Girl Scout Troop's 13 Years Culminates in Adventure Abroad
Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates Girl Scout Troop 40172 of the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana celebrated the end of their time as girl members with a two week adventure in Europe. The girls fundraised for 2 ½ years putting on events for other Girl Scouts, selling crafts at local craft shows, and of course selling cookies. The over 13,000 boxes of cookies sold across three cold winters helped them realize their dream, so to all of you who stopped to buy a box or make a donation they say a big Thank You!
They started their adventure in London where they became experts at riding the Underground (mind the gap!), saw 42nd Street in the West End, rode a double decker bus, witnessed a changing of the guard and participated in programming at the Pax Lodge World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Centre. It was then off to Paris via the "chunnel" train. Time was spent studying masterpieces in the Louvre, admiring the grandeur of Versailles, touring a perfumery, cruising the Seine and trying French cuisine (macaroons, crepes and baguettes galore!) From there it was off to Switzerland with a stop in the French countryside in Beaune, France, for a leisurely lunch and stroll through the open air market. The first stop in Switzerland was the Our Chalet World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Centre in Adelboden. Set high in the Swiss Alps, it was a magical stay complete with hiking, building campfires, visiting a woodcarver and sharing in the traditions of Our Chalet that date back to 1932. The second stop was in Lucerne which included a trip to the top of Mt Pilatus for spectacular views above the clouds and a traditional swiss-evening of yodeling, fondue and alpine horn playing. The group especially treasured the cowbell serenade that accompanied them throughout their time in the Swiss countryside. The next stop was Florence, Italy via a lunch break alongside Lake Como. The history and mystery of quaint Florence was soaked up with visits to the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio (and the local gelato shop.) Their time there also included a leathercraft workshop and a fresco workshop where everyone left with their own handmade work of art. A nighttime trip was made to Pisa to see the leaning tower in its illuminated nighttime glory and it did not disappoint. The final stop for the group was Rome. The group got to admire the Colosseum and Roman Forum where they learned of Ancient Roman society and the will of the emperors. A morning was set aside for touring the Vatican and its treasurers and grandeur, followed by an afternoon discovering the wonders of ancient ruins surviving alongside new construction tucked around every corner.
The 5 members of Troop 40172 plus a friend from Troop 40659 were part of a group tour that included now new Girl Scout friends from Pecatonica, Illinois; Charlotte, North Carolina; Springfield, Missouri and Washington DC and 15 days of travel through four countries. In addition, the EF Tours Tour Director Sigi became a fast friend to all and shared her German heritage as a wonderful addition to the trip. The girls all learned new skills and confidence in navigating different cultures with this hands-on experience. "We loved the free time we got to spend exploring and trying out our new skills," said Melanie May about her favorite part of the trip.
The girls have all been Girl Scouts since kindergarten, and putting all of their skills to use planning the trip, fundraising for it and participating in it was a wonderful culmination of what they learned.
"Girl Scouts isn't an extension of school. We got to work together to choose what we learned over the years and Mrs Urban helped us make things happen. We didn't have to worry about being intimidated about our choices or being laughed at if we failed because we all worked through it together," said Abigail Fledderman about her time as a Girl Scout.
The girls are looking forward to the next chapter of the Girl Scout career as volunteers and staff members to work with the next generation of Girl Scouts and again say thank you to the community for their support to help them reach their goals.