Girl Scouts’ Sales of Summer Camps Spark Backlash

Girl Scouts organizations across the country are facing intense opposition from alumni and volunteers over local chapters’ sales of the summer camps that were an integral part of scouting for generations of girls, the Associated Press says.

Girls Scouts leaders say the residential camps are declining in popularity, with only 10 percent of members taking part, and have become a significant financial drain for many Scouts councils, particularly since a restructuring that consolidated and significantly reduced the number of local groups.

Devotees of the camps have packed public meetings, launched petition drives and Girl Scout cookie boycotts, and gone to court to prevent planned closures.