<![CDATA[Friends of Timbercrest

Friends of Timbercrest is a new group whose mission is to preserve, care for, and promote Girl Scout Camp Timbercrest so that it may continue to be an inspiration for campers for generations to come. The formation of the Friends group coincided with the camp’s 50th anniversary of residence camping which was celebrated in July.

Camp Timbercrest opened for day camp in 1963 and for residence camp in 1967 and serves the Girl Scouts of Western New York, a council that spans nine counties: Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Wyoming, Livingston, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, and Monroe.

Participants at the July celebration noticed the camp is need of care and worked with the staff of the Girl Scouts of Western New York to schedule and plan the October work weekend. Work parties painted the infirmary and the waterfront buddy board, cleared trails, picked up trash, and cleared trees and shrubs from the Strawberry Hill camping unit.

The Friends group is also working with the council staff to identify and prioritize other projects and determine which projects are most suitable for the volunteer group to tackle. Some projects have been identified that would make great service projects for troops.

“We are excited about the formation of the Friends of Timbercrest group and their contagious enthusiasm to promote the long-cherished Camp Timbercrest,” said Judith Cranston, CEO of Girl Scouts of Western New York. “This is a volunteer group led by Girl Scout alumnae. We thank them for their willingness to utilize their time, talent, and treasure to work on some much needed camp projects that will help to preserve Camp Timbercrest for years to come.”

A fundraising campaign is currently underway to replace the bridges on the Lake Trail. To contribute, go to gswny.org/donate. In the section labeled “I would like to designate my donation to,” select “Other” and type “Timbercrest Bridges.”

If you are interested in becoming a part of the Friends of Timbercrest, send an email with your full contact information to FriendsOfTimbercrest@gswny.org. Another work weekend is being planned for the spring.

Friends from out-of-state included Pennsylvanians Dawn Cicchini and Sara and Rob Thompson of Pittsburgh and Kathy and Dave Moller from Russell, plus Allan and Natasha Patchen from Knoxville, Tenn.

New York Friends were Barb Conklin, Falconer; Amy Jo Dorler and Wayne Dorler, Stockton; Anita Gaston, Penn Yann; Cristie Herbst, Westfield; Jude Klock, Middleport; Danay Marsh, Little Valley; Mary Beth Mazzone, Ashville; Bill McIntyre, Fredonia; Paulette Morein, Dunkirk; Terry Saye, Bemus Point; Jennifer Schlick, Jamestown; Betsy Vinton, Rochester; Dee and Megan Wilson, Mt. Morris; and Ro Woodard, Coeyman's Hollow.

The workers’ contributions to the food fund were supplemented by donations from New Yorkers Carol Barnes, Tioga Center; Amy McElhinney, West Charlton; and Erica Tener, Mt Tremper. Rick Lundquist of Jamestown loaned equipment.

To learn more about Camp Timbercrest and the Girl Scouts of Western New York, visit gswny.org.

About Girl Scouts of Western New York
Girl Scouts of Western New York (GSWNY) serves nearly 15,000 girls and 7,000 adult volunteers across the GSWNY jurisdiction of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. The council’s administrative headquarters is located in Buffalo, New York. GSWNY program and service centers are located in Buffalo, Batavia, Jamestown, Lockport, Niagara Falls, and Rochester.

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, girls discover their personal best and prepare for a positive future, connect with others in an increasingly diverse world and take action to solve problems and improve their communities. Founded in Savannah, Georgia, on March 12, 1912, GSUSA continues to be the leading authority on girls, with a membership of more than 2.6 million girls and adults.