Local Girl Scouts return from UK adventure

Girl Scout Troop 6106, made up of class of 2023 graduating high school seniors from Staunton, Mt. Olive, and Litchfield, recently returned from a 10-day journey to the UK.

The Troop members – Olivia Crain, Mckinley Dequasie, Maia Dothager, Abigail Lesko and Taylor Seelbach – traveled with troop leaders Sarah Drury-Dothager, Leslie Ann Lesko and Rachel Seelbach.

The girls fundraised for many years for the trip, selling thousands of boxes of cookies, holding trivia nights and selling spaghetti dinners.

"We cannot thank the citizens of Southern Macoupin County enough for showing up to support these young women in all their fundraising efforts," said Sarah Drury-Dothager, leader of Troop 6106. "These five Girl Scouts have been together since first grade, have traveled all over the country together, and have now had this amazing international travel experience."

The troop flew out of Chicago and had a long layover in Iceland on the way to London. This allowed them the opportunity to see the Blue Lagoon and other hot springs, the Icelandic coastline, a bridge between the North American and Eurasian techtonic plates and the Viking World Museum.

While in London, the girls stayed at Pax Lodge, a World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts center for friendship, and participated in a special pinning ceremony with Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from around the world.

During their visit, the troop learned to navigate the tube, rode the London Eye, visited the Tower of London and the British Museum, and completed a scavenger hunt-style challenge that took them all over London to see sites such as Abbey Road, Trafalgar Square, and Westminster Abbey. They attended a performance of "Grease" in London's West End.

They also took coach tours outside the city to visit Stonehenge, Bath, and Warner Brothers' Harry Potter Studios.