Michelle Obama Lifts White House Photo and Social Media Ban After Hosting an Overnight Campout for Girl Scouts

"This is something you can tell your kids and grandkids!" FLOTUS says

By Zach Johnson Jul 01, 2015 4:17 PMTags

2015 is the year of the selfie.

Michelle Obama made that loud and clear Wednesday when she announced that the White House is lifting its ban on cameras and social media during public tours. "If you've been on a White House tour, you may have seen this sign," she said in a video. "Well, not anymore," she said, tearing it in two pieces.

However, video cameras—action camcorders, cameras with detachable lenses, tablets, tripods, monopods and camera sticks—are still banned. Flash photography and live-streaming are prohibited.

The announcement came after Michelle, honorary president of the Girl Scouts, hosted an overnight campout on the White House lawn. Fifty Girl Scouts rock-climbed, sang campfire songs and stargazed with NASA astronauts. The event was held as part of FLOTUS' "Let's Move! Outside" initiative, which strives to get children active and exploring the outdoors. At one point, President Barack Obama dropped by the girls' campsite and joked, "What are you guys doing in my yard?"

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The participants came from councils in Maryland, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. POTUS didn't spend too long with the Girl Scouts, joking, "I've got to work. I'm not allowed to have fun."

Throughout the day, Michelle joined in on a number of activities. "I don't know if I can officially earn a badge, but I want to try," she told the almost fifth graders. "I don't know how to tie a knot. I don't know how to pitch a tent. I can sing a little bit—I'm definitely not climbing that wall. That's up to you all, OK?"

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"This is the first time we've ever done a camp-out on the South Lawn on the White House," Michelle informed the scouts. "You are making history. This is something you can tell your kids and grandkids!"

As it turned out, the Girl Scouts wouldn't actually be camping outdoors as Michelle had said. Before thunderstorms began to move through the nation's capital, the 50 youngsters were moved from tents on the South Lawn into sleeping bags on the fourth floor of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

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