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Girl Scout Troop 367 From O'Fallon Visits Japan
Girl Scouts is known for giving girls unique experiences, a space to explore their interests, and lifelong friendships. For Troop 367 from O’Fallon, their Girl Scout adventures took them on a trip of a lifetime this summer when they visited Japan.
When Mandy Batten became the Troop Leader for the group in 2023, she had a brainstorming session with everyone. The girls were interested in planning an epic travel adventure. When the desired destination landed on Japan, Mandy knew it would require a tremendous amount of planning and fundraising. The girls were willing to put in the time and effort, so Mandy said, “We’ll make it happen!”
Over the next couple of years, the girls put in the work. Together, the troop dedicated a lot of planning to this adventure – both the logistics and the expense. The Girl Scout Cookie Program funded a large portion of their trip, with the girls holding several cookie booths each season. The girls also held additional fundraisers to reach their goal of funding approximately half of their experience.
When the summer of 2026 finally arrived, the troop was able to see their hard work pay off. Their trip was filled with lots of sightseeing, shopping, experiencing new foods, and adventure at every turn. They visited Tokyo, Kochi, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and even made a stop in South Korea. Girl Scout Liz noted that their tour guide Jenny was amazing and made their trip ten times better than they even imagined. There were many memorable experiences along the way. Girl Scouts Kayla and Liz particularly enjoyed the maid café, noting they had to say, “Meow, meow,” to get the attention of the servers. Liz loved the shopping and dressing up in her new kimono. Kayla really enjoyed the Japanese garden they visited, especially the turtles and fish – and the pigeon that kept following them.
The sisterhood of Girl Scouting is undeniable. There was a key word in the response of every Girl Scout in the troop who was asked what they enjoyed most about Girl Scouting – friends. And they truly live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law, all citing that they really enjoy helping the younger Girl Scouts learn new things. Girl Scout Kylessa also particularly enjoys the experience of cookie booths and learning how to run a business - lifelong skills she built in this supportive environment.
The troop all agrees that families should consider joining Girl Scouts for the lifelong friendships made along the way. Kayla feels the lyrics of a classic Girl Scout song sum it up best – "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other gold. A circle is round, it has no end. That’s how long I want to be your friend."
Photos:
August 27, 2026
