| The official theme
for the 2004 World Thinking Day is “Thoughts in Action.”
This World Thinking Day, February 22, provides an opportunity
for Girl Guides/Girl Scouts around the world to put their thoughts
into action by participating in activities that promote international
understanding. Activity ideas are suggested below, but as always,
girls are free to create their own activities to celebrate this
special day in the Girl Scout calendar.
World
Thinking Day activities
Global Connection Awareness
Visit the Web site of the World Association of Girl Guides
and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and click on the “links”
button to access the list of WAGGGS member organizations with
a Web site. Find a member organization of interest, and see
if you can determine the type of uniforms they wear, their
motto, law, age groups served, and names for their various
age group programs. Determine which WAGGGS region that association
falls under. Note that while there may be differences in uniforms,
age groups, language of the law, we are all part of one global
sisterhood.
Resources:
www.wagggsworld.org.
www.girlscouts.org.
A Local Connection
See if there is a Girl Scout in your community who relocated
from another country. Ask her to describe the World Thinking
Day activities practiced in her former association. Compare
and contrast the activities with the ones common to Girl Scouts
here in the United States.
Plan a Global Get-together
Imagine you are asked to plan a World Thinking Day celebration
for five Girl Scouts/Girl Guides from each of the WAGGGS regions–Western
Hemisphere, Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Arab. Design
an invitation, a program, and a menu for the occasion. Plan
your program, imagining activities that would make the gathering
more exciting. (If this is too challenging, focus on just
one country in one of the WAGGGS regions.)
Resources:
www.wagggsworld.org |
Create Patch Activities
Using the GSUSA Web site or other resources, make up requirements
and activities to earn an imaginary “2004 World Thinking
Day Patch.” Think about what such a patch might require,
remembering that the purpose of World Thinking Day is to think
about our international sisters in Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding,
and that patch requirements are generally quite concise.
Resource: www.girlscouts.org, Girl Scout patch books
Send Greetings
Why not send greetings to your sisters in Girl Scouting and
Girl Guiding directly? Visit the WAGGGS Web site, click on
“Community” and leave a greeting for your sister
Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in the “Visitors’
Book.” You can also leave a message on a World Thinking
Day message board by clicking on “fundraising,”
then scrolling down and looking for the link that allows you
to leave a message for World Thinking Day. What a great way
to let your sister Girl Scouts and Girl Guides know that you
are thinking of them.
Resource:
www.wagggsworld.org |
Make a Donation to the Juliette
Low World Friendship Fund
World Thinking Day is the day that many Girl Scouts in the USA
send money to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund, which
supports Girl Scouting/Girl Guiding around the world. Donations
to the fund support: international travel opportunities for
girls in the United States to travel overseas and for girls
from other countries to come to events in the USA, travelships
for girls to attend programs at the WAGGGS Four World Centers,
grants to other WAGGGS member organizations, helping them to
obtain new equipment or provide training for staff, the annual
GSUSA contribution to the WAGGGS World Thinking Day Fund, which
is used by WAGGGS to expand Girl Guiding/Girl Scouting around
the world.
Support this fund by sending a contribution in honor of World
Thinking Day! Bring contributions to the Girl Scout Shops.
Council Challenge
GSUSA is challenging councils to send in 50 cents per member
to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund by June 30, 2004.
This is a great way for councils to encourage their members
to give while engaging in good-natured competition with other
councils. Help Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council to be counted. |
2004
World Thinking Day