The recent merger of Girl Scout organizations in New Hampshire and Vermont means expanded opportunities for girls in both states.

The new combined group is called the Girls Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. The new Web site is www.girlscoutsgwm.org.

“The merger made camps and programming from across both states available to girls in both states,” said Mary Ellen Hettinger, public relations manager for the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.

Now is the time for parents to be thinking about signing up for Girl Scouts summer camps, which are open to all girls.

“You don’t have to be a Girl Scout to register for Girl Scout camp,” Hettinger said. Parents can pay a $10 registration fee to become a Girl Scout. This fee goes to the national group Girl Scouts USA for insurance purposes.

Hettinger said some girls may not participate in Girl Scout troops, but they will go to camp each year. The camp closest to home is Camp Kettleford in Bedford. The following six sessions will be offered: Session 1 – June 29 to July 10; Session 1A – June 29 to July 3; Session 1B – July 6 to 10; Session 2 – July 13 to 24; Session 3 – July 27 to Aug. 7; Session 4A – Aug. 10 to 14.

A quick glance through the summer camp guide shows Camp Kettleford has added a lot of new programs for this summer. Parents need to read the chart carefully – each program is designed for specific grades and might only be offered during one session.

A new program for grades 3 and 4 is “Inch by Inch,” for campers who like to watch things grow. Girls will have the chance to plant seeds and flowers, take care of the plants at camp and make a special bottle biome.

Other new programs for grades 3 and 4 are “I Can Do That!” and “Mini Michelangelos.” A new offering for grades 5 and 6 is “Camp Reporters” – keeping everyone up to date on the news at the camp. Other new programs for girls in fifth and sixth grade include “Games Girls,” “Scrapbooking,” “Pioneers” and “Globetrotters.”

Girls in grades 7 and 8 can try “Nowhere Near Everest” – after a few warm-up hikes on easier terrain, girls will tackle a more challenging peak.

Also new for these grades are “More than Monet,” “Five a Day” and “Sew Cool.” Camp Kettleford will host an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. on June 21.

There’s good news for parents, too. The Girl Scout office recently released a flier announcing discounts for the summer camps.

Families who sign up for two day camp sessions will receive $25 off. Girls who sign up for either one day camp session plus one resident camp session, or two resident camp sessions, will receive $50 off. Girls attending resident camps stay overnight at camp.

For more information or applications for summer camps, stop in the Bedford Service Center at 1 Commerce Drive, Bedford, or call 627-4158.

Beyond the troops

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains boasts a participation rate higher than the national average.

Hettinger said they track a “market share” statistic that looks at the number of girls the right age for Girl Scouts in each state and how many do participate. She said the national average is a little over 9 percent of eligible girls are members of the Girl Scouts. In New Hampshire and Vermont, about 12 percent are members.

Hettinger said perhaps it’s because there are so many great outdoor programs in this area. There’s more to the Girl Scout organization than just camps and troops, too.

“Eighty percent of our program occurs through the traditional troops,” Hettinger said. “Twenty percent might participate in an interest group.”

While traditional troops will meet weekly throughout an entire school year, interest groups are a little less formal and usually a shorter commitment. For example, Hettinger said girls who share a common interest, like reading novels or taking care of animals, might meet over school break to work on a project, or meet one night a week for six weeks as a group.

Hettinger said one of Bedford’s more well-known interest groups is a canoe racing team. The girls start practicing in April at Camp Kettleford. For the past 30 years, the team has competed at the General Clinton Regatta in New York over Memorial Day Weekend. They’ve taken first place several times, according to Hettinger.

Another Girl Scout subgroup is activity centers, which often run at schools during school vacation periods. Hettinger said these centers offer a small taste of Girl Scout activities, and sometimes troops will form out of these centers.

LMK program

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains are part of a new pilot program called Let Me Know, or LMK for short. There’s one site for the girls and one for parents.

LMK, created by the Girl Scouts and Windows, provides girls with the know-how to safely navigate their online life. The address is lmk.girlscouts.org. The site tailored to parents is letmeknow.girlscouts.org. This site provides parents with the skills and knowledge to help keep their families safe online. Girls ages 13 to 17 are the contributing editors to the LMK newsletter.

Hettinger said research shows about 70 percent of teens who do social networking are revealing too much personal information. The purpose of LMK is to educate teenage girls and their families about the dangers of social networking.