Share

First lady hosts Girl Scout campout on White House lawn

Washington - Some lucky Girl Scouts got the ultimate camping experience on Tuesday - an overnight campout in tents pitched on the White House South Lawn.

It was the first time that one of the country's most well-known expanses of manicured grass was turned into a campground, an excited Michelle Obama said as she greeted the 50 Girl Scouts who snagged coveted invitations to the outdoor sleepover.

"This is something you can tell your kids and your grandkids," said Mrs Obama, who appeared giddy with excitement as she pointed to the celebrated white building looming above rows of carefully arranged blue and white tents. "Do you understand the impact, the importance of this moment today? It's exciting."

As honorary national president of the Girl Scouts, the first lady welcomed the girls for the evening, which was arranged as part of her Let's Move initiative against childhood obesity. One component of the programme encourages kids and their families to take advantage of the outdoors.

The girls, who represent Girl Scout councils in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington DC, and Oklahoma, spent the afternoon climbing a rock wall, tying knots, pitching tents and participating in orienteering exercises to earn a new outdoor badge.

Under the stars

After dark, the girls sang songs and gazed up at the stars under instruction from Nasa staff and scientists, including astronaut Cady Coleman, before calling it a night and settling into sleeping bags inside their two-person tents. About 20 chaperones were also spending the night outside.

The White House declined to say whether the first lady would trade her second-floor bedroom for a tent, too.

At one point, the scouts squealed upon realising that President Barack Obama was approaching their singing circle, accompanied by the first lady.

"What are you guys doing in my yard?" he said, before taking a seat on a hay bale. "When did you guys show up here?"

Obama said his tents weren't as nice and his chairs weren't as cool when he went camping as a boy. He clapped and swayed to music from a guitar player as the girls sang, seated in a circle around lanterns that took the place of what ordinarily would be a roaring campfire.

Group hug

The girls swarmed him when, asked for a hug, he suggested a group hug instead.

"You guys aren't going to be making a racket, are you?" he said, before leaving and returning for a quick look at Saturn through a Nasa telescope.

Mrs Obama, who was not a Girl Scout, said earlier that she didn't know if she could "officially earn a badge but I want to try."

"I don't know anything. I don't know how to tie a knot. I don't know how to pitch a tent," she said, before drawing a proverbial line against one of their activities. "I'm definitely not climbing that wall."

She did, however, master the art of tying the overhand knot and the square knot.

The campout was co-sponsored by the Interior Department and celebrates the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

The White House is a national park.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 451 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 644 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE