Thinking Day

The World Thinking Day is celebrated all over the world on February 22 of every year by Girl Scouts and Girl Guides. The World Thinking Day is celebrated since 1926; it is a Day of International Friendship. The day creates an opportunity to speak out on issues that affect young women and helps in raising fund for around 10 million girl guides and girl scouts from around the world. The Thinking Day is celebrated to appreciate the help and guidance of the fellow scout brothers and sisters around the world. This day also helps in creating awareness and understanding of different culture and global issues of various places around the globe. About 146 countries around the world celebrate the World Thinking Day. On this day, events are organized based on one environmental issue and action plans are taken to improve the problems.

Be thankful for what you have; you will end up having more. If you concentrate on what you do not have, you will never, ever have enough.-Oprah Winfrey

History of World Thinking Day

In 1926, the delegates of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from around the world met in the USA for the 4th World Conference. In that conference, they decided that there should be a special annual day for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from across the world to think of each other and express their gratitude and appreciation for themselves. From their 22nd February of each year is celebrated as Thinking Day. Later after six years of celebrating Thinking Day, in 1932 a Belgian delegate Olave Baden-Powell at the 7th World conference that took place at Poland suggested that a birthday usually involves gifts, so the girls should also celebrate the day by offering gifts to the international Movement by fundraising or by donating.And that fund will be used to help the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting around the globe. Until 1999 Thinking Day was majorly celebrated in the United States only. Later from 30th World conference which was held in Dublin, the delegates from around the world decided to change the day from Thinking Day to World Thinking day to give the day a global aspect. Lord Baden-Powell birthday is also celebrated on 22nd February, so the day is credited with the Boy Scout Movement. Fundraising aspect which was started in 1932 is still an essential event for WAGGGS(World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) which helps the movement going.

Quotes on World Thinking Day

“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 (1983), Lady Baden-Powell and Mary Drewery, p. 182

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadow falls behind you.” – Jan Goldstein

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts its sails.” – John Maxwell

“You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.”- Pema Chodron

“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” – Carl Sagan

Images of World Thinking Day

How to celebrate World Thinking Day

Only one in ten million people celebrate World Thinking Day.  So, celebrate the day and be the one. This day can be observed by creating the impact of the global Movement by making positive marks in the neighborhood. The day is celebrated by capturing an impact and sharing one’s thoughts on Facebook and Twitter using #WTD. An issue is speaking out, and necessary actions are also taken against the problem. The World Thinking Day is celebrated with different traditions at the different part of the world. In few places they commemorate the day by singing the world song, conducting events and showing their appreciation for the help and support of each other. Girls scouts from different places meet at a particular location to celebrate the day by taking pledges to support and work for the community as long as they can. An Ex-Girl Scout celebrates the day by lighting a candle by the window pane, which signifies that the candle stands for guiding light and the guiding light stands for illumination of the darkness. In recent years, WAGGGS( World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) started to pick a social theme for the day, and various events are held based on the social theme. The day is celebrated majorly by Girl Scouts, and in very few parts of the world, Boy Scouts also celebrate the World Thinking Day. Since 1932, the Girl Scouts offer gifts and donations to the community as apart of raising fund.