Ocala-area Girl Scouts enjoy campout and help raise awareness about new report

Kam Knowles and Shannon Boyer get ready for the recent Girl Scout campout event in Ocala. [Photo courtesy Raey Morrison]

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Posted December 30, 2024 | By Jamie Berube, Special to the Gazette

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John Watzke ensures the grounds are clear at the Ocala Drive-In Theater on the first Saturday of December each year so local Girl Scout troops can gather for an adventure under the stars.

Dec. 7, 2024, marked the 10th time that Watzke, owner of the Ocala Drive-In, hosted the annual Girl Scout campout event where projectors played movies until 2 a.m. as the troop members sipped hot cocoa and watched from their tents.

According to local Girls Scouts of West Central Florida volunteer Raey Morrison, the first campout event in 2016 brought in 150 scouts. This year there were 502.

“The first year, just a small group of us camped, and John showed movies all night for them. The event is a fun, relaxing night that allows our girls, kindergarten to 12th grade, a safe camping experience,” Morrison said.

The troops get a meal voucher, free popcorn, drink refills, and breakfast on Sunday morning.

“There’s always coffee and hot chocolate until it runs out. This year, it was very cold, so hot chocolate was very popular,” Morrison said.

To prepare for the event, Morrison shows up early.

“My team and I start showing up at noon to set up the check-in table. John and his team make sure the grounds are cleared. They look for glass and anything else from regular business nights to make sure it’s cleared up. At about 4 p.m., the troops start arriving,” Morrison said.

It is important to note, however, that events like this serve a purpose other than entertainment.

THE REPORT
On Dec. 5, 2024, the Girl Scouts of Florida unveiled the “State of the Florida Girl Report.” The report assesses the unique and often unseen challenges facing girls across the state.

Mary Pat King, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida CEO, said the report spotlights where barriers for girls need to be eliminated.

“The Florida Girl Report elevates their voices and helps us to know where we need to eliminate barriers and create opportunities so all girls in Florida can reach their greatest potential,” King said.

In this year’s report, the unique challenges listed include eye-opening statistics about emotional wellness, social well-being, and physical health. Here is a look at some of the statistics.

• 52% of high school girls report feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row, reflecting a 40% increase in depression over the past decade. Additionally, one in four girls seriously considered attempting suicide, showing a troubling rise of more than 60% in the last 10 years.
• 79% of girls spend more than three hours a day on screens. This growing dependency on screen time can contribute to mental health challenges and illuminates the importance of fostering healthier digital habits among young girls.
• One in eight girls miss school due to feeling unsafe, with girls being 1.5 times more likely than boys to stay home after experiencing bullying. Further, twice as many girls as boys are victims of cyberbullying, illustrating the significant online safety challenges girls face.
• 36% of girls believe they are overweight, despite only 32% meeting the medical definition of being overweight or obese, indicating a widespread issue with body image.

LOCAL OBSERVATIONS
At a time when Girl Scouts face such adversity, events such as the campout in Ocala can offer a healthy outlet for coping and socializing. According to Morrison, the issues reflected in the report hit home in Marion County.

She believes that bullying especially impacts girls locally, with some girls being singled out at school for what they wear.

“They tell us it is easier to make up the work and just miss school than deal with the way they are treated. I know one girl who became homeschooled because a set of boys kept at her and the school just told her to wear an oversized sweatshirt,” Morrison stated.

Bullying does not end at school, however. For some, getting online is a continuation of the battle.

“Kids in general, they can just be nasty, especially with social media. There are no filters and there are no consequences to the person saying the nasty stuff,” Morrison said.

“Cyberbullying is easier for people. It is dispassionate, you don’t have to face or physically see the damage or harm you are causing,” Morrison continued.

Local Girl Scout volunteer Tasha Herbert agreed that bullying is a problem.

“Bullying is a significant issue in Marion County. Many girls in my troop experience both in-person physical bullying and cyberbullying. It’s heartbreaking to witness. Almost every week, one of the girls shares a story about being bullied, and we take time to talk about it together,” she said.

According to Herbert, bullying is one reason girls feel unsafe and miss school as a result. She believes there are other reasons, too.

“Recently, two of my Girl Scouts shared that staff members at their schools had been arrested for crimes of a sexual nature involving students. Situations like these contribute to an environment where girls feel unsafe and uneasy about attending school,” Herbert said.

“The issue of body image has worsened with the rise of social media, which has become highly accessible to girls. Many feel pressured to present perfect Snapchat stories or Instagram photos and look that way all the time. Social media rarely reflects real life, making it difficult for girls to find authentic examples to relate to,” Herbert added.

According to Morrison, of the issues covered in the report, mental health and emotional well-being are most crucial to address locally.

“We are seeing a huge increase in mental and emotional health issues in the last few years. It used to be a one-off type of occurrence, but now it is commonplace,” she said.

With 79% of girls spending more than three hours a day on screens, this growing dependency can contribute to mental health challenges, according to the report.

Local volunteer Leah Nishwitz said she has witnessed how screentime can impact young people.

“I know from experience the more time kids are on screens they have a bad attitude when they are asked to put them down,” Nishwitz offered.

POSITIVE STEPS
To combat the harmful effects of screentime, particularly with selfies and comparing images in real life to those online, local troops can participate in activities geared toward body positivity such as a Selfie Exhibit event for girls in middle and high school.

“We print the photos, then set them up in a gallery-like setting. The girls then leave something positive about the photo. We have discussions about how the media, magazines, online, etc. change the photos in a lot of their articles and ads to ‘enhance’ and change them to meet their views of what they think or want women to look like,” Morrison explained.

According to Herbert, two other events also help to support mental well-being.

“Worry Detective Academy and Destigmatize Me are two other events my Scouts love. Worry Detective Academy helps elementary-aged girls understand and manage their emotions. Destigmatize Me is for middle school and older Scouts, and it focuses on breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, reducing barriers to discussing mental health, and creating connections with fellow Girl Scouts about how mental health affects everyone,” Herbert explained.

When a scout member confides information about their mental health to a volunteer, they are supported and heard, according to Morrison.

“The girls know they can come to us, and unless we feel their life is in danger, we are not going to disclose what they tell us, but we’re going to help them find the resources that they need to be able to help themselves and get their families help,” Morrison said.

“We make it very clear to them that if we feel their life is in danger, all bets are off. At that point, we’re telling whoever we have to tell, and speaking to whoever we have to make sure that they are safe,” she continued.

CAMARADERIE AND BONDING
Local Girl Scout events such as the campout can help girls navigate adversities by giving them a chance to build life and coping skills. It also gives the girls the space to simply laugh and have fun.

“It’s great hearing all the girls and adults laughing and singing along to the movies. And just rows upon rows of tents set up where cars normally park,” Morrison said.

Nishwitz believes the value of the drive-in campout event is more than entertaining the girls.

“We had so much fun this year at the event despite the cold. This event just lifts the spirits of the girls,” she said.
Herbert said that as a co-leader of two troops with girls ranging from kindergarten to 10th grade, she loves how the older girls teach the younger girls with tasks like rolling a sleeping bag or folding a tent pole.

“This helps the younger girls feel important and included, while giving the older girls meaningful tasks,” Herbert said.
While the State of the Florida Girl Report offers a shocking look at the realities many girls face at school and online, being a part of local communities such as the Girl Scouts can help girls bond in a healthy way.

“The Drive-In campout is an important event because it allows girls to practice these skills and for everyone to enjoy much-needed bonding time with their Girl Scout sisters,” Herbert said.

To learn more about Girl Scouting in the Ocala/Marion County area, go to gswcf.org

To read the full State of the Florida Girl Report, go to floridagirlscouts.org/state-of-florida-girls-report