Discover the 1965 Girl Scout Roundup in Idaho, filled with adventure and lifelong memories.

Nearly 60 years ago, 16-year-old Jean Howland Robinson packed her bags and headed west for the adventure of a lifetime. It was the summer of 1965, and she had just been chosen to represent Pennsylvania at one of the largest Girl Scout gatherings in history, the Girl Scout Roundup in Idaho.

Jean, who is now 76 years old and lives in Shippensburg, reached out to our council to share her memories of the experience. We knew right away this was a story worth telling.

Back in high school, the idea of traveling across the country excited Jean, even if it meant missing her junior class trip to Williamsburg. For her, the honor of attending the Roundup far outweighed anything she left behind.

To qualify for Roundup, Jean had to try out, showcasing her outdoor skills at various camping events prior to the gathering.

“You kind of had to prove yourself, that you knew what you were doing in the outdoors,” she said. “You had to show you could build a fire, cook your own food, and that you knew how to camp.”

For Jean, who is one of eight children, these tests were a breeze.

“When I was growing up, our vacations were camping. We camped everywhere from New York to the Outer Banks,” she said. “We lived outdoors. I was very familiar with that and very happy to be outside because I had been doing that my whole life.”

In fact, the idea of living in a tent during the encampment thrilled her.

“I have always enjoyed being outside,” she said. “You always feel good when you’re out in the woods.”

Before heading to Idaho, Jean and her troop had the rare opportunity to meet former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, on their farm in Gettysburg. It was a moment she still treasures.

Then came the train ride west, which was her first time on a train. “We boarded in Harrisburg, and we each had our own little sleeping compartment with bunkbeds and a roommate,” she said. “That was pretty cool.”

They stopped in Chicago, toured the city, and explored the art museum before continuing their journey. As the train rolled on, it picked up Girl Scouts from across the country. Train staff set up long tables in the boxcars to serve as makeshift dining halls, where girls gathered to eat, laugh, and get to know each other.

When they finally arrived in Idaho, Jean and thousands of other Girl Scouts from around the world set up camp in the wilderness. They cooked, learned, and explored together.

One highlight was a trip to Glacier National Park. “It was beautiful,” Jean said. “It was really awesome to see that.”

Roundups, organized by Girl Scouts of the USA, were created to offer girls a unique opportunity to grow in their leadership skills, meet other Girl Scouts, and experience programs and activities beyond their troop or local council. For many Girl Scouts, attending Roundup was considered the pinnacle of their Girl Scout journey since the encampment was only open to girls who had a long-term Girl Scout experience.

More than 12,000 Girl Scouts attended the 1965 Roundup, but the event was the last of the encampments. Prior Roundups were held in 1956 in Michigan, in 1959 in Colorado, and in 1962 in Vermont.

For Jean, while taking in large-scale sights like the park made an impression, it’s the little things that she remembers most about her time at Roundup.

“We had a campfire each night,” she said. “It was so much fun to talk to girls from all over the world.”

Jean also loved trading SWAPS, small handmade mementos exchanged among Girl Scouts. She and her Pennsylvania friend and travel buddy, Mathilda Horst, whose family owned an apple orchard, made unique SWAPS to reflect their roots. They sliced apple branches into disks and burned “Pennsylvania” into them and then exchanged them with other Girl Scouts.

Jean and Mathilda still keep in touch. Mathilda went on to become a trauma surgeon, and Jean spent 40 years teaching lifeguarding and coaching swim teams in the Shippensburg School District.

Jean’s memories of Girl Scouts stretch beyond Roundup. She laughs as she recalls her father serving as the cookie chair for her troop. “I remember all these cases of cookies in our living room,” she said.

Jean stayed with Girl Scouts until she graduated from high school in 1966. Although she no longer has the photos or SWAPS she brought home from Roundup—her basement flooded during Hurricane Agnes, destroying everything she had stored—her memories remain vivid.

“It was a time I will never forget,” she said. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”