A new exhibit has opened in the Gloucester Museum of History celebrating 50 years of Girl Scouting at Burke’s Mill Pond. Museum Coordinator Robert Kelly said the exhibit was inspired by the local Girl Scout troops of Gloucester and the Girl Scout Colonial Coast Council who approached the museum with the story of Burke’s Mill Pond.

Burke’s Mill Pond has been welcoming Girl Scouts since 1972. At the time the land was owned by Fred Mason, who was approached by educator and Girl Scout volunteer Lorna Wass with the idea of turning the pond into a camp.

Wass put on a demonstration for Mason in 1972 to show him how the scouts would enjoy and care for the property. The camp was opened in 1973. When Mason died in 1977, his estate was donated to the Girl Scouts to support the camp.

In the beginning, the camp featured canoeing, horseback riding and swimming as its main attractions. The camp would evolve over the years and introduce more activities as attendance grew. In 1993, the troop ...