thursdays, we sleep in!
We have to get up early at camp to have enough time to do all of our activities.
But on Thursday, we sleep in! Trust us, it's a highlight of everyone's week.
That afternoon, the campers get an opportunity to swim, boat, do archery and crafts. They can do all activities or just one, any time and for as long as they'd like (within the Open Activities time frame of course), as long as they have a buddy. Campers enjoy having this "free time" to finish a craft or make a new one, work on their archery skills, or play in the water.
About Kayak Girl Scout Community Camp
We Are Volunteers!
What makes Kayak Community Camp different than Girl Scout Resident Camps is that we are staffed entirely by volunteers - from our Directors, to our Nurses, to our Unit Leaders, to our kitchen staff and everyone in between! Community Camps are a great way to send your kiddo to camp at a fraction of the cost of Resident Camps!
All volunteers are trained in Girl Scout policies and procedures and need to have some outdoor camping skills and experience. They are required to take two to three Girl Scout courses depending on their role at camp. New, prospective volunteers are pre-screened by Directors before they are added to the roster and Girl Scouts requires background checks
every 2-3 years.
All volunteers must have current CPR and First Aid certifications. Waterfront staff are certified lifeguards and/or have boating certifications. All kitchen staff hold current Food Handler's Permits (and some are certified Quantity Cooks through Girl Scouts and some are trained in handling special diets). Our lead archery instructor is, at a minimum, a certified Level One Instructor through USA Archery.
Every certification our staff holds is paid for by the volunteers themselves, which is just another reason to hold these folks in high regard!
Throughout the camp "pre-season", we meet monthly not only to plan camp, but to train our staff on topics that are important to them. From conflict resolution to mandatory reporting to mental health, we spend time during our meetings each month for "Training Topics".
We love volunteering and we love our camp! Our goal each and every year is to create the best experience possible for your campers!
Our History
Len and Donna Derby were Girl Scout Troop Leaders with two daughters; they often volunteered for various Scouting events. They met Lura Smith in the early 1980s at one of these events. Lura directed Camporee for several years, was on the committee for Totem Council’s Challenge of the Totem and was a trainer for Totem Council for several years. Lura's daughter joined Girl Scouts as a Brownie and when she became a Junior, Lura became her Troop Leader.
In 1981, Len & Donna (Rainbow & Sunshine) volunteered at Cedar & Sound Community Camp where their two young daughters attended.
In 1982, they again volunteered and Lura (Snoopy) joined them.
In 1983, Cedar & Sound had enough volunteers in their area, so Len, Donna & Lura took the year off. In December, they discussed creating another
Girl Scout Community Camp.
August 5 – 11, 1984 was the first year of Kayak Community Camp.
There were 72 campers led by 23 volunteers. The fee for campers was $50 (and $38 for campers of volunteers).
When Lura's daughter grew up and left Scouts, it left a hole in Lura's heart. She enjoyed Girl Scouts so much that she decided to continue. She had always liked the outdoor program and truly enjoyed working with girls and adults in that area. Lura continued volunteering with Girl Scouts, including 25 years at Kayak Community Camp, until 2008 at the young age of 89.
Shawna Macauley, the Derby's daughter (Kermit), stepped up as co-director in 2009 after Lura's retirement. With her dad at her side, Shawna directed Kayak Community Camp until Len's retirement after camp in 2018. Melissa McIntosh (Tails) began her director training that year with plans to continue to help Shawna lead KCC for many years to come! Unfortunately, the global pandemic closed camp for 2020, and while campers and volunteers alike were hopeful for a re-opening in 2021, that just wasn't in the cards.
After two years away due to COVID, Donna, Shawna and Melissa decided to move on and handed the reins over. Flamingo, Orchid and Tinkerbell took over in 2022 and are thrilled to keep Kayak Community Camp alive!