USA Girl Scouts Overseas Interview with USAGSO's Director, Sandy Thomas
USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO) provides the Girl Scout program to American girls living outside the United States and those attending American or international schools abroad. Since 1925, the USAGSO has been fostering responsible global citizens and encouraging girls to develop the Girl Scouts' Three Keys to Leadership (Discover, Connect, and Take Action) through their program of skill building, and community 'take action' projects. The organization serves 20,000 girls in 90 countries across the globe.
Interestingly, USAGSO was originally created to provide Girl Scouting to American military families living abroad. However, today approximately half of the membership is non-military.
To tell us more, we talked to USAGSO's Director, Sandy Thomas, who is based at the national headquarters of the Girl Scouts in New York City. Sandy has worked professionally in the Girl Scout organization for over 37 years and is a recipient of the Juliette Low World Friendship Medal – Girl Scouting's prestigious national award, for excellence in international service.
Expat Women's Interview With Sandy
Expat Women:
One of the toughest struggles children have when moving abroad is losing their current friendships. How have you seen Girl Scouts Overseas help ease the transition to a new place?
Sandy: Many families want their daughters to continue to have the American Girl Scout experience while living abroad. They can do that with their international friends through USAGSO.
I had a mother once tell me that when her daughter had to leave all her classmates, her friends at church, her grandparents and even had to leave her dog when moving to Venezuela, the only thing that provided some security for her daughter was knowing she could be a Girl Scout when she got to Caracas. That is huge.
I have other parents tell me that Girl Scouting is the first thing they look for when they relocate. Many families contact us and are already connected to their new Girl Scout troop prior to arriving at their new location. If they contact us prior to moving we will connect them to their new location stateside or overseas.
We are in the process of piloting virtual Girl Scout troops so girls that live in an area where there is not enough girls for a troop can continue to be involved through a virtual Girl Scout troop with girls from all over. Girl Scouting is the common denominator for girls as they move around the world. No matter where they move they can continue to be a Girl Scout.
Expat Women: What opportunities and/or challenges do the girls face abroad that they would not back home?
Sandy: The opportunities are many. Girl Scouts have sisters in 145 countries through the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Many of our USAGSO locations connect with the host nation Girl Guides for projects, celebrations and activities. There are two awards girls can only earn if they live overseas: the International Friendship award; and the Lady Baden Powell award. The International Friendship award is earned by learning about the culture of the country in which they are living. The Lady Baden Powell award can be earned with the host nation Girl Guides. They also have the opportunity to travel to nearby countries and to explore the local culture.
USAGSO serves all girls in American and International Schools, not just American girls, so many of our troops have 13 or 15 different nationalities. What a rich experience that provides for our girls.
Earning money overseas for their projects can sometimes be a challenge. Another challenge can be finding a 'take action' community project in countries where volunteering is not a part of the culture. However, our girls and volunteers are very resourceful and creative and they work out ways to overcome these challenges.
Expat Women:
USAGSO operates in 92 countries – some of them in areas that can sometimes experience unrest. Are there any special challenges for USAGSO committees and troops located in such places?
Sandy: When families in Kuwait had to evacuate during the war some of the girls stayed while others were scattered all over the world. The girls continued to have Girl Scout meetings every Saturday over the internet. What a comfort that was for the girls remaining in Kuwait to stay in touch with their Girl Scout sisters. They continued meeting over the internet until the families returned to Kuwait.
Volunteers must know the issues and concerns of the area: where to take the girls and places they should not go. In some countries our girls meet only at the school where they know they are safe and protected. Safety does vary a great deal from country to country and is a priority for the Girl Scouts.
Expat Women:
How can someone start a Girl Scout committee/troop in an overseas location that currently does not have one?
Sandy: Anyone interested in starting a location or being involved in an established location can email us at overseas@girlscouts.org. We will be happy to put you in contact with one of our regional consultants that will help you step-by-step.
Expat Women:
Sandy, what motivated you to become such a passionate devotee to the Girl Scouts?
Sandy: When I was 11 years old, we had a lady that worked for the local Girl Scout office come to our troop to tell us about her job as a Girl Scout professional. She asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. I replied, “I want to be a Girl Scout and travel around the world and start Girl Scouting where there are no Girl Scouts.” I have been living that dream for 16 years as Director of USA Girl Scouts Overseas. What a blessing to travel around the world and do what you love to do.
Expat Women:
Finally, after thirty-seven years with the Girl Scouts you must have favorite stories to tell?
Sandy: I have many wonderful stories. The first: I work in Micronesia to help the women develop their own National Girl Scout organization. Once while visiting the island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia, the women wanted me to teach them how to cook in a cardboard oven. Finding the ingredients for a cake and the supplies to make the oven was the first challenge. One mother had her five year old daughter with her. This little girl watched very intently as we made the oven, mixed the ingredients and put the cake in the oven. She wanted to check the cake every minute. She was sure it must be done. Once the cake was done, this little girl helped ice the cake with chocolate icing. The Kodak moment came when she took her very first bite of chocolate cake. The smile on that little girl's face with chocolate spread from ear to ear is one of my favourite memories. Her mother told me the next day that her daughter got up during the night to make sure “her” cake was still there.
Another Micronesian story: after arriving, I rented a car. I had been travelling for over 30 hours without sleep. I went out to the car to find no door handles on the car. I was sure Candid Camera was just around the corner. However I threw my suitcase in the car and climbed through the window. I just wanted a shower and to sleep. Once I arrived in my room I was ready for my shower. I turned on the water in the shower and watched horrified as the faucet flew across the shower floor. The gushing water being only about 12 inches off the floor and not feeling inclined to crawl on the shower floor, I decided to wait until the next day for my shower.
The next day I had an early meeting and was gone all day. After being assured the shower was fixed, I arrived back only to find I had no cold water but only scalding hot water. On day three, I finally had a shower – one of the best ever!
I attended a festival in my honor that week. As I was walking with two women, trying to find out how to turn on the light bulb at the top of the grass hut, I looked up to follow this wire to find the connection and I fell in a puddle of pig mud. The two ladies fell on the ground laughing hilariously as I tried to find my two flip flops that were stuck somewhere in the mud. Someday I will have to write a book!
Expat Women: Sandy, thank you for taking the time to speak with us about the work that USAGSO does to create global citizens. We wish you and the USA Girl Scouts Overseas ongoing success in 'making the world a better place'.
