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Travel
There are many opportunities for travel beyond the meeting in Girl Scouts for all girls. Learning to plan trips and travel as a group is one of the basic experiences in Girl Scouting. In Girl Scouting, travel is about fun, exploration, and progressive experiences in appreciating the outdoors, new places, and other cultures. As girls grow older and more experienced in travel, the scope of their travel broadens to include travel across the country or abroad on a girl planned trip with sister Girl Scouts, or as an individual in a council or Girl Scouts of the USA sponsored destination.
Safety is the most important thing to consider when planning trips and traveling. Girl Scouts of the USA provides guidelines for travel in Safety-Wise—from activities to transportation to number of adults needed. All councils have special procedures and paperwork for tracking groups who travel.
Travel in the United States
Girls can travel as troops or groups, planning trips with their adult volunteer, travel in a council-sponsored trip or event with other girls from their council, or travel with girls across the country (and around the world) through a destinations event facilitated by Girl Scouts of the USA.
When traveling into a different part of the country, it is good to do some research about the place you are going first. In addition to viewing scenic attractions, shopping, or exploring museums, girls may find their trip enriched by doing a Girl Scout activity while they're there, utilizing awards related to travel.
Many Girl Scout councils in major cities or areas of the country have "council's own" patches related to the unique attractions of their city or the area. For example, Girl Scouts of the Nation's Capital in Washington, D.C., has a set of "Discovering the Nation's Capital" patches on their Web site, while Girl Scouts of Patriot's Trail in Boston, Massachusetts, has the Freedom Trail patch to focus on exploring the historical sites on a walk. (Note: girls must visit the area in order to earn these patches.)
Girl Scouts of the USA Spots and Partner Resources in the U.S.:
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Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, Savannah, Ga.
Home of the founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, the Birthplace and Savannah can be a great travel opportunity for girls of all ages. Built in 1821, the house has been elegantly restored to reflect the time that Juliette Gordon Low lived there. This registered historic landmark is open to the public and special tours are available for Girl Scout groups. Visit the Birthplace page for more information. |
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Girl Scout National Headquarters and Girl Scout Museum, New York, N.Y.
National Headquarters houses approximately 400 staff working to serve over 100 Girl Scout councils and USA Girl Scouts Overseas, and a membership of over 3.5 million. Besides busy offices, there are some great things to look for if you take a tour, including the National Historic Preservation Center and the GSUSA shop.
The Girl Scouts of the USA headquarters also features a museum, open to the public, curated by the National Historic Preservation Center, and filled with the artifacts and ephemera that tell a story about strength and change. Centrally located just two blocks from the Empire State Building and ten blocks from Rockefeller Center, National Headquarters is a highlight of any trip to New York. Find out more information. |
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Edith Macy Conference Center, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.
Girl Scouts of the USA's unique facility dedicated to educational opportunities is just 45 minutes by train to New York City. Girl Scout staff, volunteers, and members benefit from the center, which features 400 acres of wooded grounds dedicated to learning through Girl Scouting and the Great Hall, where Juliette Gordon Low once ushered in the first WAGGGS World Congress held in the United States. Visit the Edith Macy Conference Center Web page for more information. (Special travel funds are available to adults in Girl Scout councils traveling to accredited events at Edith Macy. Check with your council for more information.) |
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Hostelling International USA
Hostelling offers a special kind of travel that opens doors to self-discovery, intercultural exchange, and new people and places. With safe, clean, inexpensive accommodations and special travel and cultural education programs, hostels are welcoming places that encourage meaningful interactions. With over 100 hostels and local organizations throughout the country, HI-USA can help girls learn key travel skills in preparation for or as part of their next adventure. To learn more, visit the Hostelling International USA Web site. |
International Travel
There are many opportunities for groups to visit other countries on trips they have planned themselves or as part of a group of Girl Scouts sponsored by Girl Scouts of the USA through destinations. Those planning international trips should consult Safety-Wise, the online Girl Scout Guide for International Travel, their local council and the U.S. State Department Web site. There are special forms for traveling to both Canada and Mexico in Safety-Wise. Groups and individuals should also follow instructions for requesting a "Card of Introduction" from GSUSA by using Travel Form B, found in Safety-Wise or online in our Forms section.
Girl Scout groups may make plans to travel to one of the four world centers operated by World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Guides by consulting center Web sites, as well as using Hostelling International's network of places to stay.
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The Four World Centers
Groups can make arrangement to attend sessions or stay at the four world centers run by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. If groups are traveling to any of the four World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts world centers on their own, they must make their own arrangements through the world center's Web site, but they must have council approval before doing so. See their individual Web sites for additional information. WAGGGS world centers include:
International destinations:
Girls may also apply to travel as a member of a GSUSA sponsored destinations event. These include special events hosted by WAGGGS countries, world center events, and events facilitated by groups such as Outward Bound USA. Only destinations to world centers or WAGGGS member-events facilitated by GSUSA through destinations are underwritten by the Juliette Low World Friendship fund. |
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