Marinapark plan would keep the Girl Scouts going

Suzanne Huffmon Esber

On behalf of the board of directors of the Girl Scout Council of

Orange County, I want to express our appreciation to the city of

Newport Beach. The city’s long-standing support has helped to ensure

that the council has a local facility in which to offer quality

educational and recreational opportunities for Girl Scouts and adult

volunteers.

Since 1947, the Neva B. Thomas Girl Scout House has provided a

place where girls can enjoy troop meetings, camping, boating and

other activities, and where volunteers can hold planning meetings and

trainings. The unique location allows local Girl Scouts, as well as

girls from other parts of the county, to enjoy affordable,

beach-oriented experiences on the beautiful Balboa Peninsula.

The proposed Marinapark Resort & Community Plan ensures that girls

continue to have these opportunities well into the future. The plan

calls for a new, 6,200-square-foot Girl Scout facility and community

center on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, to be built at no

cost to the Girl Scout Council. This facility will be adjacent to,

but completely separate from, the proposed hotel and will have a

separate entrance on another side of the complex.

The council board carefully reviewed the proposal and has approved

the organizational position of supporting this development. IRS

regulations permit nonprofit organizations to lobby “to an

insubstantial degree,” which is certainly the case here. We want to

state clearly that we believe this development is a means of ensuring

that the council can continue to offer quality Girl Scout programs in

a modern facility for many more years to come.

As volunteer directors, we have worked with local Girl Scout

families and other volunteers in the Newport Beach area over the past

several months to inform them about the Marinapark plan. Overall, we

have received very enthusiastic support for the proposed Girl Scout

facility.

* SUZANNE HUFFMON ESBER is chair of the Girl Scout Council of

Orange County Board of Directors.