First lady hosts Girl Scout campout on White House lawn WASHINGTON (AP) — Some lucky Girl Scouts got the ultimate camping experience Tuesday: an overnight in tents pitched on the White House South Lawn. The girls, who represent Girl Scout councils in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Oklahoma, spent the afternoon climbing a rock wall, tying knots, pitching tents and participating in orienteering exercises to earn a new outdoor badge. 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. At one point, the scouts squealed upon realizing that President Barack Obama was approaching their singing circle, accompanied by the first lady.