February is a busy month for Girl Scouts. Most
councils are well into the sale and delivery of cookies. Daisies, Brownies,
Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors are crafting or delivering Valentines. On February 22 we celebrate World Thinking Day with all our sister
Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world.
Lord Robert Baden-Powell (founder of Boy Scouting)
and his wife, Lady Olave Baden-Powell (World Chief Guide) were both born on
February 22nd (35 years apart!). In 1926 the 4th
International Conference established this date as Thinking Day. We all
celebrate our common goals and our diversity throughout the 146 countries of
the World Association of Girl Guides and
Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) on this date.
The Thinking Day symbol was created in 1975. The
World Trefoil forms the center and represents the World Association. The arrows
pointing toward the trefoil represent action and direction. The design is
circular and represents the World of Girl Guide/Girl Scout Movement. The 30th
World Conference made February 22nd “World” Thinking Day in 1999.
In recent years each triennium the World Thinking Day logo changes to
reflect the current girl trends and the emphasis of our world organization.
Every year we encourage our troops to participate in
World Thinking Day in many different ways. Some troops explore Girl Guides/Girl
Scouts in other countries learning about the native dress, language and the
Promise and the Laws in the native language. They discover, connect, and take
action to better understand their world.
Other girls choose to contribute to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund (JLWFF) at this time. This fund helps to extend Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding to new members in many parts of
the world. It supports international friendship through take action projects,
training, events and exchange visits for Girl Scouts from member nations of
WAGGGS.
The
international friendship started with Juliette Low and Agnes Baden-Powell
(founder of Guiding, sister to Lord Baden-Powell) lives on today in the World
Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and is celebrated each February 22nd
with World Thinking Day. How ever you choose to remember and celebrate this
day, we should all be grateful to belong to a world association whose only
mission is to support girls and young women to develop their full potential as
leaders and active citizens of the world.
Explore what your troop can do on World Thinking Day.
Barbara Johnson
GSNCA Volunteer
Explore what your troop can do on World Thinking Day.
