The Laguna Beach Independent: Community Revitalizes Historic Girl Scout House
March 13, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Emily Lawrence
Director of Marketing & Communications
Girl Scouts of Orange County
714-767-6752 (cell)
elawrence@girlscoutsoc.org
By Spencer Grant and Mara Casey
LAGUNA BEACH, CA, March 13 2026 — It's been 89 years since the Girl Scout House at 190 High Drive was opened, so the place was long overdue for the refurbishing that was celebrated at their open house and dedication on March 9.
“Come on, girls and board members,” said Dr. Vikki Shepp, CEO of Girl Scouts of OC. “One! Two! Three!” as they wielded a huge pair of scissors to clip a green ribbon in front of the venerable facility, now that it's been reopened for community business.
The changes in the clubhouse were easy to see: New flooring; fresh paint; updated landscaping; removal of trip hazards on the blacktop play area; new drapes and counter-height chairs; a kitchen with remodeled countertops, new sinks and functional workstations; even new slumber party and overnight program sleeping pads.
The Laguna Beach community contributed time, commitment and money to make the upgrades happen, with support from The City of Laguna Beach, the Casey Family Foundation, the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club and then the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts. Then there was art from the local Girl Scouts painted onto Girl Scout wooden badges, done by the Festival of Arts. Sharon Plumley of Laguna Beach Rotary, Mayor Mark Orgill and 14-year Councilmember Bob Whalen were all present at the open house, along with Elizabeth and Matt Miller from the Casey Family Foundation with daughters Susie and Madelyne and son David.
With her family's assistance, 11-year-old (“almost twelve!”) Susie Miller had much to do with the kitchen's new look. “I'm not going to lie,” she said. “The first time we stayed here, we were pretty sure the place was full of ghosts. And spiders. Lots and lots of spiders. I decided to make cleaning and reorganizing the kitchen my Bronze Award project.
“The first thing I did was clean out those spiders and take inventory of all the items in the kitchen. I threw out a lot of old pots and pans. Next, I did a survey on what the Girl Scouts actually use in the house, calling both local scouts and visitors. Lastly, I bought new materials, cleaned, restocked and organized the kitchen.” She's currently working on her Silver Award, the highest Girl Scout achievement for her age.
“I did a little bit of research prior to coming this afternoon,” said Councilmember Bob Whalen, “and I learned about the Girl Scouts national organization, which was very impressive. It wasn't until I got here that I really was made aware of the fact that kids or girls from the country, maybe even globally, get the chance to come here. We're all so blessed to live here, right? I always say that we're the 99th percentile of the luckiest people on the planet. And I honestly believe that's the great thing about our community. It's such a special community. We really go out of our way to nurture our nonprofits.”
Of course, it wouldn't have been a Girl Scout event without Girl Scout Cookies. The two sisters in charge of them, Evalynn and Audrey Young, were no slouches, having marketed $1,000 worth of Thin Mints and other cookies each. “It's taken us the whole season,” said Audrey. “It is really hard, but as long as you put the effort in, it really pays off.” Today, however, there was one – but only one -- $6 box of cookies free for the asking.
“I'm so honored to be here representing the Rotary Club,” said Plumley. “It just makes my heart fill with joy to be here. Our Rotary Club has been serving the community for 94 years. We are very happy to support these young women in their development to become future leaders of our community. We didn't know that meant getting really dirty, pulling weeds and generally cleaning up the outside of their clubhouse, but I can see what our handiwork did, and we were very happy to assist with that.”
It's that kind of dedication that makes the Girl Scout House such an important part of Laguna's extended community. Vikki Shepp echoes that sentiment: “And in that spirit of community partnership, we extend the deepest gratitude for everything that's happening here and beyond with the Girl Scout movement.
“We're celebrating more than the improvements, although we're thrilled with those. We're celebrating what happens when a community comes together, to invest in girls. There's an extra special magic, because when girls have spaces where they feel safe, welcome, supported and inspired, we know there's no limits to what they can achieve.”
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About Girl Scouts of Orange County (GSOC)
We are the Girl Scouts of Orange County. We are 25,000 strong—15,000 girls and 10,000 adults who believe that every girl can change the world. Girl Scouts began over 100 years ago with one woman, Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low, who believed in the power of every girl. Today, we continue her vision of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place, by helping them discover their inner strength, passions, and talents. With Girl Scouts representing every zip code in Orange County, there are opportunities for every girl to do something amazing. We are Girl Scouts. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscoutsoc.org.
