Girl Scouts of Western New York recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, but the history of Girl Scouts runs much deeper in the area. Prior to becoming one, our legacy councils served their girls with unique and unforgettable programs.

One such program was Hi-Adventure, an outdoor experience for girls in Niagara County. They would learn outdoor skills and venture into the wilderness for seven to 10 day trips where they would backpack, camp, and canoe.

Recently, one of the program volunteers reached out to us to share some of his memories and photos from his time leading trips with Hi-Adventure.

Dean Johnson, pictured above in a tipping test, was a canoeing instructor who started his time with Girl Scouts as a one-time volunteer helping girls in a pool learn about canoeing. Soon he became a part of the Hi-Adventure program, helping to lead several trips.

After going through his photos, Dean sent along all the photos in this post (and promises to send more!).

Since our beginning, Girl Scouts have been passionate about getting outdoors. In fact, one of the main goals of Girl Scouting in the beginning was getting girls involved in physical activities outside. Juliette Gordon Low even established the first Girl Scout camp in 1921.

Volunteers like Dean have helped us continue Juliette’s mission and help girls get outside and find adventure. Hi-Adventure no longer exists, but its spirit lives on in our outdoor programs and camps.