This article covers a Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts of the USA

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...

 event: for vacation destinations see Vacation spot

Vacation spot

A vacation spot may be:*a Park *other Tourist attractions*a Bed and breakfast*a Luxury resort*a Megaresort*a Resort town*a Seaside resort*a Ski resort*a "Tourist trap"-See also:*Lists of tourist attractions...

Girl Scout Destinations, formerly Wider Opportunities or Wider Ops, are events for individual Girl Scouts (ages 11 - 17) hosted by GSUSA or individual Girl Scout councils. Most Destinations are held within the United States, though each year there are trips abroad, such as to allow participants to be part of the US delegation to another country's national jamboree

Jamboree (Scouting)

In Scouting, a jamboree is a large gathering of Scouts who rally at a national or international level.The 1st World Scout Jamboree was held in 1920, and was hosted by the United Kingdom...

, or a World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) World Centre. They can range from two days to three weeks long. Most events are geared toward specified grade levels: Girl Scout Cadettes (6th - 8th grade), Girl Scout Seniors (9th and 10th grade), or Girl Scout Ambassadors (11th and 12th grade).

Destinations might be outdoor oriented, such as kayaking

Kayaking

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...

 in Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

, or career oriented such as learning about working for NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

. They generally fall into one of six categories: international, outdoors, science, people, apprenticeships, or getaways. Getaways do not require a destinations application.

Wider Opportunities

Wider Opportunities were open to any older girls (Cadettes and Seniors) registered with Girl Scouts of the USA

Girl Scouts of the USA

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...

, including those living abroad. In some cases, Scouts and Guides from other countries were also accepted. The focus of each trip varied widely, from general "sampler" trips where larger groups of girls tried an assortment of new activities, to smaller groups oriented on a specific skill. There were also trips to learn about the history of Girl Scouts and participate in country-wide discussions, and to learn various life skills while seeing new sights. Starting in 2000, GSUSA began collaborating with Outward Bound

Outward Bound

Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...

 to offer small-group no-experience-required high adventure

High adventure

High adventure is a type of outdoor experience. It typically is meant to include activities like backpacking, hiking, kayaking or canoeing. It may also include mountaineering, rock climbing, mountain biking, orienteering, hang gliding, paragliding and hot air ballooning.-High adventure in...

 trips in addition to the trips run by GSUSA and Girl Scout councils across the country and abroad.

The number of participants allowed on a trip varied widely, often as low as 8-10, sometimes over one thousand, depending on the nature and location of the trip. In order to be considered for a trip, girls had to fill out an application, find references, and have an interview. Acceptance was competitive, with even the smallest trips frequently having several hundred applicants.

One item participants were told to bring, frequently, though not exclusively, seen in Scouting, is a SWAP. A SWAP, short for Something With A Pin, is a small object, typically with a pin or loop attached to the back, which displays something about the creator's home. SWAPS can also be defined as Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/swaps/. The home address is also written on it, because SWAPs are meant to be traded with others as a way to remember people met while easily passing on contact information. Extra SWAPs can also be left at some locations, such as World Centers, for future travellers to find.