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.
