Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum
Girl Scout Troops On Foreign Soil, TOFS & Overseas
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Girl Scout Troops On Foreign Soil, TOFS & Overseas
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Almost as long as there has been Girl Scouting, there have been Americans
living overseas eager to be a part of the program. At first, Lone Troops were
active - the first being in China. The North Atlantic Girl Scout Council was
organized in 1951 to help serve Girl Scouts in Europe and Africa. TOFS stood
for Troops on Foreign Soils, a term that lasted until 1980 when it changed to
USA Girl Scouts Overseas. West Pacific GSC serves Girl Scouts in Japan, Korea
as well as other areas.
Katie
Cox writes that USA Girl Scouts Overseas "is open to American girls living
overseas and girls attending an American or International school. That means
that we now serve more than just American girls. In some countries, we are
beginning to pick up more and more 3rd country nationals
and even girls from the host country (depending on the relationship we have with the host country WAGGGS organization.) In Kuwait, for example, the older girl troop is definitely predominantly non-American. But, if we didn't do that, we wouldn't have an older girl troop, as we wouldn't have enough girls to do it! Some places still have only American girls in their program, some have mostly American girls, and others have quite a few girls who are non-Americans. girls with American passports or attend an American school overseas - military and diplomatic dependents as well as simply Americans living overseas."
There are unique official insignias allowed to these members; the USAGSO pin
(2 known versions) and the International Understanding pin.
In
1965, unable to attended the Senior Girl Scout Roundup, the North Atlantic GSC
held their own Roundup at Verona, Italy. 117 Girl Scouts and Girl guides
attended the 12 day event in the shadow of the Italian Alps
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