“Thoughts are the very basis of this world; it is through our thoughts we materialize the beautiful and essential things we see around the world.”
World Thinking Day is a special day for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from around the world to think of each other and give thanks and appreciation to their sister girl scouts which are celebrated on February 22. In 1910, Robert Baden-Powell along with his sister Agnes Baden-Powell founded the Girl Guides in Great Britain. In 1912 Juliette Gordon low founded the Girl Guides in the USA. In 1926, Girl guide and Girl scout delegates at the 4th world conference decided there should be a day each year for Girl Guides and Girl scout. The date for thinking day was chosen as February 22 because it was the birthday of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement, and Olave Baden-Powell, who was World Chief Guide. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is a global association formed in the year 1928. WAGGGS is organized into five regions and operates five international Guiding centres in Western Hemisphere, Africa, Arab, Europe, Asia Pacific. Every year the WAGGGS organizations develop amazing resources for the girls.
The World Thinking Day Fund collects money from members around the world, to support their fellow Guides and Scouts which is a tradition since 1932. Girls Scouts of USA, through its Juliette Low world friendship fund, contributes to the world thinking day fund. The delegates from around the world at the 30th World Conference in 1999 decided to change the name of the day from Thinking Day to World Thinking Day, to better highlight the international aspects of the day. It is an opportunity to speak out about the issues that affect young girls and fundraise for 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in all 150 countries. On this day members remember their brothers and sisters across the world.
The purpose of Guiding associations is to give the real meaning of Thinking day. Girls come to the event for a fun and educational experience. They learn and engage with each other about the different countries around the world and their sisters in those countries. They share food, songs, uniforms, and traditions and culture in everyday lives. There are passports, as girls travel from country to country it gets stamped. Each country has its stamps or stickers. The ceremonies are reflective, do not have to be heavy and solemn, and often include giving Girls scouts the WAGGGS pin. As part of the tradition, Every year that night at dusk every girl scout or guide would place a candle near the window with the motto “This is my little guiding light, and am going to let it shine”. They also send letters or postcards to other Scouts and Guides before Thinking Day.
The world thinking day is celebrated each year by the Girl Scout organization with unique themes. In 2005 the theme for world thinking day was Think about Food and in 2012, it was We can save our planet. However, the theme and purpose of 2021 world thinking day is peacebuilding. It was the idea of the scouts and guides associations. With this theme, members will be encouraged to stand up, stand strong and stand together for each individual. Together everyone joins their hands together for peacebuilding.
In the book, Window on my heart(1983) by lady Baden-Powell and Mary Drewery says “Even though you cannot visit sister Guides in France or Finland, in Austria or Australia, in Italy or Iceland, Canada or Chile, etc you can reach out to them there in your MIND. And in this, there is a spiritual way you can give them your concern, sympathy, and friendship. Thus we Guides, of all kinds of age and nations, go with a high rise and the finest towards the spreading of true peace and goodwill on earth.”
On World Thinking Day, we ought to make a difference by fundraising for projects around the world. It allows our young people to reflect upon the services that they can provide to the communities in which they live. The scouting and guiding allow the candidates to become successful in making their impact on the whole world. These connections in our local group, across the country indeed across the world are ever more important in today’s world of tensions and crisis we should believe the power of all these movements is ever more needed in this today’s world. Be a leader and create to choose a world of peace that includes everyone.
