Thinking Day

Thinking Day History

Thinking Day, also known as World Thinking Day, aims to foster appreciation for diverse cultures and promote international understanding among members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). On this day, participants contemplate global issues, learn more about the international community, and take action to make a difference. This crucial tradition serves to cultivate empathy and inclusivity among WAGGGS members and encourages them to become active citizens in the 21st century.

The tradition of Thinking Day was instituted in 1926, during the fourth World Conference of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts held in England. The conference delegates wished to provide a day in which WAGGGS members could reflect and express solidarity with one another. On Thinking Day, Canadian Girl Guides and Girl Scouts focus on developing leadership skills, participating in community service projects, and engaging with global themes relevant to the lives of young girls and women around the world.

In Canada, various Girl Guide and Girl Scout groups organize diverse activities, ranging from educational workshops to community service initiatives, to observe Thinking Day. Some of these activities may involve fundraising for projects that support international development or provide essential services to communities in need. Thinking Day typically takes place on February 22 every year, as it commemorates the shared birthday of Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, and his wife Olave, who played a significant role in establishing the Girl Guides.

Top facts about Thinking Day

• The theme for Thinking Day in 2024 was Our World, Our Thriving Future: The environment and global poverty.
• Girl Guides are famous for their cookies in Canada, which serves as a major source of funding for their activities. The tradition started in the 1920s.
• Since its inception, the organization has served about seven million Canadian girls and women. Currently, there are about 70,000 members in Canada.
• According to girlscouts.org, those who participate in Girl Scout processes and National Leadership Journeys are more likely to develop leadership skills.
• Though you cannot visit sister Guides in France or Finland, in Austria or Australia, in Italy or Iceland, Canada or Chile, Ghana or Guatemala, USA, or U.A.R., you can reach out to them there in your MIND. And in this unseen, spiritual way you can give them your uplifting sympathy and friendship. Thus do we Guides, of all kinds and of all ages and of all nations, go with the highest and the best towards the spreading of true peace and goodwill on earth - Window on my Heart, The Autobiography of Olave, Lady Baden-Powell (1973)

In the News and Trending in Canada for Thinking Day

Top things to do for Thinking Day in Canada

• Earn the World Thinking Day Badge by completing the World Thinking Day 2024 activity pack.
• Volunteer and see how you can help the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
• Read The Character Factory: Baden-Powell and the Origins of the Boy Scout Movement by Michael Rosenthal.
• Watch a recap of World Thinking Day 2020 if you missed it.