Strange Man Lurking at Girls Camp

Sounds like they are on top of things and taking the appropriate steps. I wouldn't worry about it, at all.

Creepy.

I would tell my daughter to make sure she was within eyesight of the ranger or a camp counselor at all times, and to use the buddy system with a friend. If you really want, you can give her a whistle to wear on her neck, and tell her to use it if she gets separated from the group/is approached by someone she does not know. Then let her go. It sounds like the camp is taking precautions, which is reassuring.

ETA: It would be very easy to do this without freaking out kiddo... "You are going on your hike tomorrow! I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun, but it want you to make sure you stay where the counselor so can see you so you don't get separated from the group. Pick a buddy, and the two of you can keep track of each other. Here is a whistle, so that if you do get separated or feel like there is an emergency, you can use it to get the counselor's attention." This was actually standard practice for several camps I attended when I was growing up, as well as for our family camp/hiking trips. It never even crossed my mind that there was anything unusual about it. It made sense that when hiking, there are special rules to follow. There isn't a need to bring the lurker into it, or insinuate that the camp isn't safe; just take basic precautions. I don't believe in hide from the world, and chances are that the staff will be fully capable of keeping track of all the girls... But even in the best situation, unexpected things can happen so it never hurts to be a tiny bit more cautious.

I used to work at a Girl Scout Camp that was actually held at a public park. We would see other people on the trails from time to time. If we noticed anything out of the ordinary, we would tell the Camp Director. We had a Camp Director and an Assistant Camp Director, and they would be perfectly competent to deal with something like this.

Please do not say anything to your daughter. There are plenty of adults looking out for her. The Camp Staff was simply keeping you in the know and trying to reassure you that they had things under control.

I really think Leigh is correct here. The Camp Staff talked to you so that you would have accurate information, not to alarm you.

It is probably nothing, really. Everything will be fine.

I just finished a week as a staffer at a Girl Scout day camp. It was my fifth year doing this. My daughter also was a junior staffer, for the first time.

Please know that Girl Scouts has very good training for adult staffers (certainly our particular camp does). The counselor or director told you about this so that you would not hear a version from your child, who might have heard it through the grapevine from other campers (who in turn might have told it in a way that wasn't accurate, because that's what happens on any grapevine). I would wager that most or all parents, not just you, were alerted. The staff is perfectly aware that the camp property abuts a public park, which means there is and always will be the issue of people accessing the park and being able to see, or trying to get closer to, the camp property.

Think about it: The staff saw the man, tracked what he did pretty closely (since details of his movements clearly were known by the person who told you), and called the cops swiftly, and has a plan already in place for tomorrow's events. What more could they do? Nothing. Could they have done things more swiftly? Doesn't sound like it to me. The staff reacted appropriately and promptly and did not hide this from parents.

So please don't be freaked out. Please do send your daughter back. If you do not send her, how do you plan to explain to her the fact she's not going back to camp? Will you tell her there was a lurker and you're scared for her? That would only teach her to be scared and would telegraph the message that she can't trust the adults who were in charge -- when she can trust them, and so can you, based on the actions you say they took today.

If your child, herself, has said nothing about this and seems not to know it happened -- I would not tell her or start issuing warnings about "stick with your buddy" or "stay near the counselors" or she will pick up on that and wonder why mom thinks this place is suddenly not safe. The staff will tell her those same things every single day -- you go with buddies everywhere at camp anyway, all the time, and your staffers keep you in sight. I don't see a reason to alarm her if she is not already clued in to this. Giving her extra warnings and adding "if you get separated from the group" stuff is going to scare her and, again, the staff is going to ensure the kids are not separated. That would be standard procedure on a regular camp day with nothing going on, so after today's incident, it will be reinforced even more.

Camps do sometimes share boundaries with neighborhoods, with parks, with roads. The camp has zero control over who comes into a public park but it sounds to me, as someone with a lot of experience at a GS camp that shares boundaries with a neighborhood and a busy road, that the staff did all the right things and has a good, solid plan in place for tomorrow and the cops are on the watch.

i'd be very happy that i'd picked a camp with alert counselors, who make commonsense decisions such as keeping their hike, but including a ranger.
you cannot barricade yourself in the house.
khairete
S.

The camp admins are aware of the situation, and have taken proactive steps to deal with it and minimize any danger to the girls. She will be well-supervised, not out in the woods by herself. Let her go.

Sounds like the camp is on top of the situation and handling it appropriately. I would let my daughter go - knowing that she's well taken care of.

Give her a brief talking to about stranger danger and then let her go. That's what I would do.

This is a situation for the camp director, not a counselor. The right thing to do was to call the police, and there should be additional security within the camp. The camp director should send a letter or email to all parents letting them know about the precautions. Since the camp borders on a public area, it could be that the person was in the park and saw the fence and was trying to figure out what was in there and why it was separated from the rest of the park. The kids should always be supervised at camp. Safety in numbers. No child should ever go anyplace alone at camp. There are strangers EVERYWHERE. If you feel comfortable with the supervision, and the police are on the alert, and there was no report of a weapon, then send your child back to camp.

Sounds like the camp is taking all the necessary precautions. The only thing I might want to do is speak with the camp director as well for reassurance. I would continue to send my child, I think there would be enough people looking out.

They noticed this man, they reported this man, they are taking steps (like having a ranger come with them and being patrolled by police) to keep him away from campers. They are not hiding that they had a problem and being upfront with you. I would let my daughter attend. If you need additional reassurance, talk to the director or law enforcement. I would just remind my DD to stick with her group.

In our area, we had two shooters who drove around terrorizing everyone by killing people just out doing their business. We went on with life with precautions, hoping that the police found the killers (and they did). I'm not saying that this isn't something to be a little concerned about, but I am saying that they are taking this seriously and I would not worry too much about him not being noticed if he did come back.

Sorry to say I disagree with the current posts. Its true, we don't have to live our life in fear- so to me that would mean not sending your child to camp "for fear" of something happening. Well guess what, something strange did happen and unless the man has been confronted by police you have no assurance that he won't be there tomorrow. There are a lot of crazies in this world, its your responsibility to not bury your head in the sand and pretend like its ok under the guise of not wanting to live in fear. I would take her out immediately and explain that if there is a threat to her safety that you need to remove her from that threat.

Sorry I'm late to this. I would let my daughter go. Strength in Numbers. If they are aware - they are less likely to be hurt.

Don't let fear rule your life, please. Don't pass that fear on to your daughter either. Empower her!! Teach her to be aware of her surroundings, defense, etc.

The camp is being proactive and is on top of things. Breathe.

I would call around to some of the local biker clubs and see if any Hell's Angels were available during that time and have them hike along with the girls. lol