When you’re invited to a bittersweet, once-in-a-century event, you don’t hesitate. Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania national delegates Belinda Stefl and Carol Thornton attended the Legacy Celebration Weekend at the Edith Macy Center in Briarcliff Manor, New York, March 28. The Girl Scout training facility, which had educated countless women across the U.S., was coming to the end of an era.
“I had heard so much about this place, and I was told it was the Girl Scout place to go to,” said Stefl. “When I saw the Macy was closing, I was heartbroken. I immediately reserved a place as I was going to go to Macy before it closed.”
Who’s Edith Macy?
Chair of the Girl Scouts National Board of Directors from 1919-1925, Edith Macy dreamed of building a training facility to offer guidance to Girl Scout leaders. Upon her death, her husband donated the money and land in her honor to establish what became a 400-acre “university in the woods.” The Edith Macy Center trained Girl Scout leaders for nearly 100 years. Over time, as trainings changed to online formats, however, the center operated at a deficit and was sold.
“After 100 years, how training is best delivered has changed. The sale will help GSUSA to remain committed to training but in other delivery methods,” explained Thornton.
From the sale, 75% of the net proceeds fund national training and education while the remaining 25% will be allocated for grants to improve council camps.
One last hurrah
With a weekend full of scheduled activities, more than 300 adult Girl Scouts toured the grounds, shared meals, exchanged SWAPs, sang Girl Scout songs, and shared memories. They also took a trip down Memory Lane to visit the archives.
“It was fun to see the old Girl Scout memorabilia. They had two mannequins set up, and one had a uniform on it from the late ’70s on it. My friend laughed and said, “Isn’t that the uniform you still wear?’ I said, “Yup, it’s my uniform from my from first troop in 1979.”
Pinning and ashes
The celebration weekend concluded with the Edith Macy Lamp of Knowledge pinning ceremony. Every first-time attendee at a Macy training or event receives a bronze pin to commemorate initiation into the intangible, collaborative spirit of the camp.
“I understood why this was the place that trainers and leaders came to and why it was so sacred. I was so moved by the whole ceremony. I felt the tears run down my face,” said Stefl.
The only thing left was a final ash ceremony: the Girl Scout tradition of taking the ashes of one campfire to be sprinkled into the ashes of the next campfire.
“I am so thrilled that I am now part of the history. I have the pin and ashes from the fire,” said Thornton. “Going to Edith Macy was on my bucket list, and I was so glad this weekend was offered and that I could make this visit.”
Where will the Macy’s ashes go? To the next campfire. And the next.
“Where there is a will, there is a way. It doesn’t matter whether they close a camp because these women, just like the women of our council who are leaders can train, teach, and inspire on any place that Mother Earth provides. Trust me, this organization will continue.”
