COURTLAND—Starting this season, Girl Scouts staying at Camp Darden are in for two treats — a brand new swimming pool and a low-ropes course.

The dedication ceremony for them was held Saturday afternoon with several Girl Scouts, their leaders and guests. Among them were Irene Darden and John Field. She is the daughter of the late Colgate Darden Jr., a former Virginia governor. In 1979, he had donated to the Girls Scouts of the Colonial Coast the property, which at one time was occupied by Boy Scouts.

The previous pool was 25 years old, and two years ago the Girl Scout council decided it was time to build a new one, said Kaitlin Smith, public relations manager. A $5,000 contribution from the Obici Healthcare Foundation was the first donation for the $72,000 project, which included both the pool and fence. Construction was done winter through spring.

Concurrently, Smith said, the service unit from Cape Henry in Virginia Beach suggested a low-ropes course. This hadn’t been done in the past owing to lack of funding. Again, about $5,000 was contributed, with $15,000 raised to make it a reality.

Teamwork building and instilling trust are the part of the challenging course for the Girl Scouts, she said.

Franklin Mayor Raystine Johnson-Ashburn gave remarks for the occasion,

Johnson-Ashburn said the camp has been an asset to the community.

“It is awesome when the community has someone like the Dardens,” she said.

People attending the event included Tracy Keller, Colonial Coast chief executive officer attended along with Melissa Burroughs, board chairwoman and Virginia Beach Girl Scout volunteers Susan Ramsland and Carol Watkins.