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A Message from Girl Scouts of the USA: June 10, 2018
Plan now to “make new friends and keep the old” as we come together to celebrate
the Girl Scout Senior Roundups once more!
There’s nothing like autumn in Vermont, and we’ll be in Vermont just before the colors begin to turn. We can’t wait to welcome you to the beautiful Basin Harbor Club for the Roundup Reunion from September 9-14, 2018. We have over 200 people registered, with just a bit more room if you know others who are interested in attending.
The Basin Harbor Club is located in Ferrisburgh, Vermont on the shores of Lake Champlain with breathtaking views of the Adirondack Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. Button Bay, the site of the 1962 Roundup, is right next door. Basin Harbor Information
Lodging: The Basin Harbor Club has wonderful and unique cottages which can accommodate couples, small groups of new friends or entire Roundup patrols. All meals are included in your reunion fee. Basin Harbor cottages will be assigned based on your reservation requests. If you did not indicate someone in particular you wanted to share lodging with, you will be assigned cottage-mates. Roundup patrols coming to the reunion together will be housed together whenever possible. Some participants will be camping on their own, or parking their RVs at Basin Harbor in a designated space (no electricity or dumping stations available). Please confirm your lodging plans for us in the survey found at the end of this letter.
Travel Plans: If you are flying in, plan to fly into the Burlington International Airport. To get from Burlington to the Basin Harbor Club, you will either need to rent a car at the airport, or we will have shuttle vans scheduled through-out the day ($25 per passenger). We will also have a hospitality room at the airport, where you can relax, and get acquainted with some new Girl Scout friends while you await the next shuttle. In order to schedule the shuttles, we ask that you share with us your arrival and departure times on the survey link at the bottom of this letter. You will receive information about airport shuttles with your confirmation. Basin Harbor also has an airstrip for those coming by private plane.
If you plan to travel by train, Amtrak serves this area. The closest stations are approximately one hour away in Essex Junction or Rutland, VT. If possible, plan to arrive at the Essex Junction or Rutland Amtrak stations by mid-afternoon or earlier on Sunday. You will need to make your own travel arrangements from the train station to the Basin Harbor Club. There will be no shuttle available.
Reunion Schedule: Plan to arrive at Basin Harbor on Sunday afternoon. Registration will be from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. The reunion will open with a dinner buffet on Sunday evening. Each day will include special activities on site, singing, getting acquainted, relaxing, singing, swapping stories and memories, and we’ll close out our time together around a campfire with, what else? Singing! Singing was a treasured part of Roundups and has been a truly special part of every reunion, so you can expect lots of singing to fill your reunion days, and campfires to end your nights, weather permitting.
On Monday, we’ll head to Button Bay to celebrate the dedication of a new sign that commemorates the ’62 Roundup. Roundup sites in Colorado, Michigan and Idaho all have signs marking the Roundup history. Button Bay is the last roundup site to get a commemorative sign, and we have been saving the dedication just for this reunion!
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we have some very special optional tours planned for those who would like to see ta bit more of the Lake Champlain region. Read more about these tours below.
We will also have a full schedule of speakers and activities just for reunion participants, and it promises to be a full week. The week will also include the ever-popular reunion auction (with treasures and treats from participants around the country!), displays of memorabilia from each Roundup, a Scout’s Own and much more!
In addition to reunion activities, you’ll be able to join a foursome for golf, or play tennis, hike, bike, tour the beautiful gardens or just relax in Adirondack chairs with a good book or an old friend. Because of our location on Lake Champlain, activities will also include the chance to kayak, canoe, or take a boat tour of Lake Champlain’s historic underwater treasures. Arrangements for these activities can be made through the concierge at the hotel. All too soon it will be Friday, and we will be saying good-bye.
Special Tours: On Tuesday and Wednesday you’ll have the option of signing up for tours to special destinations around Vermont and across Lake Champlain. Tours will run approximately $50-$65 per person or less, and will include bus transportation and entry fees. Until we know how many people are interested in the tours, we won’t know the exact cost. Our aim is to make them as economical as possible. Please indicate a tour or tours you’d like to take part in on the survey form, and we will determine final costs and let you know. Tours will be charged to your room, and you’ll pay for them at check-out rather than paying up front. To sign up for tours, please use the survey link at the bottom of this e-mail. If you sign up but don’t show up, you will you will still be charged unless a sub can take your spot. For more information on the tours, click on the links below to see their websites.
If you are not interested in joining one of the tours, Basin Harbor activities and offerings will keep you busy through-out the day.
Tuesday’s Tours:
Tour One - The Vermont Statehouse and Vermont's Granite Region: Vermont State Capital , Hope Cemetery Sculptures, Rock of Ages Granite Quarries. The Vermont Statehouse is historic, awe-inspiring, and open to the public. A true “people’s house”, it is a worthy stop in this tour of central VT. We’ll also travel to Barre, Vermont where the world-famous Rock of Ages granite industry is on our list. The massive granite quarries are not to be missed. Granite sculptors have turned the local cemetery into an amazing stone art gallery
Tour Two - Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point: Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point Historic Site
History comes alive in Tour Two. We’ll travel across Lake Champlain to Fort Ticonderoga, a must-see destination and a multi-faceted experience. We’ll explore the beautiful gardens, hear the Fife and Drum Corps, and learn about historic trade. Fort Ticonderoga is the one place in America that tells the international story of the origins of the nation’s military and its role in the founding of the United States. Crown Point State Historic Site is dedicated to the preservation of the ruins of two fortifications from the colonial wars between the British and French. Long before the American Revolution these colonial powers both laid claim to the Champlain Valley. In 1775, at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, the American colonists captured the fort and secured sorely needed cannons and heavy ordnance. Crown Point was occupied by General John Burgoyne's army in 1777 after the American evacuation to Mount Independence and remained under British control until the end of the war.
Wednesday’s Tours:
Tour One – We affectionately call this the Tummy Tour: Travel Route 100 to beautiful Stowe, VT. On the way we'll visit Ben & Jerry's, Cabot Cheese, C old Hollow Cider Mill, Lake Champlain Chocolates, and the Trapp Family Lodge of Sound of Music fame. Get your cameras ready, as we’ll take a sky ride on enclosed ski gondolas up the mountain for the spectacular views of the Green Mountains. Ben and Jerry's, Cabot Cheese, Cold Hollow Cider, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe Gondola Skyride
Tour Two – The Shelburne Museum Tour: This unconventional museum’s collections are housed in thirty-nine buildings spread out over forty-five beautifully landscape d acres. More than twenty gardens add color and natural beauty to the museum grounds, and some 100,000 artifacts are found throughout the museum. You can stroll from building to building taking in the history at your own pace, or catch a ride on the museum shuttles. You’re in for a very memorable day - and that’s not even mentioning the museum’s wonderful steamboat, passenger train, lighthouse and covered bridge! The Shelburne Museum
What to Bring: If you have memorabilia or a scrapbook to share, feel free to pack it, as we will have a display area set up. Also plan to bring an item for the auction. Always popular are arts and things that are unique to your region. As usual, auction proceeds will help cover the cost of the commemorative Roundup sign at Button Bay. All meals are served in the Lakeview dining room featuring classic service and wonderful ambiance. To enjoy this exceptional dining experience Basin Harbor observes a dressy casual dress code, and collared shirts are preferred for the gentlemen in the group.
Saturday Arrival? If you find that you can't get to Burlington by 5:00 pm on Sunday, you will want to check flights for Saturday 9/8. The Best Western Plus Windjammer Inn and Conference Center in South Burlington is offering a special rate for those who want to arrive on Saturday. The rate is $169+tax/night for up to four people in a room. The rate includes breakfast on Sunday morning. The Windjammer Restaurant and Pub is on site and offers a broad menu for dinner including a great sal ad bar!
The Best Western Plus offers a free shuttle from the airport. AFTER you have your luggage, go to the kiosk in the Baggage Area and call. They will also provide a free shuttle back to the airport on Sunday morning, where you can catch the shuttle to Basin Harbor.
To make reservations at the Best Western, call (800) 371-1125 and indicate you are with the Girl Scout Roundup Reunion. Reservations must be made by August 24th to get this rate.
Final Payment: If you reserved your sport at the reunion with a deposit, soon you will get a reminder from Eventbrite to make your final payment. Final payments are due July 15th. Basin Harbor has offered us a very limited number of scholarships to help with costs. If you know of someone who wanted to come to the reunion, but cannot due to cost, have them contact Sharon Baade at sbaade@girlscouts.org for more information.
One last VERY important thing! We need to get some information from you so we can plan for your arrival. Please fully complete the survey by June 22nd at this link: Roundup Reunion Participant Information.
Have a safe, happy summer! We can’t wait to welcome you to Vermont in the fall!!
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