Alumnae Story
Overseas Culture

By Ursel Huber
Currently of Manakin Sabot, Va.
Formerly of Troops on Foreign Soil, Izmir Turkey

We were a military family stationed in Izmir Turkey from 1974-1976. Our Junior troop experienced lots of local culture. We learned about shopping in the bazaar; made, fired and glazed ceramics; made puppets and did other fairly standard Girl Scout activities. Our camping trips stand out. At Easter each year was a large camporee held in the ruins at Ephesus. We toured the ruins, hiked the hills, and got a bit lost—I think both years. We had pictures taken of us on a camel and on a donkey. We hotel camped at a hot springs.

We camped on a mountain that had a giant Troposperic scatter tower manned by US soldiers and toured their facility. That camping trip we also found out that "no fires" meant that the local gendarme wouldn't let us cook breakfast. I can't recall what our leaders arranged, but I don't remember being hungry.