I'm sure you've seen some of the amazing trips our Girl Scouts have been going on this summer. You and your Girl Scout are probably a little jealous of these trips that the girls are taking. As a parent, it's hard to think about letting your Girl Scout travel without you. This week kicks off a three-part series just for parents about the joys (and concerns) of Girl Scouts traveling the country (and the world!)
For the series, we interviewed Beth Abel, who is a member of the Council’s Travel Interest Group and a Girl Scout
adult volunteer in CTGSC since 1992, during which time she was a troop leader
and the founder of the teen Girl Scout outdoor program, High Adventure Team.
Ten Girl Scouts received their Gold Awards under her leadership. She has been a
sponsor on international trips for GSUSA and continues to enjoy a forty year
career counseling with adolescents and their families.Here we go with Week 1's Interview Questions!
Q: My daughter has never been away from me that long before. How do
I know she's ready?
A: A girl who is ready to travel without her parents or
even a long time adult volunteer relationship will give you clear signals that
she’s wanting to spread her wings somewhat. The Council Travel Interest Group
is just the place for her next step out into the world, where she has the
appropriate next level of supervision. Girls
become acquainted with the adult volunteer, the trip lead, way before the trips
happen. If you Girl Scout has never traveled before we suggest a shorter trip.
We encourage the Girl Scouts to approach travel in a progression, much like
becoming acquainted and comfortable with the outdoors. Shorter trips for first
timers, and longer national ones for girls who are not old enough to go abroad
yet. The last step in the progression is 2 week trips internationally for girls
who are ready to see the world!
Q: How do I know my Girl Scout will be safe?
A: Safety of girls is
always the Girl Scout adult volunteers’ number one priority. Although the girls
are planning the trips, the trip lead will make sure that the activities are
safe and appropriate. Certifications that are necessary for safety will be
acquired by the adult volunteers participating. Trip plans are made by trip
group consensus well before the trip occurs and the itinerary is followed. We
will not go to places which are not safe nor countries in which the U.S. does
not have good relations.
Q: Can I come with my Girl Scout daughter?
A: Council trips are meant
to be girl based trips, which means we want to take as many girls as possible
on a trip with the minimum number of adults needed. These trips are for girls,
not for the adults. You can apply to chaperone a trip if your daughter is not
attending it and you have the experience needed for that trip. Only special
circumstances will allow chaperones to attend trips with their daughters but
that is at the discretion of the Council Travel Committee.
Q: What if my Girl Scout doesn't know anyone on the trip?
A: That’s ok! It’s amazing how quickly
the girls make new friends through Girl Scouting! The girls are all from
Central Texas so they will all have that in common. She will be able to make
new friends with girls her own age. They all want to go on the same trip so
they will be able to share with each other the activities they want to do.
Plus, if they attend the phone conferences before the trip so they will have at
least spoken to each other by phone and communicated beforehand via e-mail.
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