Spif's Garden
A woodland retreat for quiet thinking and dreaming
Spif's story
Spif was the camp name of Counselor-in-Training and Gold Award recipient Lisa Pruett. By all accounts, she was a wonderful girl from Shaker Heights, involved in several of activities. She loved Crowell Hilaka and camped there often at weekend troop camp outs> She retuned year after year for summer resident camp. At the age of sixteen she was murdered. A jealous would-be boyfriend was suspected, but acquitted.
The idea for the garden came from Lisa’s troop. Stan Polo (the last CH camp manger) suggested using the overgrown clay tennis court between Amity & North House. Stan also found the rock for the bronze plaque, hauled it up out of the creek and set it into place. The troop came and planted flowers. Every year on Memorial Day weekend, the girls in the troop come back to take care of the garden with Lisa’s family. When they grew up and had children of their own, they brought their families back every year for Garden Day.
Lisa's family and troop always wanted the garden to be a tribute to Lisa’s life , and to be a place that children would enjoy. They loved when girls used the place at camp. It was a quiet, "secret garden" that was used for ceremonies, hide & seek, art classes, or just thinking, watching, dreaming.
Spif was the camp name of Counselor-in-Training and Gold Award recipient Lisa Pruett. By all accounts, she was a wonderful girl from Shaker Heights, involved in several of activities. She loved Crowell Hilaka and camped there often at weekend troop camp outs> She retuned year after year for summer resident camp. At the age of sixteen she was murdered. A jealous would-be boyfriend was suspected, but acquitted.
The idea for the garden came from Lisa’s troop. Stan Polo (the last CH camp manger) suggested using the overgrown clay tennis court between Amity & North House. Stan also found the rock for the bronze plaque, hauled it up out of the creek and set it into place. The troop came and planted flowers. Every year on Memorial Day weekend, the girls in the troop come back to take care of the garden with Lisa’s family. When they grew up and had children of their own, they brought their families back every year for Garden Day.
Lisa's family and troop always wanted the garden to be a tribute to Lisa’s life , and to be a place that children would enjoy. They loved when girls used the place at camp. It was a quiet, "secret garden" that was used for ceremonies, hide & seek, art classes, or just thinking, watching, dreaming.
Part of a letter from Eric Pruett read at an RJRD meeting 2017
The significance of Spiff's Garden as expressed in my parent's letter cannot be overstated. My wife and I recently had the blessing of twins born at the end of January, and there was little doubt in our mind as new parents that we must find a way to make the trip from Texas to Ohio for our regular 'Garden Day' session of maintenance at the garden over Memorial Day weekend. Failing to expose our precious little ones to the wonders of Spiff's Garden, as well as all of the friends bonded by tragedy stronger than any other friendships we have, would be a regrettable disservice to our children and our friends. My sister's memory is kept alive and well by her friends and their family and decedents bonding together in recounting the joyful memories we hold fast to of her short life, robbed from her and us at an unjust young age. I have visited Spiff's garden much more often than any other memorial site celebrating her life – more than memorial trees planted, and more than her grave. Her life and spirit is so entwined with these friends and memories at Crowell-Hilaka Girl Scout Camp, that no other place will ever hold as special of a connection to her as Spiff's Garden.