World Thingking Day (February 22): History, Celebrations, International Aspects and more
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| World Thingking Day. Photo: Girlscoutsaz.org |
World Thinking Day is a celebration of ten million girls worldwide that has taken place on every 22 February since 1926. It remains a day for all Guides and Girl Scouts to think of each other and celebrate their sisters all around the world.
World Thinking Day's History
In 1926, delegates from guide and girl scout organisations across the world met in the USA for the 4th world conference. They decided to create a day for Guides and Girl Scouts to celebrate being part of an international movement. Delegates chose to hold the first celebration on the joint birthday of Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the scout and guide movement, and his wife Olave, who served as World Chief Guide. And so, 'thinking day' was born.
At the 7th world conference in 1932, a Belgian delegate highlighted that birthdays typically involved gifts, and perhaps girls could show their thanks on thinking day by raising funds for the organisation. In response, Olave Baden-Powell wrote a letter to all Guides and Girl Scouts asking them to donate just a penny – enough to buy a loaf of bread in those days – to help fund guiding around the world. This is now known as the World Thinking Day Fund.
The name of the day was changed to 'World Thinking Day' at the 30th world conference in Dublin in 1999 when delegates chose a new name to more clearly emphasise the global nature of the celebration, according to Girlguiding.
World Thinking Day's Celebrations
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| Photo: Wagggs.com |
| What’s great about Thinking Day is the fact that it allows each set of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to choose how they want to mark and celebrate this momentous occasion. There are no set rules for marking this day, apart from the girls needing to donate 1p and fundraise if possible. |
However, everything else about the celebration is left down to each pack of Guides or Scouts.
While some packs choose to celebrate this important day by holding public events such as bake sales and sports days, others choose to embark on challenges to help raise funds for the Girl Guiding and Scouting movement.
A common way that packs choose to celebrate is by taking part in wider events organized by the Guiding and Scouting communities; such as weekend campout events that include a hike of a set number of miles, along with a number of other challenges.
There are also endurance challenges set that a number of older Girl Guides and Scouts take part in, some in their home country, others in countries across the world. Experiences like trekking along complex trails, climbing smaller mountains, and taking part in races from one destination to another that allows the girls to utilize their map-reading skills, are all popular ways to celebrate.
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| Photo: Girlscouts.org |
While some groups choose to hold special pack events, such as group sleepovers, parties, and other activities. Some groups of Girl Guides and Scouts choose to walk to a local point of interest and watch the sunrise as a group. This is a popular way that certain packs opt to celebrate Thinking Day, with the time spent at sunrise dedicated to focusing on the theme set for the year.
Thinking Day offers the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting community the opportunity to think about others and focus on the wider issues impacting those within the Guiding and Scouting movement, Daysoftheyear sited.
World Thinking Day's International Aspects
Much later in 1999, at the 30th World Conference in Dublin, Ireland, delegates from around the world decided to change the name of the day from Thinking Day to World Thinking Day, to better emphasise the international aspects of the day.
The fundraising aspect of World Thinking Day that began in 1932 is still an important funding mechanism for WAGGGS today, and it helps to keep the Movement going, Wagggs noted.
World Thinking Day's Icons
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| Photo: Girlscoutshop.com |
Thinking Day Symbol
WAGGGS introduced this symbol in 1975. It depicts the World Trefoil at the center of a wheel of “action and direction” arrows, Gshistory expressed.
Flower of the Day: Cannas, Holidayinsights reported.
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| Cannas - Flower of the World Thinking Day Photo: Almanac.com |
Recipe of the Day: Homemade Cornbread, Holidayinsights reported.
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| Homemade Cornbread - Food of the World Thinking Day. Photo: Bettycrocker.com |
| There are literally thousands of daily holidays, special events and observances, more than one for every day of the year. Many of these holidays are new, and more are being created on a regular basis. Holidays in February are no exception. |
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