Greencastle woman has been working to increase attendance at Girl Scout camp
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

Cheryl Walburn of Greencastle maintains the property of Camp El-Wa-Ho and two other Girl Scout camps. The Penn Laurel Council invites the public to use the rural facilities.

For someone who has never been a Girl Scout, Cheryl Walburn certainly is resourceful. As site manager for three of five camps operated by Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council, Walburn has done whatever it takes to maintain the properties for the past 10 years.

The Greencastle woman has repaired screens and doors, worked on plumbing, heating and electrical systems, mowed lawn and split wood. She has made drinking water potable and generally cleaned up after hundreds of visitors.

And she loves it all. Camp El-Wa-Ho, located east of Chambersburg on U.S. 30, benefited from a major project last fall. Walburn spearheaded a campaign to upgrade electrical service at the 149- acre camp. Through donations of money, time and supplies from area businesses and citizens, the camp now has 400- amp service. Adding some modern touches will make the camp more attractive to a larger base of people.

Though Girl Scouts use El- Wa-Ho extensively, the camp is not restricted to them. Walburn hopes local communities will take advantage of the rural setting for family reunions, parties, and group campouts.

"Our main bread and butter is troop camping, but this is a new direction the camp wants to go," she said. "We're underutilized."

The site offers accommodations from lodges with heat and hot water, down to rustic cabins and platform tents. All units have access to kitchen facilities with refrigeration. Eventually they will all have stoves as well. Of course, outdoor fire circles are a given.

Latrines comprise the bathroom facilities. "We try to make them as friendly as possible," Walburn said, noting that young girls often are afraid of the outdoor toilets.

She admitted her handiness around camp stems from growing up on a dairy farm in Clearfield County, and from studying architecture.

"I call in vendors if needed," she said, concerning the varied duties of keeping the camp in good shape.

Importance of volunteers

Walburn stressed the value of people who volunteer at Camp El-Wa-Ho and throughout the Penn Laurel Council. Greencastle residents Dorothy and Larry Pike and John Rishel serve on the site team, chaired by Maribeth Bradley of Chambersburg. They provide ideas and legwork in preserving the camp and planning for the future.

Boy Scouts working toward Eagle Awards often do projects around camp. Work parties twice a year allow area businesses to get involved in key maintenance needs. Walburn is hoping for some major assistance this year, when the camp will celebrate 65 years. She would like to add something big to the grounds, such as a lodge or a shower house.

Walburn herself was a volunteer in the Girl Scout program, serving as troop leader for her daughters Tiara and Casey as they advanced from Daisy Scouts to Cadets. Then she took her current position, also overseeing the camps in Hanover and Fairfield.

Camp El-Wa-Ho is open year round, save for two weeks during hunting season.

"That's for the safety of our campers," said Walburn. "We're surrounded on three sides by state game lands."

During large encampments, she sees 350 to 400 people using the cabins. Campers come in every weekend, and during the peak season, for day camps or for whole weeks. Last year 4,700 campers used the site, including Girl Scout troops from Greencastle. "This is considered their home camp," she said.

And though the area is rich in Indian history, Walburn said the camp name El-Wa-Ho is not native American. It is in recognition of Elenore Hoover, a Waynesboro woman who donated land to the Girl Scouts in 1943.