World Thinking Day: A Nod to Decades of International Sisterhood

from GSUSA

Every year, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world celebrate February 22 as a day of international friendship called World Thinking Day. But what is World Thinking Day? And how did it get started?

It all dates back to 1926 at the fourth World Conference of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts at our very own Camp Edith Macy (now Edith Macy Conference Center) in New York. The delegates at the conference decided that there should be a special day every year when Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world think of one another and celebrate our global sisterhood. They decided to call it Thinking Day and chose February 22 to celebrate it.
Six years later in 1932, at the seventh World Conference, a Belgian Girl Guide suggested that girls show their appreciation of Girl Scouting by offering gifts to our international Movement through fundraising or making a donation in support of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts continue to honor this tradition every year by making contributions to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund, which supports international travel for girls and fosters friendships between Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 146 countries.

In 1999, at the 30th World Conference in Dublin, Ireland, delegates from around the world decided to emphasize the international aspect of the day and the global nature of our Movement, so they changed the name to World Thinking Day.

Since 2005, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts has chosen a theme for each World Thinking Day, usually related to a global issue facing girls, such as health or education. This year, the theme is “Impact.” Imagine the impact of 10 million Girl Scouts and Girl Guides thinking and acting on the same issue!

To earn your World Thinking Day award, try some of the activities listed on our website, and let us know: what are you doing to celebrate World Thinking Day? And how is being part of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides making an impact on you? Don’t forget to tag your thoughts on social with #WorldThinkingDay and #WTD2018!