Exciting things are happening at Friendship Lodge! Over the next few months, this beloved camp staple is receiving a major refresh to make troop visits and summer camp stays even more comfortable, accessible, and fun.
We’ll be sharing weekly progress photos and highlights, so check back often as Friendship Lodge transforms into its next great era!
Week 1
The front facade is already looking renewed with its brand-new green siding!
Week 2
The deck railing was sandblasted to remove old layers and prep for a fresh coat of paint.
The crew installed brand-new exterior doors, giving the lodge a cleaner, more modern look.
All outdoor painting was completed, bringing the lodge exterior to life with a polished finish.
Stay tuned! Our next update features some exciting inside surprises.
Camp CEO took place on September 19 – 21, at Camp Butternut Springs.
This transformative weekend brought together Girl Scouts in grades 8–12 with accomplished women leaders from a wide range of industries. Over the course of the program, Girl Scouts took part in classic camp activities like swimming, archery, the climbing wall, night zip lining, and team challenges while also diving deep into workshops, reflection sessions, and one-on-one mentorship.
The result? A weekend filled with growth, confidence, and community.
One of the most impactful parts of Camp CEO is the connection Girl Scouts build with mentors who understand the challenges of life and the importance of support along the way. Many Girl Scouts shared how valuable it was to hear from women with such diverse backgrounds and career paths.
“I learned a lot about resiliency this weekend from my mentor. I learned failures are ok and they teach you lessons.” – Girl Scout, Mariam
“I love how every one of our mentors are different. They all have a different background and stories to share with us.” – Girl Scout, Faith
For some, these connections extend far beyond the weekend. One Girl Scout shared that she is still in touch with her mentor from last year, Chynise, who became instrumental in supporting her Gold Award project supporting access to feminine hygiene in Ghana.
“She was definitely one my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. She shared my link to my Amazon wish list with her friends, and I started receiving so many of the items that I needed for my project. It’s really nice to have someone always thinking of me and supporting me. I love how our relationship has grown since we were first paired up.” – Girl Scout, Leila
The girls also shared gratitude for the incredible troop leaders and volunteers who have supported them throughout their Girl Scouting journeys. Several reflected on how their leaders encouraged them to attend Camp CEO in the first place, opening doors to new experiences and showing them the power of mentorship.
By the end of the weekend, every participant walked away with something lasting, whether it was a new mentor, a renewed sense of confidence, or a circle of friends who now feel like sisters.
“At first I was a little nervous because I came here alone, but I’ve only experienced warm welcomes, open arms, and smiles. This weekend taught me that leadership applies to all aspects of your life.” – Girl Scout, Faith
“Camp CEO takes you as a leader, and says, “You’re already a leader, but let’s look at it from a different angle to help you build for your future.” – Girl Scout, Joy
With every year, the Camp CEO community continues to grow stronger. The girls who leave camp don’t just head home with memories, they leave with tools, connections, and confidence that will carry them forward as leaders in every part of their lives.
Ready to make your mark at Camp CEO 2026? Girl Scouts and mentors can fill out the interest form below to stay in the loop.
A heartfelt thank-you to the Girl Scouts who showed up with courage, the mentors who gave their time and wisdom, and the sponsors who made this empowering weekend possible.
In 1955, Dr. Axel Nogard, a retired dentist, owner of Butternut Springs, and nature-lover, wanted to sell 40 acres of his land near Valparaiso, Indiana, to Girl Scouts. The camping committee of Girl Scouts of Chicago saw this property as a perfect troop camping site with woods, hills, a creek, and several lakes that fed from a number of springs. Ultimately, Dr. Nogard sold his entire 129 acres for $70,000, with negotiations completed in March 1956. An additional 65 and 110 surrounding acres were added in 1963 and 1964.
The house at the camp, built in 1918, became known as Spring House; with renovations inside, one room became the Infirmary. An A-frame building became the Pack Out Kitchen (replaced in 1963), where summer campers came to get food supplies for their units, carrying the provisions in large baskets that fit on their backs.
Unit HousePack Out Kitchen
Another small building became known as Treasure Hut for its nature center (long gone now). By the time of the camp dedication on June 11, 1957, three of the five planned unit houses had been completed. The Wieboldt Foundation’s large donation supplied the name for that cabin unit. A new caretaker’s home was ready in 1959, with a garage workshop in 1966. By this time, more construction had brought sewers, water, and electrical lines into the camp, as well as a pay phone!
During the early years, swimming and boating took place in the largest lake, which had been drained, dredged, and provided with a beach. Eventually, a pool was built and dedicated on July 18, 1978, paid for by the Girl Scouts, selling over 300,000 boxes of cookies! A new pool and pool house now replace it.
Pool built by cookies!
Butternut Springs, with its butternut tree near mineral springs that provided healing powers, is steeped in Native American lore. Trail Tree’s path leads up to the unit house and passes the great deformed oak tree that marks a chief’s grave. Legend has it that ill and injured Native Americans drank the spring water and were able to ride away on their horses; thus, the saddle formation was created by tying down the sapling oak. Additionally, the land was used by Native Americans for burials, with 36 identified mounds, underscoring the camp’s rich cultural heritage.
Trail Tree
Other units had names related to their locations: Hickory Unit was named for the hickory trees; Running Water for the creeks that flow around it; Rock Road for the gravel roads that ran by it; and Primitive on the top of the hill where one might find arrowheads.
In 1965, Mr. Roger Anderson and his wife Sis (a longtime Girl Scout leader, troop consultant, and advisor to Senior Girl Scouts) became the caretakers. The lake near the Ranger/Caretaker’s house was renamed Anderson Lake in 1984 to honor their dedication to Girl Scouts and 15 years overseeing Camp Butternut Springs. This continued the focus on nature and the outdoors that Dr. Nogard nurtured.
Anderson LakeSis Anderson Girl Scouting for 45 Years
Butternut Springs continued to grow. Beckoning Woods (Becky) was named in a contest because the woods are beckoning to campers, and McCormick Lodge (Mac), named for the McCormick family’s donation, was built in 1975. A Gathering Place, program and troop center, and Trading Post now reside in place of Rocky Road. On the hill in the primitive area, Friendship Cabin was built with more units, and the outdoor spaces have also grown. The oval track and fitness field has areas for soccer, softball, volleyball, archery, a sledding hill, and a zip line. A high ropes course and a climbing wall add to the challenges. Four marked trails provide year-round adventures. To end an active day, a site for Girl Scout campfires awaits with the peace and quiet (and s’mores) of the night.
From May 6-7, 2023, ten members of the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Associate Board gathered at the beautiful Camp Butternut Springs to recharge, strategize and enjoy each other’s company. They enjoyed lunch with fellow Butternut Springs campers in the main mess hall to kick the weekend off. The associate board then trekked up to Cedar Cabin, their home away from home for the weekend. Everyone settled in, unpacked groceries, and were ready to begin the weekend’s adventures.
The associate board started with a property tour from the Director of Camp Properties, Peggy Brothers. Associate board members were able to see both the growth and development of the property as well as the wealth of beautiful natural scenery.
After a walk around the property, it was time for something more daring – the zipline and High Ropes Adventure Course! The campsite motto was “challenge by choice,” so while not all members of the associate board made it through all the obstacles, they all participated to the extent they were comfortable with. They cheered everyone on, strategized on the best ways to help everyone reach their individual goals, and supported one another along the way.
At the end of all that fun, the associate board had worked up an appetite, so in true Girl Scout fashion, they started a fire and cooked a delicious fireside meal with s’mores, campfire songs and games, and more bonding.
The associate board started Sunday bright and early with a strategy session – discussing their goals as an associate board and how those goals align with the council’s strategic plan. They came up with some great ideas, and they can’t wait to develop their ideas into action items and share them with the council. As always, the associate board talked about Smart Cookies – the associate board’s flagship fundraiser (which will be held on September 21, 2023, at Cafe Brauer). The associate board took a break from brainstorming for a service project. For reasons unknown to anybody, there was a section in the woods with piles of old glass – pottery, crystal, pop bottles, and any other type of glass you could think of – it was all there in the mud just off one of the camp roads. The associate board rolled up their sleeves, threw on some gloves, and went to work. In about two hours of work, they cleaned up more than five large barrels of glass, and while that area will likely still be out of bounds for a bit, there’s now one more reason to expand the extensive trails of Butternut Springs.
The associate board took one last walk back to Cedar Cabin, finished their strategy session, had lunch, and packed up. It was a great weekend full of team building, adventures, and all things Girl Scouts!
Rendering of how the new pool and shower house will look once completed.
Over the past year, Girl Scouts GCNWI has been working on planning, designing, and constructing a new pool and shower house at Camp Butternut Springs, allowing for improved facilities for campers. This 3.2-million-dollar project is the largest capital project that the council has ever worked towards and will be completed before the start of Summer Camp 2023.
The old pool was over 50 years old, and it was time to replace and upgrade. The new pool will have a diving board and will be accessible. For those hot summer days, campers will stay hydrated and ready for camp activities with two separate water drinking fountains that include bottle-filling stations while enjoying the shade of a large canopy on the new pool deck. Along with the construction of the new pool, a brand-new shower house is to be built with 16 individual shower rooms with a sink and toilet to provide privacy for everyone using it.
GCNWI has been working with VJS Construction and Whiteco Pool company to complete this work. GCNWI has previously worked with VJS Construction to complete projects, including the new dining hall at Camp Juniper Knoll and two new cabins at Camp Butternut Springs.
A Groundbreaking Ceremony will take place on October 20 at 2:30 p.m. at Camp Butternut Springs to highlight all the hard work being done to improve our Summer Camp program for all Girl Scouts. The ceremony will last one hour. If you would like to attend, you must RSVP to vking@girlscoutsgcnwi.org no later than October 18.
Troop 30364, from St. Paul Catholic School in Valparaiso, Indiana, took a “sit” against littering and for recycling at nearby Camp Butternut Springs and donated a bench made out of 400 pounds of recycled plastic water bottle caps.
The plaque on the bench reads: “Enjoy resting on this bench made of 400 lbs. of plastic caps – a Porter County Community recycling project made possible by Brownie Scout Troop #30364 and Pines Village Retirement Communities, Inc. 2016.”
The troop delivered the bench in April with the help of Pines Village Retirement Community’s CAPs Crew, which cleans, sorts and bundles un-recyclable plastic bottle caps.
Troop 30364 from Valparaiso, Indiana worked with a local retirement community to create a bench made from plastic bottle caps.
Members of the troop came up with the idea to create a sustainable bench while earning their Brownies Quest Keys Award.
“Through this award, we learned that together their three Keys – Discover, Connect, and Take Action – unlock the meaning of leadership,” they explained. “To earn our last Key, we had to take action somehow in our community.”
The girls decided that recycling would be their focus and started their research. They came across an article from Pines Village Retirement Community about transforming recycled caps into benches, and decided to partner with the crew. With the help of Lu Krieger-Blake and some of their Girl Scout Cookie sales money, they participated in a program called “A Bench For Caps.”
Troop members Dina Nguyen, Kylie Starkey and Elise Maxey thought that the hardest part of the project was collecting 400 pounds of clean, non-metal, plastic caps. According to the community’s website, these caps can include:
Snap-On cottage cheese, coffee can, and yogurt lids
Twist-on medicine, drink, and milk bottles, including the ring
Flip-top ketchup and condiment bottles
Large twist-off lids (such as detergent)
Spout lids (such as squirt mustard)
While there were some challenges to the project, they said the most fun was when they went to the Pines Village Retirement Community and met with Lu and the CAPs Crew.
“We spent time with them sorting caps while learning about each other,” said the girls. “Before we left we sang them our favorite Girl Scout anthem: ‘Make New Friends.’ It was a great time and we can’t wait to go back!”
This project has inspired their troop to make more change in the world by continuing to save caps and work with Pines Village Retirement Community CAPs Crew. In doing this, they hope to help put brand new sustainable and eco-friendly benches around the community for people to enjoy, all while keeping plastic caps from ending up in landfills.
“We are so proud of our Brownie Troop 30364,” said troop leader Diane Nguyen.
“And we look forward to many adventures in the future!” said troop leader Tiffany Maxey.
