FAO - those who want their children to travel

http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/travel/

This is how my dd got to Europe when we didn't have
tons of money to spend on it. She went with a group
of scouts.

You had to be 11 to apply for wider opportunities and
they were selective since they had more applications
than places for some trips. OTOH, some trips were
easy to get into.

Travel

There are many opportunities for travel beyond the troop/
group meeting in Girl Scouts for girls of all ages. 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 STUDIO 2BSM 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
leader or advisor, 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 STUDIO 2B
destinations event facilitated by Girl Scouts of the USA.

*******
We went to many destinations in the US with our troop and
we gave as many scholarships as we could to girls whose
parents could not afford to go. These scholarships came
from council or from troop profits from the troup cookie money.
Our troop didn't have dues at all. We did ask the girls or their
parents to come up with some token amount if they could not
fund a trip though.

*******

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 age-level 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.:

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.

Edith Macy Conference Center, Briarcliff Manor, NY
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.)

Girl Scout National Headquarters, New York City, NY
National Headquarters houses almost 450 staff working to serve
over 300 Girl Scout councils and US Girl Scouts Overseas, and
a membership of over 3.8 million members. Besides busy offices,
there are some great things to look for if you set up a tour,
including the National Historic Preservation Center and the
GSUSA shop. Centrally located just two blocks from the Empire
State Building and ten blocks from Rockefeller Center, National
Headquarters makes a highlight of any trip to New York. For
further information, email .

Hostelling International
Girl Scout troops/groups receive special membership discounts
and access to the network of places to stay through Youth
Hostelling International—USA. Visit www.hiayh.org for more
information.

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
STUDIO 2B 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.

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:

* Pax Lodge in London England www.paxlodge.org

This lodge was being rebuilt when my dd was in London,
so they stayed at a boyscout house instead.

* Sangam in Pune, India www.paxlodge.org
* Our Chalet in Adelboden, Switzerland www.ourchalet.ch

This was my dd's favorite place on her trip. It's an absolutely
beautiful location.

* Our Cabaña in Cuernavaca, Mexico www.ourchalet.ch

International destinations:
Girls may also apply to travel as a member of a GSUSA
sponsored STUDIO 2B destinations. 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.

My dd's troop also went to boyscout locations since we had
a male troop leader who was also a boyscout leader.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

This is what I'm looking for. I want to travel with my 2 years old daughter this summer on asia tour. I'm planning to visit Korea both Incheon and Busan then Japan. We'll visit osaka and tokyo and Philippines. My husband is planning to visit the beach places there. This helps us figure out how can we travel with my kid. Thanks for sharing.





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